TDEE and weight loss...n00b q.

hi everyone! I've been doing MFP for a while and am having some success - the default calorie intake for me is 1240 per day. I don't need any criticism of my food choices, thanks. I know they're not great, but I have successfully given up a lot of things already and don't even wish to eat them again! Anyway, i have to watch my sugar (i have reversed pre-diabetes) and iron (borderline anemic) so I was looking at other macros etc too. In any case, generally speaking my TDEE is 2963 per day, which if I reduced it to 80% for cals as is suggested by many threads on here that would leave me at a daily intake of 2370 per day - which is almost TWICE what i'm eating now. How is this possible? Please can someone explain? Should i change anything? I'm not super hungry for what that's worth. I'm 104kg and 172cm if that helps? (I've made my diary public - will leave it that way for a few days)

Replies

  • disawell
    disawell Posts: 102 Member
    basically I have no idea LOL
  • I am interested in seeing what the reply is. :)
  • mywise
    mywise Posts: 43 Member
    Your exercise is figured in your tdee...Are u eating your exercise cals back using the MFP way??? I was eating 1200-1500 for several months per MFP with no results and bumped myself up to 1800-2200/day(tdee way) and started loosing 2-4 pds a week. Yes its tuff to eat that much......If I ate junk it wouldn't b a problem but I very seldom eat crap anymore... If your not loosing like u would like Id go the TDEE route for a few weeks and see how that goes....


    Also I think at times people underestimate or overestmate how active they really are....
  • Ottinger13
    Ottinger13 Posts: 55 Member
    I was eating 1200 daily for 2 months and lost a few pounds, but mostly muscle, my body fat increased and my strength decreased.

    This is the best site I have found Explains everything in easy to understand language, one site to figure it all out

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • GrannyGwen1
    GrannyGwen1 Posts: 213 Member
    DITTO


    I HAVE READ THROUGH MOST OF THE POST AND I GET MORE AND MORE CONFUSED

    IM 63.. SW 264.8 #..GW 150 # LOST 22# MY DAILY GOAL CALORIES IS SET AT 1580 TO LOSE 1 # A WEEK

    MY EXERCISING ABILITY IS LIMITED.

    IM A NIGHT OWL AND EAT MOST OF MY CALORIES AFTER 6:00 PM AND A LOT OF THOSE AFTER 10:00 PM
    CHANGED THAT TO NOW TRYING TO EAT 6-7 MINI MEALS.

    IM JUST NOT HUNGRY DURING THE DAY ALSO I GET FULL FAST, IM NOT A BIG EATER.. WHEN I WENT BACK TO MY OTHER JOURNALS I WAS AVERAGING 600-1200 A DAY AND MOST OF THOSE WERE AROUND 8-900 I WASNT DIETING I JUST WASNT HUNGRY , I WAS A PEPSI HOLIC FOR 40 YRS AND MY MR SAID MY VEIN RAN ON PEPSI THAT WAS MY FUEL .

    WITH MY BODY BEING USE TO LOW CALORIES IF I START TO EAT MORE AM I GOING TO GAIN BACK THE TWENTY I LOST?
  • xxtaliaxx
    xxtaliaxx Posts: 123
    Your exercise is figured in your tdee...Are u eating your exercise cals back using the MFP way??? I was eating 1200-1500 for several months per MFP with no results and bumped myself up to 1800-2200/day(tdee way) and started loosing 2-4 pds a week. Yes its tuff to eat that much......If I ate junk it wouldn't b a problem but I very seldom eat crap anymore... If your not loosing like u would like Id go the TDEE route for a few weeks and see how that goes....


    Also I think at times people underestimate or overestmate how active they really are....

    I've been doing this and I GAINED 4 pounds.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    I don't understand why people on a weight loss site are finding it so tough to eat food.

    Something doesn't add up!

    Eat bigger portions or something. If you genuinely are struggling to eat enough then stop tracking for a couple of weeks and just eat instinctively and watch the weight fall off as it seems you have cracked it!
  • christabel6
    christabel6 Posts: 173 Member
    I put on a lot of weight (through trying to get energy with sugary foods) and struggled to exercise when I was anaemic. I know how hard it is when you feel exhausted plus you clearly have a busy lifestyle as well.

    So what I'd suggest is worrying a bit less about weight until your iron and vitamin B levels are at a healthy amount (and have them tested) - they go hand in hand. That should give you enough energy to focus more on exercise and running round after your kids. I've also found that on MFP, iron levels often aren't included so if I find a food that has iron in I'll go to the database and add it. I also take supplements (vit B with food, 1 iron tablet a day with orange juice, no food or tea/coffee for an hour before or after... you know the drill I'm sure).

    Otherwise I'd look at how much weight you are set to lose and try resetting it to 1/2 lb a week. That will up your calorie allowance, which it sounds like you need.

    You have done really, really well to reverse pre-diabetes through diet. Hope you are proud of yourself for that.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    hi everyone! I've been doing MFP for a while and am having some success - the default calorie intake for me is 1240 per day. I don't need any criticism of my food choices, thanks. I know they're not great, but I have successfully given up a lot of things already and don't even wish to eat them again! Anyway, i have to watch my sugar (i have reversed pre-diabetes) and iron (borderline anemic) so I was looking at other macros etc too. In any case, generally speaking my TDEE is 2963 per day, which if I reduced it to 80% for cals as is suggested by many threads on here that would leave me at a daily intake of 2370 per day - which is almost TWICE what i'm eating now. How is this possible? Please can someone explain? Should i change anything? I'm not super hungry for what that's worth. I'm 104kg and 172cm if that helps? (I've made my diary public - will leave it that way for a few days)

    If you are eating back your calories, the way MFP sets it up then you would be averaging about 2370 a day anyway. That is assuming that you were honest with your activity level on MFP.
  • VickyO1977
    VickyO1977 Posts: 156 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013?hl=In+place+of+road+map

    Have a look at this it explains the TDEE deficit really well and most people I know on here follow this with great success.
  • xampx
    xampx Posts: 323 Member
    When I was 104kg (and I am about 2in shorter than you) I was eating 1350-1400 a day and lost about 1kg every 1-2 weeks.

    I am now 93kg, my TDEE is about 2050 and I am eating about 1400 a day, and eating back most of my exercise calories (ignore this in my diary, I have eaten under for a couple of days so far this week but there is curry and pizza planned in a couple of days, it will even out for the week)

    If you are losing, carry on, if you are not losing, up it to 1500 a day for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a change.
  • wllwsmmr
    wllwsmmr Posts: 391 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013?hl=In+place+of+road+map

    Have a look at this it explains the TDEE deficit really well and most people I know on here follow this with great success.

    second this!! Also, set your activity to sedentary if you have a desk job/ sit a lot, and then log your exercise daily and eat back about half of it!
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    WHY IS EVERYONE SO ANGRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY :explode: :explode: :tongue: :mad: :mad:
  • monarchangel86
    monarchangel86 Posts: 24 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013?hl=In+place+of+road+map

    Have a look at this it explains the TDEE deficit really well and most people I know on here follow this with great success.

    second this!! Also, set your activity to sedentary if you have a desk job/ sit a lot, and then log your exercise daily and eat back about half of it!

    I have started doing this recently. I was losing a little weight before just following the calorie goals from MFP but when I started using the TDEE less 20% I have been averaging a 2-3 lbs loss every week. Good Luck in your journey!
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    I would go back and check how you set up MFP and do you eat your exercise calories back?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    hi everyone! I've been doing MFP for a while and am having some success - the default calorie intake for me is 1240 per day. I don't need any criticism of my food choices, thanks. I know they're not great, but I have successfully given up a lot of things already and don't even wish to eat them again! Anyway, i have to watch my sugar (i have reversed pre-diabetes) and iron (borderline anemic) so I was looking at other macros etc too. In any case, generally speaking my TDEE is 2963 per day, which if I reduced it to 80% for cals as is suggested by many threads on here that would leave me at a daily intake of 2370 per day - which is almost TWICE what i'm eating now. How is this possible? Please can someone explain? Should i change anything? I'm not super hungry for what that's worth. I'm 104kg and 172cm if that helps? (I've made my diary public - will leave it that way for a few days)

    It's possible for any number of reasons, the most obvious being that 2963 calories is the number you would eat to maintain your current weight. Fewer calories will force your body to use stored fat.

    FYI: My TDEE is 2500 calories, and I'm losing by eating 2000 each day. It works.
  • disawell
    disawell Posts: 102 Member
    Thanks everyone. I've been to the calculators :) I'm putting in 30 mins moderate and 20 mins light exercise (I'm a SAHM) (shopping and cleaning mostly!) and leaving the rest as sitting. When I walk/ exercise I use the runtastic pedometer, so am brutally honest - it logs it all in my diary for me (Yay!). I do eat back most of my calories. I'm making an effort to exercise more but I do not really enjoy it, but I can tell my fitness is improving. I'm just aiming for 300 cal burn each day for now which according to MFP defaults would bring me up to approx 1500 cal per day. Now I have NO problem scarfing down that much food....but I'm kind of scared to raise my calorie intake.....seems counter-intuitive....thanks again!
  • disawell
    disawell Posts: 102 Member
    At the scooby's workshop calc, that puts me at 1638 cals per day to lose 25 kg a year....I was hoping to lose a bit more than that - but that might put me at my goal....I just wanted to do it sooner than christmas....I was thinking more like June.....battling this same kilo for a month though...kind of stuck i guess
  • disawell
    disawell Posts: 102 Member
    Ok so I changed my cals to 1638 (my TDEE - 25%) that looks like a massive amount of food. OMNOMNOM.