Can someone explain "active calories" and whether this means I need to eat more

cattyw
cattyw Posts: 26 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I'm eating 2,000 calories a day. However, I'm following a HIIT/strength program at the minute to try get rid of the belly fat but tone up. If I'm burning, say, 600 calories in these classes do I need to eat back some of those calories? I'm so confused by the whole active calorie thing!

Yesterday for example I was in the house all day working but did a HIIT/leg session and an abs session. At the end of the day my Honor watch was showing I'd burnt 900 "active calories", unfortunately it doesn't show total calories.

So do I need to eat back some of these 900 in order not to lose any weight?

Replies

  • cattyw
    cattyw Posts: 26 Member
    If someone would be happy to take a look at my macros and give me some pointers, I'd be very grateful.
  • nkzard
    nkzard Posts: 19 Member
    People have differing opinions but I would say - no do not eat your "active calories" back. You should take into account exercise when calculating your TDEE and calories to eat (which you currently have at 2k). I would say do not eat them back, see how fast you are losing/gaining weight, and change your daily calories until you are seeing the right progress.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Is 2000 your TDEE or what MFP gave you? If it's your TDEE it should already include your exercise calories, on average, unless you have really increased your activity. I would track your weight and if you are losing increase your cal intake to make sure you are maintaining.
  • cattyw
    cattyw Posts: 26 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Is 2000 your TDEE or what MFP gave you? If it's your TDEE it should already include your exercise calories, on average, unless you have really increased your activity. I would track your weight and if you are losing increase your cal intake to make sure you are maintaining.

    I'm following a programme at the moment and this is what it calculated for me to "gain". However, I've introduced some HIIT training so am burning more calories than normal. I will keep an eye on my weight for sure. My stomach is such a problem area as my gain goes straight there and I know to lose you have to be in a deficit. I'm just hoping that with some HIIT and weights I will notice some difference.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I am kind of confused as to what your goals are, are you trying to gain or recomp?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    If you have chosen your watch to give you an estimate of your daily calorie needs then not really seeing why you wouldn't follow its guidance for at least a trial period.

    Same if you selected MyFitnessPal or a TDEE calculator (both methods take your regular activity and purposeful exercise into account just like your watch is trying to do) - use them as designed and make adjustments if required.

    Caveat: if your watch is using heartrate to estimate calories in either HIIT (close to maximal effort / recovery cardio intervals) or strength training there's a very good chance its estimates are very inflated.

    PS - deliberately gaining weight while trying to lose fat is a very odd combination, think you need a serious think about that. Can understand it if you are currently underweight so perhaps you could give some context?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,229 Member
    cattyw wrote: »
    If someone would be happy to take a look at my macros and give me some pointers, I'd be very grateful.

    Your diary is not set to public, so we can't.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    cattyw wrote: »
    I'm eating 2,000 calories a day. However, I'm following a HIIT/strength program at the minute to try get rid of the belly fat but tone up. If I'm burning, say, 600 calories in these classes do I need to eat back some of those calories? I'm so confused by the whole active calorie thing!

    Yesterday for example I was in the house all day working but did a HIIT/leg session and an abs session. At the end of the day my Honor watch was showing I'd burnt 900 "active calories", unfortunately it doesn't show total calories.

    So do I need to eat back some of these 900 in order not to lose any weight?

    Just FYI - you can't spot reduce like that.
    Actually during intense exercise the reduced amount of fat is for sure not going to be pulled from the belly as a source.

    Did this program say it would target belly fat?

    Or you happen to be almost at healthy weight, and like vast majority the belly is the last of it?

    Oh yeah - account for and eat some more if you want the workouts to be really good workouts.
    Don't account for them and watch them slowly degrade to just spinning your wheels for your time spent.
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,137 Member
    OP
    What hiit/strength programme are you doing?

    Get on a proper lifting programme if you want to tone (aka build muscle tone)

    Read some of the most useful threads at the top of this forum.

    Hard to answer your original question as I’ve no idea what active calories are,sorry.

    Please give us some idea of your goals.

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