The “Move Goal” is a target for the number of active calories you aim to burn each day, typically tracked by a wearable device like a smartwatch. This goal focuses exclusively on energy expended through intentional movement, such as exercise, walking, or vigorous cleaning, rather than the total calories your body uses just to exist. Setting an appropriate Move Goal is a practical step toward achieving the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss. This guide provides a structured approach to determining a realistic and effective daily Move Goal.
Understanding the Calorie Deficit Equation
Weight loss is fundamentally governed by the principle of energy balance, meaning you must burn more calories than you consume over time. This negative balance is known as a calorie deficit, and it forces the body to use stored energy, primarily fat, for fuel. A deficit of approximately 3,500 calories equates to losing one pound of body fat.
Creating a sustainable calorie deficit involves two sides of the energy equation: “calories in” (from food and drink) and “calories out” (from metabolism and activity). Your Move Goal contributes directly to the “calories out” side by quantifying the energy you expend through physical activity. The Move Goal focuses specifically on the active energy you contribute daily to achieving that necessary negative balance.
Calculating Your Starting Daily Move Goal
Determining your Move Goal begins with understanding your baseline energy needs, known as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). The TDEE represents the total calories your body burns in a day, including your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)—the energy needed for basic functions at rest—and all physical activity. This TDEE is typically estimated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor.
For sustainable weight loss, experts recommend aiming for a daily calorie deficit of 500 to 750 calories below your TDEE. This range typically leads to a steady weight loss of one to one and a half pounds per week. The Move Goal allows you to contribute a specific number of calories to this deficit through movement. For instance, a 500-calorie deficit might be achieved by 300 calories through dietary adjustments and 200 calories through your Move Goal.
The target Move Goal should be realistic based on your current activity level.
Activity Level Goals
Sedentary individuals should start with a Move Goal of 300 to 400 active calories.
Lightly active people, exercising one to three days a week, can aim for 400 to 600 active calories daily.
Highly active individuals who exercise most days may need a goal of 600 to 800 active calories or more.
Adjusting the Goal for Progression and Plateaus
As you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories for maintenance, causing your TDEE to naturally decrease. This occurs because a smaller body mass requires less energy to sustain itself, a process known as metabolic adaptation. Consequently, the same activity level that once created a deficit may only maintain your new weight, leading to a plateau.
A plateau is typically defined as a period of two to three weeks without any significant weight loss trend, despite continued effort. To overcome this, you must either decrease your caloric intake further or increase your energy expenditure, which is where adjusting the Move Goal becomes useful. You can incrementally increase your daily Move Goal by 50 to 100 calories to re-establish the necessary deficit. Adding more non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), such as taking the stairs or walking more throughout the day, is an effective way to raise your active calorie burn without intense workouts.
The Critical Role of Nutrition and Consistency
While the Move Goal is an excellent tool for tracking active calorie expenditure, exercise alone is often insufficient for creating a significant weight loss deficit. It is generally easier to cut calories from your diet than it is to burn them through movement. For example, eliminating a 300-calorie sugary drink is far quicker than the 30 to 40 minutes of brisk walking required to burn those same 300 active calories.
Therefore, the Move Goal must be implemented alongside a consistent focus on tracking and managing caloric intake. The most effective strategy involves a combined approach, using dietary changes to create the bulk of the calorie deficit and using movement to enhance the deficit and provide health benefits. Regular physical activity, even if it contributes a smaller portion to the deficit, helps build muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolism.
Consistency is paramount; hitting your Move Goal five to seven days a week is more impactful than achieving a very high goal only sporadically. Sustained adherence to a moderate Move Goal and a controlled diet fosters long-term success and prevents the cycle of burnout and weight regain. The Move Goal serves as a measurable motivator to ensure movement is a frequent part of your daily routine.