TDEE and Calorie Intake

Marksman21

Hey folks,

Got a question that's been nagging me lately, and maybe some of you more focused on the details may be able to help. After doing some more research into my diet and just picking up tips and details here, I saw a post recently on detailed work about the TDEE and the fluxuations to make weight rise and fall, just standard deficits and surplusses, like you do with all calories.

Now from my chart, I'm still sitting at 244, and my life style, mostly sedentry with a good bit of effort every day (20 minutes, maybe less, and not neccessarily exercise), I got a TDEE of around 3000 (2929 from my last reading). To safely loose weight, I should be eating about 20% less than my TDEE, 30% if I wanna push it. After doing those calucaltions with not just my reccommended calorie intake from MFP, but what I normally intake daily (around 1800 - 1900), I'm sitting at WELL over 35% to nearly 40%,

Question is, am I on a good track, or will my body adjust to this rate and slow down a touch to accomidate? (Not using the dreaded "S phrase" since its a hot button topic I'm not pushing right now)

sweebum

A 35-40% deficit is not unreasonable provided you take a 1-2 week break at maintenance every 12 weeks or so when things start to slow down. You have a lot to lose, so you would likely get frustrated at a 20% deficit and slow results.

yarwell

the size of the slowdown you are concerned about is a few percent. The Minnesota experiment guys (as in the pic left) were fed at about a 50% deficit and didn't appear to stop losing weight. A UK TV show "Hairy Dieters" put a couple of big blokes on 1300 calories.

If you're looking to lose 40+ you have >1200 cals available from fat reserves for a few weeks at least.

Marksman21

Its more like I'm happy where I'm at. Eating what I like, but not over doing it. 1800 has left me fed and so far with progress, but I need to make sure there isn't anything I should note as I continue. I don't doubt I'll continue to lose, but eventually that comes to a slow down (not a halt). That'd be something I'd be content to have happen if I were close to my goal, but since I'm mostly just starting, consistency is prefered.

My goal is to drop to 200 lbs by a year of the day I started. But if a week of maintanence to keep my body going is needed, I see where a small jumpstart might help.

Weezoh

I think I might be in a similar boat to you (Male, 43, started at 320 now at 255) but here's what's happened with me. I have been on MFP for about 18 months. The first year I had consistent losses netting at 1800 (a number my doctor gave me) but then the last 6 months I've been stuck going over the same 5 pounds over and over.

So i'm looking at using a TDEE calculation (scooby) and eating more and adding more strength training a couple days a week (dumbells) at home and a little less cardio. I've only started eating more (right now trying to at least hit my BMR -2240) for a couple weeks so I don't know if it's shaking my platteau yet.

Might be something you want to consider if you platteau at some point.

Marksman21

I've only been on board for just over a month, but I'lll keep that in mind. I wasn't quite reading that I needed a week or two of maintaining to ensure I keep loosing at an acceptable rate.