Eating less than UGW TDEE??

sarah2954

I got some feedback on this, and would like more opinions. Is there something wrong with eating less calories per day then you'll need to maintain when you hit your goal weight?

Current TDEE: 1680
UGW TDEE: 1550
What I'm currently eating to lose: 1200

If my deficit is only 130, it will take FOREVER to lose. And I can't fit in any exercise for the next 3.5 months. I seriously can't, I have three kids, am in law school, and work full time.

I plan to eat 1200/day for 3.5 months, then when I graduate I'll begin running/cycling again and eat back my exercise cals.

(I previously ate 1200/day for four months, and did not have issues with binging.)

DemoraFairy

I've never actually heard of eating what your TDEE would be at your goal weight. That sounds kinda crazy to me since, as you say, it would be a tiny deficit. I've heard of 'eating like the person you want to be' or whatever, but always assumed that meant making healthy choices rather than eating what would be your maintenance weight.

Your TDEE values are almost exactly the same as mine, I ate 1200 for ages until recently when I went up to 1300 as I got close to my goal weight, and it seemed to work for me.

Mr_Knight

...I have three kids, am in law school, and work full time.

[/quote]
Surely you can fit some time in there to find a cure for cancer, no?

:flowerforyou:

That is some kind of work load...

Francl27

I've never heard of this either. Heck I've never eaten over my UGW TDEE.

ChrisM8971

I think its pretty normal to eat less than your UGW TDEE while you are trying to lose weight. I do and from what I see most of my MFP friends do.

Currently you are eating at a deficit of approximately 500 calories per day so should lose 1 lb per week or there abouts. As you get nearer you UGW your deficit should be decreased anyway with many suggesting a deficit of 250 cals per day of 1/2 lb weight loss per week.

Once you are at you UGW then you would look to slowly increase your daily calories to reach your TDEE at that weight.

Those TDEE numbers do sound a little low to me though, are you sure that you haven't gotten TDEE and BMR mixed up?

BusyRaeNOTBusty

First, 1650 seems like a really low TDEE. Are you sure that's right?

Second, 1650-1200 = 450 not 130.

Third, what is UGW?

beachlover317

I have heard of eating at your goal weight TDEE. I have never known anyone that did it though. Good luck busy lady!

DemoraFairy

Those TDEE numbers aren't that low. If you're female, 5'4 (average height), sedentary and weigh anything less than about 130lbs your TDEE is 1500-1700, depending on which calculator you use.

ChrisM8971

Those TDEE numbers aren't that low. If you're female, 5'4 (average height), sedentary and weigh anything less than about 130lbs your TDEE is 1500-1700, depending on which calculator you use.

Was basing my thoughts on the only information readily available to me, a 200 lbs 5'10 sedentary male, no wonder I thought it was low lol

cafeaulait7

I ate at my UGW a few years ago and lost all the weight that way (right under 30 lbs), but it did take a long time, lol! I also worked out more than I would later, so the deficit was bigger.

This time, I am still losing slowly, but it would drive me bonkers to take that long again, just because I do feel odd at a heavier weight now that I was thinner so recently. I'm doing TDEE-10 to 12.5% a day, and that takes enough patience, lol. But it lets me eat a lot, and having that part be easier is important to me. I want to keep it all up forever, you know?

I only gained the weight back by stopping all tracking, etc, btw, and not watching the frequency of desserts and stuff. Just bad habits. I certainly was used to the amount of calories I should eat by then! I did it long enough

endoftheside

I started off eating at my UGW TDEE (1549), and it worked fine for a good while. Eventually though the weight loss slowed to less than a 1/2 pound a week and it started to really wear on me mentally.

After a couple of months of that I dropped my calories to a 250 deficit off current weight TDEE and am losing a bit more reliably again.

sarah2954

...I have three kids, am in law school, and work full time.

Surely you can fit some time in there to find a cure for cancer, no?

:flowerforyou:

That is some kind of work load...
[/quote]

I'm working on it

sarah2954

I'm just shy of 5'3", weigh 140, GW is 115. I put that I'm sedentary in the calculator. I don't currently exercise. I spend a lot of time sitting, driving. I try to take the stairs, and am active with my kids and the kids I work with.

I think its pretty normal to eat less than your UGW TDEE while you are trying to lose weight. I do and from what I see most of my MFP friends do.

Currently you are eating at a deficit of approximately 500 calories per day so should lose 1 lb per week or there abouts. As you get nearer you UGW your deficit should be decreased anyway with many suggesting a deficit of 250 cals per day of 1/2 lb weight loss per week.

Once you are at you UGW then you would look to slowly increase your daily calories to reach your TDEE at that weight.

Those TDEE numbers do sound a little low to me though, are you sure that you haven't gotten TDEE and BMR mixed up?

sarah2954

First, 1650 seems like a really low TDEE. Are you sure that's right?

Second, 1650-1200 = 450 not 130.

Third, what is UGW?

I'm 5'3", female, 32, mostly sedentary, so I think that's right.

1650-1520= 130, so if I were to eat at my GW TDEE, that would be a small deficit.

UGW = ultimate goal weight

sarah2954

Those TDEE numbers aren't that low. If you're female, 5'4 (average height), sedentary and weigh anything less than about 130lbs your TDEE is 1500-1700, depending on which calculator you use.

Was basing my thoughts on the only information readily available to me, a 200 lbs 5'10 sedentary male, no wonder I thought it was low lol

Lol, yeah I'm a short female

sarah2954

I ate at my UGW a few years ago and lost all the weight that way (right under 30 lbs), but it did take a long time, lol! I also worked out more than I would later, so the deficit was bigger.

This time, I am still losing slowly, but it would drive me bonkers to take that long again, just because I do feel odd at a heavier weight now that I was thinner so recently. I'm doing TDEE-10 to 12.5% a day, and that takes enough patience, lol. But it lets me eat a lot, and having that part be easier is important to me. I want to keep it all up forever, you know?

I only gained the weight back by stopping all tracking, etc, btw, and not watching the frequency of desserts and stuff. Just bad habits. I certainly was used to the amount of calories I should eat by then! I did it long enough

I'm in the same boat. Just stopped tracking religiously, bad habits and holidays crept in... gained 12 pounds and feel yucky. Thankfully I can still squeeze into my jeans, but it's borderline. It was time to stop and reverse

I_Will_End_You

I'm just shy of 5'3", weigh 140, GW is 115. I put that I'm sedentary in the calculator. I don't currently exercise. I spend a lot of time sitting, driving. I try to take the stairs, and am active with my kids and the kids I work with.

I, personally, would consider you at least lightly active. If you have three kids AND work with kids....I can't see you being sedentary!

sarah2954

I'm just shy of 5'3", weigh 140, GW is 115. I put that I'm sedentary in the calculator. I don't currently exercise. I spend a lot of time sitting, driving. I try to take the stairs, and am active with my kids and the kids I work with.

I, personally, would consider you at least lightly active. If you have three kids AND work with kids....I can't see you being sedentary!

I'll redo the calculator with lightly active. It's not that clear, because it defines the activity level by amount of time spent working out, which I don't purposefully do.