looking for some assurance/advice

rjdunn87

Hi everyone,

I just joined the group after multiple suggestions that I consider using the TDEE-20% method as my progress with MFP has been quite slow. I've lost 10-15lbs, which I'm really happy about, but it's been over three months and I just feel like I should be seeing a bit more progress.

I've been eating 1500 calories plus about half of my exercise cals, which has worked out to, in general, 1700-1800 per day.

I calculated my BMR on a few different website and it seems to fall around 1540-1570ish, which makes me realize that I may not have been eating enough all this time if I'm eating so close to my BMR… am I understanding that right? Anyway, I used the Scooby calorie calculator to figure out my TDEE, and was given 2148 for lightly active, or 2422 for moderate. Right now I'm doing both T25 Gamma and phase one of ChaLean Extreme, and because they're both pretty short workouts I was wondering if I should be going with light or moderate activity? Depending on that, my TDEE-20% would be either 1719 or 1937. The lower number seems to be just about what I'm eating now anyway, so I guess I'm confused as to whether or not that would actually make any difference in my results. If I were to start eating at 1937, would I just change my MFP settings to that number and not log my exercise?

Anyway, I hope this made some sense, I know I'm rambling a bit. I would really appreciate any input or advice from those of you who have had success using this method. My diary is open as well if anyone wants to take a look.

heybales

So notice that the rough TDEE levels is hrs per week. You mention short workouts, but not how often or the exact time. The 2 together is hours a week, and will assist getting that rough TDEE number.

Also, that is built on a base of sedentary desk job - if your 45 hrs work week is not that but more active, you are up a level already. Exercise added on goes higher yet.

You are understanding it right.
If you had lab research done on you like for a study and had no weight loss attempts and were very healthy, ect, they might find what exactly your line is to not go below for negative effects. And watch like a hawk for any effects.
But you don't have that, so a line must be drawn in the sand somewhere, and that's BMR.

If you have bodyfat estimate, you can make that line more accurate though using Katch BMR on that scooby site.
Or use the spreadsheet on my profile page.

Unless you have over 40lbs to lose, 15% is probably better.

When you change MFP, that is it exactly. Manual eating goal.
You can log your exercise - full calories if you do it after you meet your eating goals, or 1 calorie if you do it prior. Because as you've noticed, logging it changes the values.

When was your last diet break for a good week, eating at one of those TDEE figures?
If over 3 months, you need one.

What usually happens is you eat more, and your body allows you to move more during the day, increasing the daily burn.
So you may eat 200 more, but body allows 400 more of spontaneous movement outside of exercise, other speedups occur too.
So burning more than the 200 extra eaten.

You are distressing the body. To that end, think about any other stresses - bad news.

So right now your actual TDEE is the amount you are eating on average. So your accuracy of logging foods bears on that.
You may log 1700-1800 sloppily, but actually be eating 2000 in reality.
But even if that is the case or not - that is your TDEE currently. Suppressed TDEE, not potential TDEE.

Increase calories slowly, 100 extra daily for a week or two, until no fast water weight gain. Then another 100. Repeat.
Always keep the math in mind for fast water weight gain.

You would gain 1, ONE, pound slowly if you ate over your TDEE 100 calories daily for 35 days. And if good workouts, not even fat.

Reread that if needed.

So you gain 2 lbs first week eating 100 extra daily - what is it not?

rjdunn87

So notice that the rough TDEE levels is hrs per week. You mention short workouts, but not how often or the exact time. The 2 together is hours a week, and will assist getting that rough TDEE number.

Also, that is built on a base of sedentary desk job - if your 45 hrs work week is not that but more active, you are up a level already. Exercise added on goes higher yet.

You are understanding it right.
If you had lab research done on you like for a study and had no weight loss attempts and were very healthy, ect, they might find what exactly your line is to not go below for negative effects. And watch like a hawk for any effects.
But you don't have that, so a line must be drawn in the sand somewhere, and that's BMR.

If you have bodyfat estimate, you can make that line more accurate though using Katch BMR on that scooby site.
Or use the spreadsheet on my profile page.

Unless you have over 40lbs to lose, 15% is probably better.

When you change MFP, that is it exactly. Manual eating goal.
You can log your exercise - full calories if you do it after you meet your eating goals, or 1 calorie if you do it prior. Because as you've noticed, logging it changes the values.

When was your last diet break for a good week, eating at one of those TDEE figures?
If over 3 months, you need one.

What usually happens is you eat more, and your body allows you to move more during the day, increasing the daily burn.
So you may eat 200 more, but body allows 400 more of spontaneous movement outside of exercise, other speedups occur too.
So burning more than the 200 extra eaten.

You are distressing the body. To that end, think about any other stresses - bad news.

So right now your actual TDEE is the amount you are eating on average. So your accuracy of logging foods bears on that.
You may log 1700-1800 sloppily, but actually be eating 2000 in reality.
But even if that is the case or not - that is your TDEE currently. Suppressed TDEE, not potential TDEE.

Increase calories slowly, 100 extra daily for a week or two, until no fast water weight gain. Then another 100. Repeat.
Always keep the math in mind for fast water weight gain.

You would gain 1, ONE, pound slowly if you ate over your TDEE 100 calories daily for 35 days. And if good workouts, not even fat.

Reread that if needed.

So you gain 2 lbs first week eating 100 extra daily - what is it not?

It's not fat, right? It would be water weight?

As for my workouts, right now I'm doing T25 Gamma, so 25 minutes a day 5 days a week, as well as ChaLean Extreme, which averages 30-40 minutes a day, 5 days a week. So it seems that I would be falling into "moderate activity," or 3-5 hours a week, is that right? As far as my life outside of exercise, I'm a student, so I do tend to spend a good amount of time fairly sedentary… either in class, or reading, writing papers, etc. I mean, I walk to school and to class and just in general, but it's not like I have a job where I'm on my feet or running around all day.

I'm at 170 right now and I would eventually like to get down to 130, so that would be right at 40 pounds… would you still say 15%, or would 20% be reasonable?

I think I'm still a little confused about logging exercise or not. And also yes, I haven't given myself a "diet break" since I started doing this. I guess I've never really felt like I'm eating too little or really "dieting," if that makes sense, because I've been eating back some of my work out calories so I've been averaging around 1800 a day which seems like plenty for me, but maybe not? I don't know. I guess I'm still confused haha. Thank you for your help.

sarahorange55

TDEE includes your exercise cals - therefore if you are following a TDEE-20/15% do not eat back any exercise cals

TDEE is basically - what you should eat to maintain doing what you are doing right now - ie all lumped in together

(well ok if for example to had a major exercise session and burned say 500 EXTRA cals over and above what you normally exercise THEN you would eat a few more and there are calcs to explain what and how much - which I can go into - but for teh sake if the short answer NO don't eat back exercise cals)

Does that help that side of things?

rjdunn87

It does! Thanks. I think where I'm finding myself confused is that I feel based on the calculators I've used, my TDEE-20% for moderately active would be around 1900 calories, which is a bit more than I've been eating already but not drastically more. I generally eat between 1600-1800 a day. Do you think that little change would really make a difference?

heybales

Correct, water weight.
Correct, Moderately Active, probably rounded up with that extra walking you do.

20% would be reasonable for a couple weeks then - with a full burning metabolism from a body that was unstressed and not threatened by calorie level.
From your results - that is not you at this point is it, or you'd be losing weight right now, right?

So once you have a decent estimate of what TDEE could have been with current routine, where does 1800 fall now?

A 5% deficit is minor enough to not need a diet break as long as other stresses aren't bad on the body.

How much does it appear you've been giving your body for how long?

Need a diet break now?

rjdunn87

I've been eating between 1500-1800 calories pretty consistently for about two months now. I guess I'm not really sure what would constitute a diet break or why I should take one?

heybales

A diet break is no diet, no deficit, eating at maintenance.

A diet is a stress on your body. Lack of sleep, food allergies or sensitivities, life, frequent and/or intense exercise without recovery, ect are stresses too.
Too much stress is going to fight against fat and weight loss, your body will adapt by burning less daily.

Why? Because here's what you can do to yourself if deficit is too much.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales?month=201401

A diet break allows hopefully not getting to that full extent of issue.

So with a decent estimate of your TDEE using correct levels, you'll see just how much deficit you really have been taking this 2 month time.

rjdunn87

Okay, that makes sense. So when you say a decent estimate of my actual TDEE over the last two months, how would I go about figuring that out? Or would that be the 2422 that I'm getting from the Scooby calculator? If that number is fairly accurate and my TDEE is around 2400, then I suppose I have been eating at a deficit of anywhere from 600-900 calories. Is that right?

heybales

That's exactly what I mean, and that sounds exactly right. Correct TDEE level applied.

Not great, but right as to what you've been doing. Taking more than a 20% deficit for at minimum 2 months.

And it appears over 1900 minimum would have been more reasonable of an eating level with that program.
And you were 1600-1800.

Hence the idea of a diet break from what appears to have been too extreme a deficit for you.

rjdunn87

Makes sense. Thank you for your help. So you think I should eat at maintenance, 2400 calories, for a week?

heybales

Minimum. Usually takes longer than that though.

Not saying yours is that extreme as in that blog article, but it shows it can take time.

I'd work your way up 100 extra daily for a week at a time. Then sit at TDEE for a week or two minimum.

Then take deficit.

sarahorange55

I ate up to my TDEE and took about 3 weeks to do it - possibly should have done longer but I did put on weight (I didn't take it slow!) but give it a week and see what you think - and go from there -

oh and yes 1800-1930 will make a difference to weight and also everything else

eat more

rjdunn87

I ate up to my TDEE and took about 3 weeks to do it - possibly should have done longer but I did put on weight (I didn't take it slow!) but give it a week and see what you think - and go from there -

oh and yes 1800-1930 will make a difference to weight and also everything else

eat more

Thanks! I put my calories at 1800 for now, I don't want to jump up all at once so I thought that would be a good place to start. I also put the scale away because it's driving me crazy, haha. I'll weigh in a few weeks and see how it went! I'm not in a huge rush, I just want to do it right and be as successful as I can be.