Step count?

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Samm471
Samm471 Posts: 432 Member
edited September 2019 in Fitness and Exercise
Why do some personal trainers or coaches say get your steps in for the day? If you use a TDEE calculator ( I know they aren’t 100% accurate) would your steps not be included in this calculation you get? If not then would the extra steps on Fitbit make your deficit even larger?
For example say using the TDEE calculator I get my calculation and eat 500 calories below my TDEE would the steps on top of that 500 calories make the deficit larger?

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  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    It's difficult to know how many calories steps will burn. To make an extreme case: running up a mountain may have the same steps as working in a hospital all day. Both burn more calories than lying on the sofa, but not the same number.

    My solution has been to set to sedentary, add for aerobic workouts. Most trackers (e.g., Garmin) will give reasonable calorie estimates for workouts if you initiate and end the workout manually. You can include sustained walks, if you do them.

    The only reason I would bump my activity level up (on the setup page) is if I had a job where I was on my feet all day. Then you just have to guess a level and see what happens to your weight.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    In TDEE your burn from steps would be included already. But if you don’t get your steps in and no other activity is substituted, then obviously your burn would be lower.

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