Maintaing and TDEE

TKRV

I see stuff about TDEE all over this site and, to be honest, it scare me. I am small at 5'2 and have been trying to maintain. Eating a net of 1200 a day helped me lose the original 10 pounds I wanted and here I am maintaining, but having trouble finding a balance. I've been thinking about upping my calories in the hopes that it would help me maintain, but I'm afraid I will gain more than I want to. So, here are a few questions I have about what to expect.

Let's start here, I eat about 1500 calories a day right now. I have started doing Insanity and I figure most days I am burning 200-300 calories, so I still net about 1200 to 1300.

My TDEE for sedentary is about 1600. for lightly active, it's about 1800 (I used this tool http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/)

If I take my calories up to 1800 total (as in, not eating back what I burn. Just eating 1800) should I expect to see a weight gain?

I have heard that it can take about 6 weeks for the body to re-regulate itself. What can I expect to see in terms of weight and body fat for those weeks?

My diet is not perfect. Sometimes I go out with friends or have a few drinks. On days I do that, should I make a point to eat less than TDEE?

Let's a say a person almost never eats healthy and is only concerned with counting calories and losing weight. Would they still be able to lose weight using TDEE?


I'm sorry if this is repeating a lot of stuff on here already, but I am worried about using TDEE and while I see people having success with it and staying healthy, I rarely see people post about what they initially experience when switching to TDEE.

Does any one have and suggestions about using TDEE while maintaining? (since I only have a little to lose)

conniemaxwell5

I'm not an expert but from what I've gathered from on-line articles about TDEE and information on this website, this is my take on maintenance:

When you calculate your TDEE it isn't the exact number that you need to follow the rest of your life. It's in the ballpark. I would increase your calories from where you are right now by about 100, give it 2-3 weeks, then increase by 100 again, give it 2-3 weeks, and so on. Weigh weekly and track your weight on a spreadsheet or something so you can see how it varies over time (one week you may be up a pound, the next week you may be down two due to normal fluctuations). If you start to see a trend upward in your weight (gain a pound or two and it stays on for a few weeks, or continues to increase) then take a 100 calorie step back for a few weeks. Keep doing this until your weight stabilizes and you have found your sweet spot. Keep in mind that number will change if your activity level changes.

lporter229

TDEE is, by definition, the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. The TDEE calculators will give you an estimate of your expected TDEE, but the only way you can know for sure is through trial and error. Most people heading into maintenance will find that they under estimate their TDEE and continue to lose weight and slowly up their calories until it levels out. You said you lost ten pounds by eating 1200 calories a day. How fast did that weight come off? This will give you an indication of a starting point for your TDEE. If you were losing about a pound per week, set your TDEE at 1700 and see what happens. If you were losing at a slower rate than that, then up it by a little less. If you continue to lose, up it accordingly, or vice versa. As for your question about drinks, count those calories as you would with food and strive to hit your TDEE.

glin23

TDEE is definitely an estimation, you may need to increase it or lower it depening on what your results are. So in that sense it's not unlike when you lose weight, but given that when you lose weight you are more or less garunteed to lose at some rate, assuming you're being honest and on program, TDEE/maintenence takes a bit more time. It very well might be that your personal TDEE is higher or lower than what's calculated and that's ok!

Seesawboomerang

The estimate for my TDEE was only off by about a 100kcal. Considering there are other variables, such as accuracy of logging cals eaten and burned through exercise, it's a pretty solid ball park.

It all needs constant scrutiny on the one hand, but also flexibility on the other.

TKRV

TDEE is, by definition, the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. The TDEE calculators will give you an estimate of your expected TDEE, but the only way you can know for sure is through trial and error. Most people heading into maintenance will find that they under estimate their TDEE and continue to lose weight and slowly up their calories until it levels out. You said you lost ten pounds by eating 1200 calories a day. How fast did that weight come off? This will give you an indication of a starting point for your TDEE. If you were losing about a pound per week, set your TDEE at 1700 and see what happens. If you were losing at a slower rate than that, then up it by a little less. If you continue to lose, up it accordingly, or vice versa. As for your question about drinks, count those calories as you would with food and strive to hit your TDEE.

I would say the ten pounds came off slowly, like over 2, maybe three months. I don't think I was eating a whole lot when I originally joined MFP in the first place.

I have defensively done some unhealthy things in the past that probably messed with my metabolism, including eating 200-500 calories under 1200 for a summer (this was before i joined MFP).

My issue now is that I'm trying to maintain a weight that is 3-4 pounds less than I currently weigh. It is not fluctuation because I have seen my body fat rise slightly and my weight has not fluctuated back down. I'm wondering if eating a little less than TDEE (-10%) will help me get to where I want to be and then maintain it.

Thank you for the advice (that's for everyone who commented). I like the idea of slowly upping my calories instead of going from where I am to 1800 overnight. I'll see what happens.

harleygroomer

I have kept my calories constant and always make sure I exercise for an hour OR AT LEAST 30 minutes a day--even a walk. BUT I never never NEVER eat back the calories. I am maintaining pretty good. This is a lifestyle change NOT a diet