Survey: Metabolism Reset or TDEE minus %?

Meikmeika

For those who have been doing EMTWL for quite some time and have lost weight and/or inches over a 3 month or more period, did you choose to reset your metabolism or do TDEE minus 15-20%?

I ask because I'm still so new to EMTWL, in fact, I've been lurking in this forum for the past several days wracking up all the information I could get my hands on. My hugest concern, like most I'm sure, was upping my calories and gaining back any weight I had lost. I've been mentally preparing myself for gaining weight initially since there's an adjustment period.

From what I gather, those who are new to the diet world should do the TDEE minus % method but those who've been eating low cal diets for a while should do the metabolism reset method.....?

I really think this survey will help alot of newcomers! And I do apologize if this discussion has already been had.

Feed_the_Bears

I'd love to see some advice on this. I'm just getting into it too.

Zylayna

From what I gather, those who are new to the diet world should do the TDEE minus % method but those who've been eating low cal diets for a while should do the metabolism reset method.....?

^^ This.

giag09

I did the -% 15 tdee for about 3 mths not much difference inches wise and now I am starting to gain weight only about 2-3 lbs but have decided to do the reset for the next 8 wks and eat at my tdee scary bc it is bathibg suit season but hey I gotta try it. Also it's not like I binge at all on unhealthy food so of this is what it takes I will try my best I am diving in... I hope I don't see a big jump on the scale

rebekahgo

From what I gather, those who are new to the diet world should do the TDEE minus % method but those who've been eating low cal diets for a while should do the metabolism reset method.....?

^^ This.

Yes!! In my experience anyway.....

I've been doing this 7 weeks tomorrow (so not 3 months yet, but i'm answering anyway). I jumped from 1350 to 1900, which is my TDEE-15%. Now, honestly, that is based on a moderate activity level which I did not end up doing for the first few weeks, but it wasn't quite full TDEE either. I saw almost immediate results with this - inches and the pounds quickly followed. I will soon be eating at TDEE while I do NROLFW over this summer (and hopefully I will be able to continue it consistently into the next school year - it's a 6 month program after all).

Historically, I am not a yo-yo dieter. I lost 55 pounds on WW back in 1999 and kept that off until child 1 (1/2002). Got down to about 10 pounds over previous weight until child 2 (8/2005). Got a little bit back down and then shot up over a few years to 180. Did MFP for first few months of last year and then fell off the wagon. But I'm gonna paint that statement with my rainbows-and-fluffy-clouds brush and call it a metabolism reset. Then I restarted MFP at the beginning of this year, and started EMTWL 4/10/2012.

All of that makes my first statement of NOT being a yo-yo dieter sound like BS, but here is my theory on that. When I did WW, the program essentially allowed you to subtract 10 calories for every gram of fiber that you ate. I was so adept at eating a crazy amount of fiber that my caloric intake was maximized while still fitting into my allowed points. This worked extremely well for me, and I think it was partially due to actually consuming a lot of calories. I maintained that initial loss for a long time, and after each kid, I would revert back to my WW way of thinking and lose weight. I never adopted their new plan.

So, I say all that to point out that I do think that some folks can jump in at the cut value and be successful. But, you know your history of dieting and not dieting, gaining and losing, etc. If it is a very long history of quickly cycling between dieting/not dieting and gaining/losing or your just self-aware enough to realize that you have an unhealthy relationship with eating/dieting/food and maybe you need to take some time to develop a good relationship with those things, then absolutely do a metabolism reset. If you don't fall into the yo-yo or bad relationship category or you're not sure where you fall, you can absolutely play it safe and do a reset. It's definitely not going to hurt. In fact, if this convo had been prominent on the board when I started, I may have done it myself.

naonah

I've been dieting for all my adult life! I had the same question/concern. So, being afraid to take the leap I first went to TDEE-10% for 8 weeks. I gained 3 lbs in the first week and had some bloating issues (all normal and explained in this forum). I kept reading and decided I need a full reset. So, 2 weeks ago I went to TDEE and gained another 3 lbs. but, I will do this for another 6 weeks and then take it from there. I'm in this for life so have time to do it right once and for all!!

Meikmeika

I think I'm going to start out with the TDEE - 15% and see how it goes. If I have lost no weight after 4 weeks or if i stall after 4 weeks I will do the metabolism reset.

The way I see it is it's just too initimidating to eat at TDEE, I can barely get my cals in as it is. So, first comes acceptance with eating more cals, then if no change or weight gain occurs just go with a reset.

I just don't have the guts to go full on TDEE.....


Thanks everyone for all your responses!!!