Should i use active or total calories for weight loss?

For weight loss, it is often more holistic to focus on your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which includes all calories burned, not just active ones from exercise. However, the most important aspect is creating a sustainable calorie deficit with mindful eating. Balance is key.

Girl, definitely focus on total calories! Active calories are just what you burn during exercise, but your body burns a lot more just existing (BMR). So to lose weight, you need to eat less than your total daily calorie expenditure. Track apps usually show TDEE, which is helpful!

I totally get it, this can be so confusing! But for effective weight loss, you should be looking at your total calories burned (TDEE), which is your basal metabolic rate plus active calories. Just focusing on active calories from workouts often underestimates your actual needs and can lead to slower progress.

Oh, I'm just starting to understand all this! So, should I add up my BMR and active calories to get my total, or is there a simpler way to calculate it? It sounds like focusing on the overall picture is better, right?

For weight management, especially with diabetes, I track my total caloric intake versus my total expenditure. Active calories are a component of that. It's the overall energy balance that impacts weight, so focusing just on active calories can be misleading if your diet isn't aligned.