Metabolism Reset - Eating at TDEE Support Thread
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Ok....I am at almost 8 weeks of eating at TDEE and I am just maintaining. I am not losing anything. So, what do I do next? Do I lower them again? I don't want to mess everything up! Help!
If you have been eating at maintenance (TDEE w/no cut) for 8 weeks, you can now safely drop your calories down to TDEE -15% and start eating that every day. Then, every 6 weeks or so (depends on how lean you are), take a diet break and go back up to maintenance calories for one or two weeks, then drop back down to your 15% cut again. Repeat as necessary!0 -
Ok, so I did my NET graph over the last 90 days, (Reports, then Nutrition, then Net) and realized that only 23 out of the last 90 days did I actually NET 2400 which is my Cut value. And those days generally were Rest days where I didnt work out. Every other day in that period, I Netted between 1800-2100, which is still above my BMR of 1800, but obviously not enough. I go back and forth on whether I am at the right activity level, but Im certain I am moderate with 3 days Lifting for 45 mins and 2 days cardio, usually 45 min 5k runs or a 60 min step class.
So I will continue with this first week at eat TDEE which is 2800 for me. after a week I will reevaluate. (I think its easier for me to take it a week at a time rather than commit to 8 weeks off the bat.
Im scared sh!tless of gaining even more weight since it took me so friggin long to even get 20 pounds off, but I need something to work. I cannot take this any longer. I am fighting the urge big time to drop back down to 1500 cals and get a quick 20 pounds off again, but I know that will not help my cause.
Sigh.. so, here I am..
I'm confused....were you trying to NET your cut goal even after exercise before? The only concern with NET that you should have had is that it always a bigger number than your BMR. So just to clarify what you should be doing at this point is:
1. Your Goal should be your tdee number for the next 8 weeks.
2. Your total food calories should be close to your Goal number (unless you have to eat back calories to get your NET number above BMR, then it would be higher)
3. Your Net number should always be higher than your BMR you figured out with the calculators. Only a high burn day will make this number drop too low so you can usually just ignore it.0 -
I am debating doing the reset also..kinda nervous bc I was doing TDEE minus 15% and I gained 3.5 pounds :ohwell: I am still lost on how i should put my activity level..I just stared insanity and will be doing that 6 days a week and i also weight train for about 30-45 mins 5 days a week. I am a stay at home mom of 4 kids (6,5,3 and 1.5) so i am on my feet most the day but i also have my really lazy days lol..would i be moderate?0
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PS...... Do we continue exercising as normal??0
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Ugh, I just realized bikini season is a few weeks away, I don't know if it is a good time for me to eat at tdee to do the whole metabolism reset now >_<0
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I seriously need some support.
I don't really know what I want my GW to be, because I'm not overweight.
I lost about 40lbs four years ago by sticking to a strict 1200 calorie diet even though I was in kickboxing classes and on the elliptical almost constantly.
I finally started eating like a "normal human being" last week. This weekend I've been incredibly active (I usually am). Ran 4 miles, biked 30 miles, lots of walking and running/jumping at the beach playing frisbee. I've been eating just above my BMR. On the days that I ran and biked, I ate about 1800-1900 calories. On the day I was sedentary, about 1550 calories.
I feel sluggish, my stomach has noticeably puffed out and swollen, and I've gained 2-3lbs on the scale.
I realize how badly I damaged my metabolism when I went so long eating 1200 calories, but I feel so incredibly awful when I eat as much as I probably should. I use a FitBit and heart rate monitor so I have a really good idea of what my TDEE is.
Age: 29
BMR: 1450
TDEE: 2100 normally (1700 if sedentary, but I am using 1700 and eating exercise calories back because my TDEE varies a lot)
Cut at 15%: 1785
Activity: I'm training for a 5K and so I run 3-4 days a week. Boxing usually 2 days a week. I am not doing weight training at the moment but boxing incorporates a lot of lunges, squats, pushups, crunches, and muscular resistance (hitting a bag).
So, from what I can gather, your main goal is to repair your metabolism, right? If so, then your best friend here is going to be consistency (as it is for all of us). The range of calorie burn you have is actually quite normal as many of us exercise hard several days a week and then take rest days. You really need to average out that TDEE for the week ( you can total 7 days of your fit bit/hrm tdee numbers and divide by 7 to get that number or use this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/). That calculator goes by hours/week that you workout and is more accurate and easier to use I find than the ones that use the day method.
Once you have your TDEE, then you need to set that as your daily goal and eat that much every day. Even if you don't exercise for that day and your burn is low. The reason for that is because you are AVERAGING your burn for the week so that you can give your body a consistent amount of calories every day so it can start to trust you that you will feed it properly. The only time you have to worry about eating back exercise calories is if your NET total number is lower than your BMR at the end of the day. Then, you'd need to eat a few extra calories to get your NET back over your BMR number. Make sense?
When you reset your metabolism, it is very normal to experience weight gain, water retention, etc. Make sure you read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience so that you understand what to expect.
After you have eaten at TDEE for 8 weeks, you can drop to your 15% deficit for a while to get rid of any weight you may have gained.0 -
I'm sorry let me clarify, I've been eating at my cut for the past 6-8 weeks and only maintaining.0
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I'm sorry let me clarify, I've been eating at my cut for the past 6-8 weeks and only maintaining.
If you've been eating at cut for 8 weeks and maintaining, then I would suggest that you up to TDEE for 8 weeks, then drop back down to your cut value after that. That is what the reset is...getting your body used to maintenance cals so that it will set it's metabolism at that level and then when you cut it will recognize the deficit and start dropping pounds (or inches).0 -
I am starting this today!
I have eaten under 1200 calories, then binging on weekends, since at least high school (11 years ago). I found this group in the beginning of March and upped my calories to 1400, 1600 and 1800, each lasting alomost a month. My weight starting was around 129, and I am up to 132/133 depending on the day, with my goal being 125. My weight increased slowly and has been sticking around the same for the last 2 weeks. I do not want 1800 to be my maintence! I put myslef in the moderate category. I will try to stick with this for at least 4 weeks, 8 weeks sounds depressing when I am soooo close! :ohwell:
5'4
132 lbs
Moderate
TDEE = 2150
-15% = 1800
More food here I come! I need friends with similar stats so I can stalk your diary!!!:laugh:0 -
PS...... Do we continue exercising as normal??
Yes, continue your exercise as normal. When you calculated your TDEE it was WITH exercise, so make sure you do what you calculated in.
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I am debating doing the reset also..kinda nervous bc I was doing TDEE minus 15% and I gained 3.5 pounds :ohwell: I am still lost on how i should put my activity level..I just stared insanity and will be doing that 6 days a week and i also weight train for about 30-45 mins 5 days a week. I am a stay at home mom of 4 kids (6,5,3 and 1.5) so i am on my feet most the day but i also have my really lazy days lol..would i be moderate?
I would say it's probably moderate to active. Have you tried using this calculator? http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
It goes by hours of exercise instead of days and I have found it to be really helpful.0 -
Bump for later reading!!!
:flowerforyou:0 -
OK, I'm starting to eat at TDEE today. That's 1782. I've been eating at a 15% cut and netting BMR at 1485 on days when I have more activity (I plead sedentary because I sit at a desk all day and don't exercise on a regular basis).
I had an awful week last week between an amusement park outting with my daughter and being on the go Friday through Sunday.
It's on!0 -
OK, so my first week in to the reset I lost a pound, so I'm upping my TDEE to 2350 (Moderate activity).
I wasn't sure about the activity level. I think I remember a video Kiki did saying most people UNDER estimate
their activity level, harder to acknowledge when you don't have a HRM to back it up.0 -
I started eating at "maitenence" on Monday.
I plan on doing this for 2 weeks, then going down 200 cals a day for a bit. I will eat at maitenence every 6 weeks to reset until I reach my goal weight.0 -
OK, so my first week in to the reset I lost a pound, so I'm upping my TDEE to 2350 (Moderate activity).
I wasn't sure about the activity level. I think I remember a video Kiki did saying most people UNDER estimate
their activity level, harder to acknowledge when you don't have a HRM to back it up.
I was a prime example of underestimating. :blushing: Lucia gave me two options a few weeks ago...either eat more (bump up to the next activity level) or drop some exercise to match what I was eating and claiming as my activity level! lol. I now have a BMF....and guess what? She was right!0 -
bump0
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Ok, so I did my NET graph over the last 90 days, (Reports, then Nutrition, then Net) and realized that only 23 out of the last 90 days did I actually NET 2400 which is my Cut value. And those days generally were Rest days where I didnt work out. Every other day in that period, I Netted between 1800-2100, which is still above my BMR of 1800, but obviously not enough. I go back and forth on whether I am at the right activity level, but Im certain I am moderate with 3 days Lifting for 45 mins and 2 days cardio, usually 45 min 5k runs or a 60 min step class.
So I will continue with this first week at eat TDEE which is 2800 for me. after a week I will reevaluate. (I think its easier for me to take it a week at a time rather than commit to 8 weeks off the bat.
Im scared sh!tless of gaining even more weight since it took me so friggin long to even get 20 pounds off, but I need something to work. I cannot take this any longer. I am fighting the urge big time to drop back down to 1500 cals and get a quick 20 pounds off again, but I know that will not help my cause.
Sigh.. so, here I am..
I'm confused....were you trying to NET your cut goal even after exercise before? The only concern with NET that you should have had is that it always a bigger number than your BMR. So just to clarify what you should be doing at this point is:
1. Your Goal should be your tdee number for the next 8 weeks.
2. Your total food calories should be close to your Goal number (unless you have to eat back calories to get your NET number above BMR, then it would be higher)
3. Your Net number should always be higher than your BMR you figured out with the calculators. Only a high burn day will make this number drop too low so you can usually just ignore it.
No, I was eating my cut daily, which is 2400.. So everyday I was eating about 2200-2400. Workout days I was NETTING 1800-2100. 1800 being my BMR, rest days was 2400 (which is also netting 2400)
So yes on paper I was doing what I was supposed to.
But obviously its not enough... so for this week I will eat 2800 which is my TDEE and see what happens.0 -
This is awesome! Im not joining the group, but I can't wait to read all the success stories! Stay consistent and you get results.0
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Ok, so I did my NET graph over the last 90 days, (Reports, then Nutrition, then Net) and realized that only 23 out of the last 90 days did I actually NET 2400 which is my Cut value. And those days generally were Rest days where I didnt work out. Every other day in that period, I Netted between 1800-2100, which is still above my BMR of 1800, but obviously not enough. I go back and forth on whether I am at the right activity level, but Im certain I am moderate with 3 days Lifting for 45 mins and 2 days cardio, usually 45 min 5k runs or a 60 min step class.
So I will continue with this first week at eat TDEE which is 2800 for me. after a week I will reevaluate. (I think its easier for me to take it a week at a time rather than commit to 8 weeks off the bat.
Im scared sh!tless of gaining even more weight since it took me so friggin long to even get 20 pounds off, but I need something to work. I cannot take this any longer. I am fighting the urge big time to drop back down to 1500 cals and get a quick 20 pounds off again, but I know that will not help my cause.
Sigh.. so, here I am..
I'm confused....were you trying to NET your cut goal even after exercise before? The only concern with NET that you should have had is that it always a bigger number than your BMR. So just to clarify what you should be doing at this point is:
1. Your Goal should be your tdee number for the next 8 weeks.
2. Your total food calories should be close to your Goal number (unless you have to eat back calories to get your NET number above BMR, then it would be higher)
3. Your Net number should always be higher than your BMR you figured out with the calculators. Only a high burn day will make this number drop too low so you can usually just ignore it.
No, I was eating my cut daily, which is 2400.. So everyday I was eating about 2200-2400. Workout days I was NETTING 1800-2100. 1800 being my BMR, rest days was 2400 (which is also netting 2400)
So yes on paper I was doing what I was supposed to.
But obviously its not enough... so for this week I will eat 2800 which is my TDEE and see what happens.
ok, good! I was pretty sure you knew the process but the way you phrased that particular post had me confused!! 0 -
One word - terrified!!! I am 48 in a couple of months and it's taken me 5 long years and hard slog to get to where I am now! I will come back later with some of my history and stats.0
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Thanks for that! I can eat even more, which is already a struggle, but one I'm going to enjoy.0
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First of all, THANK YOU, Sweatpantsrebellion (love the name!) for starting this thread. This really is a frightening step to take alone, so doing it all together will be amazing! I would love to send those of you who are doing this a FR. So, when you see Tenpets, it's ME! :-)
My official start date is today, 5/29/12! I will do it for 4-8 weeks, reevaluating at the 4-week mark.
Sorry this is long, but I'm kind of writing it to convince myself that I need to do this for the betterment of my health!
In the past (1980s), I was a compulsive overeater and weighed up to 200lb.
In 1994, I had oral surgery and had lots of complications and couldn't eat for a few weeks. Guess what? I started losing lots of weight. So, my then compulsive self swung the other way on the pendulum and began starving myself and exercising like a crazy person. WOW, in a few months I had lost 80 lbs and the compliments were nonstop from everyone I knew and met! I was a skinny-minny 122lb and size 4. All my bones stuck out. I was always exhausted and fell asleep anytime I sat still. I wasn't able to eat much at all or I'd gain weight. I stuck to eating primarily just protein-rich foods to protect my vital organs. This lasted from 1994-2002. Over that period, my weight slowly went from around 130 up to 145.
FYI, I was FINALLY diagnosed with and treated for major depression in 2000, started meds and lots of therapy. It literally saved my life! That was key in turning around my behaviors regarding food.
By 2002, I decided I would like to be able to eat a little more "like a normal person" (something we ALL can relate to, eh?). My weight climbed to the high 150s. I then entered a masters degree program, was working at two hospitals, and teaching nursing clinicals at a college and had three teenagers and a husband at home!. No time for exercise! Needless to say, I gained weight slowly.
By May 2008, I was back to 198lb at my daughter's wedding! UGH!! DOUBLE UGH!! I was probably eating around 1900 calories I'd guess and still no exercise.
Summer of 2009 I was disgusted with myself, bought a Bodymedia Fit and joined calorie.count.org. I was alternating Turbojam and Chalean Extreme 3d/wk and eating 1500 calories total. I lost 30lbs in three months and have maintained that for nearly 3 years.
April 2012, I joined MFP because I liked their mobile app better than Calorie.count. and I decided to continue losing to lose my last 20-30 lbs. I did two weeks at 1200 calories, walked 3-5 hrs a week and lost 0.75 each week. I then upped my calories to 1500 and lost 2.8lb that week! Then I found EMTLW and upped to 1800 (TDEE-20%). No weight change. Then started P90 (original, not X) 6d/wk and gained 4lb that week! The next week I gained 1 lb.
Finally, last week I was sick with a stomach flu and only exercised two days and three days I ate only around 800 calories (mostly saltines...stomach viruses are awful!). That week (last Friday) I lost 3.7lb! I'm no longer obsessive about food and willpower is no longer a problem for me. So choosing healthy foods is easy. Thank heavens!
So, here I sit today really scared to go up to my TDEE which is 2250 but wanting to do it SO badly to see whether it will do the trick. My hubby of 30 years is doing P90 with me (he's 6'4" and 169lb and eats LOADS of food!) and he says "the weight is not the important part...it's about getting healthier." Isn't he a gem! Still, the thought of going up above 172-ish where I've been the past 3 years is going to be hard. With each other's support I really believe we can do this and change our metabolism once and for all.
My Stats:
I'm 49
5' 4"
Weight 5/25: 168.3
Moderatelty active 6d/wk
TDEE: 2250
BMR: 1550
GW for now: 160 lb (UGW: 150 lb)
Yeah US!:flowerforyou:0 -
Ugh, I just realized bikini season is a few weeks away, I don't know if it is a good time for me to eat at tdee to do the whole metabolism reset now >_<
I thought this too....but then I imagined September which will come all too quickly and how I'll pick a day to start the reset and I know my future self will think, I should've just started the reset back in May and I would be done with it. SO even though its not great timing I am just doing it anyway. get it done and over with. Low calories wasn't getting me bikini ready either and yes, I am already feeling the bloating and comfortableness...but I will invest in a few more dresses and skirts.
Hopefully by the time jean season and holiday picture time rolls around, things will be set in a promising pattern!0 -
Count me in! I'm starting tomorrow as I'm midway through my day here in UK. So 8 weeks to do my metabolism reset and then cut. BTW the cut was more than I was eating anyway, so I have gotten over the shock of the about of calories I can eat. Here we gooooo!0
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Overzealous typing. Meant to say amount of calories, but you get y drift! 0
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I've had the BodyMedia Fit since May 19th. I averaged out my daily calorie burn over 9 full days of use and got 2157 cals. Is that really what I should consume everyday for 8 weeks? I'm feeling so fat and bloated with my current 1829 cals!
I was dying of curiousity this morning and decided to weigh myself. I'm up 3.6# since May 12th, and my waist is at least 1" up from 4/28/12. A lot of my clothes are already too tight to wear anymore. Should I just continue to expect feeling yucky for the next 8 weeks?
I'm also wondering if I'm exercising enough. I'm in my 3rd week of Stronglifts 5x5 (not lifting that heavily yet since I'm early into the program), and each session so far is about 30mins (3x/week). I've been told by more advanced Stronglifts followers that their workouts last 70-80mins. Until I get to that point, I think I'm going to add a 35-min kettlebell workout to do after.
I've also restarted cardio (walking, bike riding) for 30mins. I was going to just do cardio twice a week, but I'm wondering if I should more if I'll be eating at maintenance?
Thanks!0 -
I've had the BodyMedia Fit since May 19th. I averaged out my daily calorie burn over 9 full days of use and got 2157 cals. Is that really what I should consume everyday for 8 weeks? I'm feeling so fat and bloated with my current 1829 cals!
I was dying of curiousity this morning and decided to weigh myself. I'm up 3.6# since May 12th, and my waist is at least 1" up from 4/28/12. A lot of my clothes are already too tight to wear anymore. Should I just continue to expect feeling yucky for the next 8 weeks?
I'm also wondering if I'm exercising enough. I'm in my 3rd week of Stronglifts 5x5 (not lifting that heavily yet since I'm early into the program), and each session so far is about 30mins (3x/week). I've been told by more advanced Stronglifts followers that their workouts last 70-80mins. Until I get to that point, I think I'm going to add a 35-min kettlebell workout to do after.
I've also restarted cardio (walking, bike riding) for 30mins. I was going to just do cardio twice a week, but I'm wondering if I should more if I'll be eating at maintenance?
Thanks!
To get a proper mean average of your weekly tdee, take 7 consecutive days, add them together and then divide by 7. This will be your weekly TDEE. (try to do this on a week that is fairly normal for you)
As for what to expect, did you read the sticky http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience ? That will help you understand what's going to happen. But basically yes, you likely will feel bloated and yucky for a little while. However, everyone is different and experience it in their own ways.
As for exercise, just do what you planned to do when you figured out your TDEE...(everybody has their own schedule and yours with the 3 litt days and a couple of cardio sounds good to me). Eating at maintenance doesn't mean altering your workouts...it just means eating the same amount of calories that you burn in a week instead of adding in a deficit of 15%. (just make sure that your net doesn't drop below your BMR)0 -
Hey! I'm in!! Gotta go back later and read what everyone else has said, but here's my story:
I've eaten anywhere from 1200 (or below) to 1800 for the past several years. I've been on and off diets for as long as I can remember. Succesfully lost 67 pounds, though I'm up a total of 13 since starting EMTWL. I started eating my cut on April 10. I ate my cut with no exercise that week, the next week I ate my cut with exercise, then the following week I started eating my TDEE (2700). Still up in weight, but with little change in my clothes (besides feeling a teeny bit squishier).
Eating at TDEE/Metabolism Reset Start Date - 04/23/2012
How long do you plan to eat at TDEE? - Eight weeks total - ending 06/18/2012
Describe your reasons for doing a metabolism reset. - As I said above, I've been "dieting" for-ev-er! I've also been a binger for as long as I can remember. I've only had the urge to binge twice since eating more. I love it!! I am hoping that this 13 pounds comes off quick ... it's hard to see this number on the scale again. (lowest was 213, now up to 226) After the 8 weeks is up, I'll start with a 15 percent cut and go from there!0 -
I'm sorry let me clarify, I've been eating at my cut for the past 6-8 weeks and only maintaining.
Then your cut rate is actually your tdee. I would try cutting 15% of that0
This discussion has been closed.