TDEE Questions for the experienced

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
    No opinions?
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    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
    Note: I have MUCH more than 30lb to lose. That's an initial goal :)
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    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
    Thank you for your input!
  • 1Cor1510
    1Cor1510 Posts: 413 Member
    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
    Thank you!

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