TDEE Questions for the experienced

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MegsHutch90
MegsHutch90 Posts: 72 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, keeping in mind that I have a working knowledge of nutrition and fitness and how the 2 are entwined, these are my questions for those of you experienced TDEE peeps:

Current stats:
Female
280lbs
5'10"
Desk Job (mostly)
BMR: 2084
TDEE: 2501 (little/no exercise)
TDEE: 2866 (light exercise)

So, I am restarting weight loss after some unavoidable setbacks. I am a believer in the TDEE method as a theory, however I would like some input to start.

This is week one of "being back on the band wagon", if you can call it that. I am eating around 1600cals per day. I do not have a scale at the moment, so I cannot gauge my progress that way, but I can tell you that (after day 1 detox) I am feeling better: more alert and with more energy. Progress. ( I will have my scale back in a week or so).

That being said, I know that the morbidly obese can and are often advised to eat below BMR, but for how long? When is a good time to up my intake? Should it correlate with when I up my exercise? Anyone with personal experience? Note that as of right now, I am content with 1600 cals and rarely feel hungry.

Macro ratios: are they really THAT important? As in, is there a huge variation in progress with a 50/20/30 ratio instead of a 40/30/30?

And yes, I have read The Road 3.0.

I do not want to just lose weight. Rather, I want to gain my health and maintain a healthly lifestyle. 1600cal is my minimum; I am unwilling to go lower and risk my health just to lose weight more quickly.

Thanks much!

Replies

  • MegsHutch90
    MegsHutch90 Posts: 72 Member
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    No opinions?
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I'd readjust calories to 1900-2000. It looks like you currently are aiming to lose 2 lb/week, but according to your ticker 1 lb/week would be a better goal. That would be a 500 calorie deficit each day. If after 4-6 you're not seeing the desired progress, readjust accordingly.

    Macros are typically recommended at 1 g proteing/lb LBM and .4 g fat/lb BW. The rest should be carbs. So whatever ratio gets you closest to those numbers...mine happens to fall about 25/25/50.
  • MegsHutch90
    MegsHutch90 Posts: 72 Member
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    Note: I have MUCH more than 30lb to lose. That's an initial goal :)
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 941 Member
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    I’m opposed to eating below BMR because of how it can suppress your metabolism over time, and how it’s likely to result in more lost muscle mass than is necessary. I have no particular expertise in how this changes for the morbidly obese. I would recommend not eating below BMR, or (after you increase your exercise) a 1000 calorie/day deficit, whichever is higher. Also, with every 10lb loss, it’s a good idea to recalculate your BMR and TDEE.

    I don’t worry so much about macros. When I’m in a calorie deficit my first priority is to increase my protein to about 0.7g/lb of body weight. This (in conjunction with resistance exercise) will help reduce the loss of lean muscle mass. Next, I try to consume enough fat to make up 20-35% of my total calories (fat has 9 calories/gram). Then I let carbohydrates make up the remainder of my dietary calories.

    That’s my 2 cents.
  • MegsHutch90
    MegsHutch90 Posts: 72 Member
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    Thank you for your input!
  • 1Cor1510
    1Cor1510 Posts: 413 Member
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    Macros matter for body composition. If you maintain your protein you will lose fat and keep more of your lean muscle mass. I try to do 40/30/30. It has worked for me.

    I would encourage you to go here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    There's lots of good stuff, including info about eating below BMR and TDEE information that have been great resources for me.

    Good luck :)
  • MegsHutch90
    MegsHutch90 Posts: 72 Member
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    Thank you!

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