Still a little confused and scared!

michellelipton16

OK so I read a bunch of posts and I'm kind of understanding the TDEE/maintenance/macros and whatever other lingo is going on. I just want to clarify! So at 5'5" I'm 119 and set my goal at 115 at .5 lbs a week. I would rather lose a few than gain any so I thought I'd be safe rather than sorry! So it said 1330 was my number, this is without exercise and they've already removed the basic stuff for weight loss and I'm supposed to eat all of it without the gym? My number then almost doubled because I burned 1216 calories at the gym so for the last few days I have been taking off 20% (OK a little more than that!) but is that already figured in? I'm terrified of gaining weight and eating over 2500 calories sounds crazy. Even 2000 is alot in my head. Should I start out with a higher deficit and work my way up? Yesterday I think I got to around 1500 calories (only because I found "secret" calories in foods I thought had none, I'm sure more will be revealed!!) I did eat enough protein though and over half my carbs. Did anyone blow up from suddenly eating so much more than they are used to? I can't believe I even ate 1500 yesterday... However I have been maintaining at such a low level for years I'm scared my body's maintenance is super low...

heybales

Why are you trying to do TDEE method, which by definition includes everything - but leave exercise out.
No your exercise is factored in - you picked sedentary, right?
Please reread the description so as to understand BMR and TDEE.

Just use the MPF method since that's what you are doing anyway.

Be honest with profile activity level - really sedentary desk job/commute for 45 hrs weekly, and outside exercise a bump on a log, no dog walking, no kids, ect?
If that is true - sedentary.
If not - Lightly Active.

Set goal loss as you did, 1/2 lb weekly.

Log your exercise calories, and eat them back except for indeed 20%, some deficit to them is fine.

Here's the problem though, and why the TDEE deficit method with same number daily is useful.

How do you know you burn 1216 at the gym?
What is the activity done for how long, and how do you know?

And yes, if you have been eating less and maintaining - your maintenance is obviously lower, since that is the definition of maintenance - maintaining weight.

To get back a healthy body and metabolism, you will have to gain some weight. You've gone through however long with depleted glycogen stores with attached water weight.

What level did you used to eat at for how long that 1500 is huge amount?

Especially compared to you thinking you burned 1216 in just exercise.

Did you read up on what BMR and TDEE mean, to understand that your BMR is likely higher than that exercise? Well, not right now of course with screwed up metabolism.

Be honest, if your only experience with calorie levels to have an opinion of high or low is based on eating some low number, then you really don't know.

AnitraSoto

If you ate 1,500 calories yesterday, but then burned 1,200 calories at the gym, then you are giving your body 300 calories to live on --- obviously, as you have figured out, that is way too low...

If you have been doing this long-term, then there is a good chance that your metabolism is suppressed. Our metabolisms adapt very quickly to whatever level we are eating at, and if you have been under eating, your metabolism will slow to match the intake. Even though your calculated TDEE is theoretically your Maintenance, if you bump your intake right up to that level (with a suppressed metabolism), you will likely gain. What you need to do now is to work at increasing your intake to boost your metabolism back up to where it should be running.

As you increase your calories, some *scale* weight gain is very likely. Your glycogen stores are likely depleted, and as they refill, water will come along with that. That initial jump on the scale will be water, not fat, so just try to ignore it and push forward. (This water/glycogen gain will happen whenever anyone is coming off of eating at a steep deficit - it;s just the way the body works...)

Since you are obviously very stressed about seeing any gains, I would highly suggest that you take this process slowly. Although the end result will be the same, you may find it easier mentally. I would suggest just adding 100 calories a day to what you are currently eating. If you have been eating 1200, then bump up to 1300 and stay at that level for a week or so. Monitor your weight - you will likely see it bounce around a little bit, and then it will stabilize and likely drop back down to where you started. Once it has stabilized, bump it up another 100 to 1400 and stay there until things stabilize. By gradually upping your calories this way, you give your body (and mind) time to adapt along the way.

The one thing you will want to avoid through this process is the desire to try to burn off the extra calories you are ingesting. Often, when people feel overly full and like they are eating too much, they up their cardio workouts in an effort to burn off those extra calories. By doing this, you are upping your TDEE, and as a result, still under eating.