Any success stories using the TDEE-20% (15%) method?

shst07

I do it in a more modified way because my exercise is not always the same. I work my TDEE based on NO exercise and then I eat back on days that I am more active. I just recently got a fitbit which shows my TDEE is around 2600 on a 'work day' but just barely above my BMR on a lazy day. I used to just do it based on TDEE but then I end up overeating too often.

TDEE - 20%(15% or whatever) is best for people who are active to about the same level every day. If you aren't then you are better to calculate it from your sedentary TDEE and eat back calories.

Ah, thank you! That is a very good idea!

shst07

I didn't know what TDEE was until I started reading the forum.
I STILL don't know what mine is.
Never bothered to calculate it.
I just used MFP's numbers.
Why complicate things?

HAHA! That's ok! It sounds like you are doing just fine!

DorisR184

Bump

jenf330

My question for those who did it and it worked, did you just suddenly start eating TDEE-20% or did you slowly work your way up? After eating 1200/cal a day for 6 weeks, I'm a little afraid to just jump it up to 1700 overnight. I ate 1400 last week and started 1500 yesterday. Is that the way to go? Did anyone do one of those full resets?? That would truly scare me

JLHNU212

BUMP!!!

djack18

I'd like to know the same thing. I've started doing this the past couple of weeks. I've found my bmr as 1600 and my TDEE at 2300 and did a 20% deficit, so I try to eat no less than 1850 cal. I've been doing insanity and I've definitely noticed that I'm getting stronger. I'm going to weigh myself after I'm done with the first month which is in a week, so we'll see if I've lost weight. I'm also going to measure too. I have noticed on the day after I eat between 1850-2000 cal I feel like I do way better in my workouts than in the days I get between 1600-1800 cal, so I do feel like its a healthy way to eat.

Anyways it will be interesting to see other people's stories.

We have the same stats. I would love to hear about your results!

Charweezie

bump! good read!. I'm also doing this... TDEE-20% I changed it up in March and i gotta tell ya.. i've lost only 1 lb for the month.. womp womp....

teachmom32

I'm doing TDEE-20%. I've found that the calculators online are not super accurate (no matter which ones I've used to find my TDEE and BMR). So, I dug out my Body Bugg and have been using that the last two days. I've had to consciously increase the amount of calories I put out to still get a 500 calorie deficit. (I'm eating 1750 so trying to burn 2250 throughout the day). TDEE -20% is where I came up with the 1750. I'll see how this works for a while. I don't enjoy wearing my body bugg. I'm a teacher and all the kids asked me about it last time I wore it 2 years ago. They all though I had heart problems or something and had to wear a heart monitor!

teachmom32

Should mention that even with doing a Ripped in 30 workout and having a normal day (cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, etc.) I only burned 2041 according to my body bugg yesterday. With me being completely sedentary (sleeping, or sitting on the couch all day with only getting up to eat and go to the bathroom) I would only burn about 1580. TDEE calculators told me that it would be higher than this... roughly 1750-1800.

alexveksler

I started in January 2012. I was at around TDEE - 30%. I found myself pretty hungry most of the time and not really satisfied and prone to binges. I increased my calories to hit around TDEE - 20% organically, without knowing what that value was. I've met my goals.

Agree 100%. You stole my story. With 30% deficit I lost around 50LB in 1 year. Good manageable weight loss. However, increasing cals to TDEE -20% and changing to plant-based diet I am down additional 35+ LBs.

Amazing how this stuff works!!

Timshel_

Started at whatever MFP suggested for calorie intake (something like 1500 or less) and while I lost pounds REALLY quick, I was hungry and knew I wouldn't be able to maintain. I used IIFYM calculator (among several others) to figure my TDEE and subtracted the 20% everyone recommended. However, that felt like waaaaaay too many calories in comparison to where I was, so I tweaked itand settled in around 1800, which if I eat back my exercise calories puts me upwards of 2300 a day. I am NOT starving and I am still losing anywhere from a pound to three pounds per week, depending how regimented I am in tracking and such.

Don't be afraid to eat more based on TDEE, but don't be afraid to eat less than TDEE -20% like everyone suggests. Whatever feels best for you and meets your goals.

petstorekitty

For me, it's nearly an identical number. MFP set my calories at 1200 and my TDEE -20% is 1223. I've been told I should eat more to lose weight but what do you do when even the TDEE is set this low? Had my calories figured another way on Lifestrong and it came out even less than 1223 so I think for me that is pretty much what my calorie intake should be...

It's like this for me too. my TDEE -20% is 1297. 25% is 1215
-15% is 1377 - too much unless I burn off like, 500 cals a day and don't eat them back.

Eating at those numbers and getting in lots of exercise is what I have to do to lose. I didn't lose an ounce eating more than 1300.
Sad.

jaz050465

im slightly confused, my road map thingy was 1800 cal per day to lose weight i think that was -20% i did not eat back my exercise calories so i was averaging 1300 cal net a day. Now im MFP its set at 1600 cal a day and i eat back my calories and net 1600cal or over so why would the road map one be like this i eat less on this one then i do on MFP. maybe i did it wrong

For the road map- you use your TDEE which is activity and exercise. For MFP your activity level doesn't include exercise which is why you have to log it and then eat back those calories.

kelly_e_montana

I didn't lose any weight doing it but I lost a couple pants sizes.

ladyraven68

the T part of TDEE stands for total, so should include your exercise. It includes the following

TDEE: (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) = Sum of BMR+EAT+NEAT+TEF

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The number of calories you burn at complete rest.
EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of training, or training expenditure.
NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of activity that is not planned exercise. Vacuuming, driving, brushing your teeth, for example.
TEF/DIT (Thermic Effect of Feeding or Diet Induced Thermogenesis): Caloric expense of eating/digestion.

So it you are eating TDEE less 20% then you are eating 20% of each element

For those excluding exercise from their TDEE calculations, and then adding it back in, are you adding in the full amount of calories, or just 80%?

If you are doing TDEE less 20% and your exercise calories were included in your TDEE, you would be eating exercise calories less 20%, so really when you add in your exercise calories, you should also be deucting 20%, so that you are eating tour full TDEE less 20%.

It's not the same as MFP, where you add in the exercise calories to maintain a set defict of 500 calories.

Topsking2010

Bump

squatsandlipgloss

I also just started doing this. Had a really hard time yesterday getting to my calories. It is hard to get out of that mind set of staying as low with my calories as possible... I'll get up right now and eat something!

Supern0va81

Bump to read for later - this is really useful and something that I am just starting off with trying to get a better nutritional/energy balance.

To those of you that are doing this please can you add me as a friend as I would really appreciate your guidance/support in setting my goals.

Thanks, Helen x

cmeiron

Hi.

I'm just starting to do this and was wondering if people could share their success stories with me. Did you start using MFP settings and then start doing this instead and are having good results with it? And do you do resistance training?

Thanks.

Yes, yes, and yes. I'm now eating about 2150 cals/day, losing weight and inches, getting stronger and freaking loving all of it.

misifer

I've been doing TDEE -20% for one month (tomorrow) and have lost 4.8 lbs. I have a desk job and always thought I was sedentary but forced myself to use the lightly active TDEE based on all the research I did saying very few people are truly sedentary. Less than 2 weeks ago I bought a Fitbit and guess what, my lightly active calculation has been DEAD ON and maybe even a tad low.

I strive to eat around 1900-2050 each day. I walk for an hour at work each day (slowly, while working). I hit the gym 2x/week and do 30-40 minutes on the bike and then lift heavy. On gym days I find myself eating 100-150 more calories, but I don't let it bother me since I'm burning a ton more those two days. I also do Yoga once a week.

Nothing about eating 1200-1300 calories a day felt right to me, so even when I started this I'd eat closer to 1600. I was thrilled to find out 2000 was a better number for me. Even at my goal weight, maintenance will be around 2200/day.

I am eating now to train myself for how I need to eat for the rest of my life.