Should You Eat Fewer Calories on Rest Days?
You May Be Sabotaging Your Fitness Progress by Mismanaging Your Nutrition on Off Days
If you’re not training, you don’t need to eat as much, right? Not quite. The idea that you need to cut calories on rest days is a common — yet misleading — myth. Yes, calorie needs vary from person to person based on factors like overall activity level. But your body still requires fuel when you’re not exercising.
“The reality is that your body equally needs calories on exercise days and rest days. The amount of calories required depends on how active you are, what your fitness goals look like, and how well you’re regularly hitting your calorie and macro goals,” according to Lisa Moskovitz, RD, founder of NY NUTRITION GROUP and author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan.
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In fact, what you eat on your days off can either support or slow down your progress, whether you’re into running or lifting weights. Here’s what you need to know about rest day eating.
Why You Shouldn’t Eat Drastically Less on Rest Days
Think slashing calories on rest days will fast-track fat loss? Think again. Not eating enough when you’re recovering can actually reverse your progress. “Rest days are an opportunity to recover and, in order to properly recover, you need a sufficient amount of calories, dietary protein, carbs and fat,” says Moskovitz, who adds that it’s not like your metabolism shuts down when you’re not going to the gym. “People assume that because they’re not at the gym or partaking in vigorous exercise, their calorie and macro needs plummet. That’s false.”
The risks? Stalled gains, low energy and a potential drop in performance. “Restricting or eating too little on rest days can inhibit proper muscle growth and recovery, as well as hinder athletic and exercise performance,” adds Moskovitz.
Two Smart Ways to Approach Rest Day Nutrition
So, how should you actually eat on rest days? It depends on your lifestyle, fitness goals, preferences and hunger levels. Nutritionist and Sunday Times best-selling recipe book author Scott Baptie says there are two main strategies to structure your meals across the week.
Option 1: Keep Calories Consistent All Week
With this approach, you consider your average weekly calorie expenditure, which includes both your workouts and the number of calories your body uses at rest — otherwise known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Then, you eat roughly the same amount of calories every day based on that number and your goals.
So, for example, if you’re trying to lose weight, aim to eat a bit fewer calories than you burn — and do so consistently throughout the week. “People who like consistency will find this method simple because it provides clear meal planning goals and eliminates guesswork,” says Baptie. According to Baptie, this method also helps prevent the “reward mentality” that makes you feel like you deserve a large, unhealthy meal after completing a workout.
Option 2: Eat More on Training Days
But what if you’re naturally ravenous after a tough workout or less hungry on rest days? If you prefer more flexibility, you can shift your intake based on how active you are. This doesn’t mean restricting yourself on rest days, but honoring hunger levels while giving your body what it needs.
It can look like eating more carbs on days when you need to power workouts, notes Baptie. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the human body, so increasing your intake when training intensely can help boost performance and speed up recovery.
You might also find yourself naturally craving lighter meals on rest days. That’s OK, as long as you’re still meeting your overall needs for the week.
What to Eat on Rest Days to Maximize Recovery
The real question is: What should rest day eating actually look like if you want to support recovery and make progress?
Rest days aren’t about restriction, especially not if you’re trying to build muscle. When you lift weights, you create tiny tears in your muscle fibers. As you rest, your body repairs them, which results in stronger muscles and increased mass. But this process can’t happen effectively without proper nutrition — especially enough protein and overall calories to support recovery.
That’s why it’s important to think of your rest day meals as tools in your recovery arsenal. You need protein to support muscle repair, whether that’s from chicken, eggs, tofu or Greek yogurt. Pair it with complex carbs like oats, sweet potato or roasted veggies to refuel your energy stores. Make sure you’re getting some healthy fats in there, too. Foods like avocado, olive oil, fish or nuts play a bigger role in recovery than most people realize. Research shows they combat inflammation and help you recover faster.
Remember that your overall activity levels and lifestyle impact your daily caloric needs way more than taking a rest day. Skipping workouts isn’t a reason to cut back on eating. Recovering properly is part of performance, so give your body what it needs to come back stronger.
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