Trying out the TDEE method, hope I'm doing it right...

amandaeve

I want to lose 1 pound a week. Mfp set me at 1300 calories a day, which seemed too low and was really hard to do. I used to maintain at 2400 a day, but after switching to a sedentary job (and subsequent weight gain) I’m guessing I maintain at 2000 since eating less than 1900 on any given day is **hard**.
I went online and looked at 3 different TDEE calculators. They all gave slightly different results, but it seems like my BMR is about 1400 calories and my recommended intake to lose a pound a week is 1600.
So, I set mfp daily goal at 1400 calories, but with the intention that I never go below 1600 or above 2600 in a given day.
I will eat a bare minimum of 120 grams of protein a day (since I have 120 lbs. of lean mass).
I’m weighing everything with a food scale except light veggies (lettuce, cabbage, carrots, etc.).
I track my activity calories with a Garmin HR watch (with chest strap for the more aerobic stuff). It seems to track my heart rate accurately, so hopefully it’s giving an accurate burn estimate.
For the past 2 weeks I averaged 1900 calories a day in total intake, and am netting slightly under goal.
I’ve struggled a little more on my bike rides with this new plan. One day I got dizzy and lightheaded and had to stop and eat some food. I’m working on eating more carb before exercise, but not more overall.
I have no big trips or family things that will pressure me to eat food I don’t want to eat until June. If I can weigh 150 June 1st, I’d be happy to maintain on weeks I have external pressures. 145 is my maintenance goal. I anticipate my biggest struggle to be eating few enough calories on days I don’t exercise.

middlehaitch

I could be wrong, but it sounds like you have used a TDEE calculator to get your NEAT (same as what MFP gives) numbers and are then using a garmin for activity burns.

The differing numbers on a the 4 NEAT estimates are probably due to differing methods of calculations.
I find the Mifflin-St Jeor the most accurate for me. The Harris-benidict way too high.
Pick one number and use it.

You may also find, if you exercise is consistent, just working off your TDEE for a month may give you the results you are looking for. Include your daily activity level and exercise in the information. It will spread your calories evenly over the week instead of giving you high and low days depending on when you work out.

You could also work the consistent over the week by working with your own data to give you your TDEE.

If you are having problems losing 1lbs on a reasonable deficit spend a couple of weeks really tightening up on your logging. In the general scheme of things omitting veg, or a bite here and there doesn't matter. But if problems arise the first and easiest thing to do is to review logging habits.

Just as a thought. 1lbs a week, with so little to lose, could well be too high a goal, especially if you have been dizzy. With under 20lbs .5lbs would probably be a better goal. It may not get you to the weight you want to be in your specified timeline; but you will be lighter Ann's healthy.

Cheers, h.

amandaeve

Hmm...slowing down the goal is an interesting option. It's probably healthier, but also harder to tell if you're progressing (I fluctuate so much from day to day). I think I'm going to give it a few more days and see what happens.

amandaeve

Well, I've been obsessively tracking my intake since April 3. I haven't so much at lost a tenth of a pound. Not even for a single day. I really thought I would have lost something by now.
A "Garmin connect calorie adjustment" started adding about 300 calories a day. This doesn't make any sense to me. These are calories I randomly burn throughout the day, so my base allotment should accommodate for that. Needless to say, I dropped my goal by 300 calories so my goal is equivalent to my BMR (1400 calories) since I can't seem to get rid of the automatic "adjustment". I still won't go below 1600 due to activity.
Still. I wish I would have at least gone down a tenth of a pound.

janejellyroll

I think eleven days is too soon to get worried, but when I look at your diary I see a mixture of measurements. Are you weighing some solid items and using cups for others?

amandaeve

Good point. I measure my oats, popcorn, beans/legumes with measuring cups. I guess I can weigh those, too. Never thought about that. I also don't carefully weigh the veggies. I guess what's annoying is I lost 2 pounds a week to a total of 80 pounds back in 2006 with the then Weight Watchers. I didn't weigh anything and I ate all the vegetables I wanted with reckless abandon. Now they've changed their format to one that doesn't work, and it confuses me to think that every gram matters when years ago I wasn't so strict and had great results. But, I guess with so little to loose I need to be more strict? I am averaging under goal, so it's hard to think going a few popcorn kernels over is going to sabotage my success.

janejellyroll

amandaeve wrote: »

Good point. I measure my oats, popcorn, beans/legumes with measuring cups. I guess I can weigh those, too. Never thought about that. I also don't carefully weigh the veggies. I guess what's annoying is I lost 2 pounds a week to a total of 80 pounds back in 2006 with the then Weight Watchers. I didn't weigh anything and I ate all the vegetables I wanted with reckless abandon. Now they've changed their format to one that doesn't work, and it confuses me to think that every gram matters when years ago I wasn't so strict and had great results. But, I guess with so little to loose I need to be more strict? I am averaging under goal, so it's hard to think going a few popcorn kernels over is going to sabotage my success.

Weighing is a much more accurate way to track your intake, especially with calorie-dense foods like grains and beans. I know it just seems like a "few," but I had seen quite significant differences between a cup measurement and what is actually being consumed when I compare it to the scale. Multiple that over days and it makes a difference, especially since you don't have much to lose.

amandaeve

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll start weighing those. Eating out is hard, too. Earlier this week I went out for pizza. The place didn't have nutritional info on their food, so I counted 3 slices when I only had 2 in hopes to over track instead of under. I'll be going to a similar restaurant on 4/22. Hopefully I can have some choice in the venue and pick one where I can have a clue what I'm eating.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I think 1 pound a week is too extreme and it will effect your riding going that big. Sure it's harder to see progress. This is why I track in excel and plot a trend line.

This is my recent chart, you can see my weight loss has leveled off and I need to start being "good" again.

DamieBird

As far as using TDEE goes, I've decided on a strategy of setting my calorie goal at "sedentary" for my intermediate goal weight. My age, height, and GW gives me about 1850/day (it happens that this is also my current TDEE -25%). I get 4 days of cardio (5k treadmill 3x week, plus one longer session) and don't ever count exercise calories (since I'm using TDEE, they are already accounted for) in my daily consumption. So far, this has me losing about 1.5 pounds a week, and more importantly is an amount of food that I'm happy with and can maintain long term without feeling deprived or like I'm 'on a diet'. It gives me plenty of fuel and doesn't leave me with huge hangry fits (as was common for me on lower calorie diets). I know that as I get closer to my goal weight, I will lose more slowly, as my built in deficit will be lower, but since I'm setting my calories for "sedentary" when I'm actually closer to "moderately active", I should still continue to lose. I love that it keeps things simple and I don't have to overthink my input/output too much. I also don't have to adjust to eating fewer calories as I go along. Once I get to my goal weight, assuming I can stay injury free and fairly active, I'll actually get to INCREASE my kcals in order to maintain (although, not sure how that will work if I'm satisfied with 1850 now). Although my goal is 1850, I consider anything under 14k/week to be moving in the right direction, so I don't get upset if I'm in between 1800-2000 on any given day. My weekly averages have been coming in around 13k-ish. I think TDEE is a much easier way to manage than the MFP formula. I've tried MFP in the past and got obsessive about everything I ate and trying to work out to "earn" more food, and then when I got injured and couldn't work out it just went down hill, fast. If I couldn't "earn" the food through exercise, then why bother to watch what I ate at all?! Might as well have whatever I want, whenever I want, and so be it. 40 pounds of eating badly later, I'm working on (what seems to me) to be a much healthier (mentally) way to approach it. I'm down 10 pounds in 2 months, AND my 5k has gotten ~50% faster

amandaeve

Maybe I'll try your method. MY TDEE calculated out to be 1861 (at sedentary, too). In the past 2 weeks I've averaged 1900 per day, but netted 1100. Maybe if I just ignore the net, I psychologically won't feel as deprived and by eating just 100 calories less than I am now will see results without too much hardship. Another argument for a consistent goal is I tend to get extra hungry a whole day late after burning 2600 on a long bike ride.