Level Obstacles: Lose Weight, Target Fat! (EASY!!)

JustMQ

Lovin' all the awesomeness!!!

3dogsrunning

Bump

BDM20134US

Thank you. Just what I really needed to read!

laura6009

Thank you x

MyChocolateDiet

Holy succinct batman! Why did it take me so long to find this?

DulceDollie

Wow. I've just recently learned the concept of TDEE-20% from "in place of a road map" on here. And I loved receiving that information! The difference for me here was how beautifully and simply you wrote it! Nice and concise! Perfect for the type of learning brain I have. And it helped to quell some of the insecurities I've been having over really jumping in with giving this method a go. Thank you for writing this. So gorgeous and well-done. I appreciate you.

Junechickie3

Bumping this up

just_fur_luck

Dude! This is awesome! Exactly what I've been looking for. Everyone makes this so confusing and my head has been spinning with all the other ways of doing this. This makes total sense and it's so dang simple (pardon my language).

Thanks for putting this up here!

starrynight1929

I have eaten 500 calories below my TDE and that maintains my weight.

800 calories a day keeps me full because I eat high volume, low calorie foods. It seems silly to eat more food and stuff myself when I'm not hungry.

I'm still sold on the 1200 calorie diet because I have tried this and it doesn't work for me.

BurtHuttz

I have eaten 500 calories below my TDE and that maintains my weight.

800 calories a day keeps me full because I eat high volume, low calorie foods. It seems silly to eat more food and stuff myself when I'm not hungry.

I'm still sold on the 1200 calorie diet because I have tried this and it doesn't work for me.

This is confusing. If you are eating under your TDEE, you will lose weight - it's a simple reality of physics that you can't get more energy out of a system than you put in. In this case, you are either not calculating your intake or your output correctly.

You mention a 1200 calorie-per-day diet, and then you mention that 800 calories per day keeps you full... unless your calorie counts are wildly inaccurate, you are probably doing severe damage to your body and should stop immediately.

ETA: Out of curiousity I ran some numbers. A TDEE of 800 (what you say you're consuming daily to maintain your weight) is less than an 80 year old, three-foot, six-inch tall, 70 pound woman would need to sustain a sedentary lifestyle.

prattiger65

Bump

starrynight1929

I have eaten 500 calories below my TDE and that maintains my weight.

800 calories a day keeps me full because I eat high volume, low calorie foods. It seems silly to eat more food and stuff myself when I'm not hungry.

I'm still sold on the 1200 calorie diet because I have tried this and it doesn't work for me.

This is confusing. If you are eating under your TDEE, you will lose weight - it's a simple reality of physics that you can't get more energy out of a system than you put in. In this case, you are either not calculating your intake or your output correctly.

You mention a 1200 calorie-per-day diet, and then you mention that 800 calories per day keeps you full... unless your calorie counts are wildly inaccurate, you are probably doing severe damage to your body and should stop immediately.

ETA: Out of curiousity I ran some numbers. A TDEE of 800 (what you say you're consuming daily to maintain your weight) is less than an 80 year old, three-foot, six-inch tall, 70 pound woman would need to sustain a sedentary lifestyle.

I should have been more clear. My TDEE is 1800. Consuming 1300 calories has made me maintain weight. Technically I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day right now but lately I have been eating 800 because I haven't been hungry for more. If my stomach doesn't growl, I'm not eating.

I meant I have eaten 1300 in the past, 500 below my TDEE, and it has not worked.

bettyzing

cmcis

Thank you. Its nice to have this information in one spot. :happy:

ihad

Bumping for awesome

Curved_Chica

You're awesome! Thank you:)

jofjltncb6

I should have been more clear. My TDEE is 1800. Consuming 1300 calories has made me maintain weight. Technically I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day right now but lately I have been eating 800 because I haven't been hungry for more. If my stomach doesn't growl, I'm not eating.

I meant I have eaten 1300 in the past, 500 below my TDEE, and it has not worked.

I'm afraid that one of us doesn't understand what the terms "TDEE" and "maintain" mean.

ETA: But I'll readily admit that it may very well be me who is misunderstanding.

Sarauk2sf

Don't forget about BMR though- in many cases - including mine, TDEE - 20% is lower than my BMR, and you should always try to stay at least at BMR, no lower. As a result, I have to reduce my deficit to TDEE - 15 %.

How do you know what your BMR is? From an online calculator that is subject to inaccuracies and is not specific to the individual. Unless you are totally sedentary, taking 20% from your actual TDEE is highly unlikely to result in you actually eating below *your* BMR. TDEE less 20% is effectively self governing for anyone that is even vaguely active.

Sarauk2sf

I have eaten 500 calories below my TDE and that maintains my weight.

800 calories a day keeps me full because I eat high volume, low calorie foods. It seems silly to eat more food and stuff myself when I'm not hungry.

I'm still sold on the 1200 calorie diet because I have tried this and it doesn't work for me.

This is confusing. If you are eating under your TDEE, you will lose weight - it's a simple reality of physics that you can't get more energy out of a system than you put in. In this case, you are either not calculating your intake or your output correctly.

You mention a 1200 calorie-per-day diet, and then you mention that 800 calories per day keeps you full... unless your calorie counts are wildly inaccurate, you are probably doing severe damage to your body and should stop immediately.

ETA: Out of curiousity I ran some numbers. A TDEE of 800 (what you say you're consuming daily to maintain your weight) is less than an 80 year old, three-foot, six-inch tall, 70 pound woman would need to sustain a sedentary lifestyle.

I should have been more clear. My TDEE is 1800. Consuming 1300 calories has made me maintain weight. Technically I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day right now but lately I have been eating 800 because I haven't been hungry for more. If my stomach doesn't growl, I'm not eating.

I meant I have eaten 1300 in the past, 500 below my TDEE, and it has not worked.

You joined this month. How have you tracked your intake before?

If you actually maintain at 1,300 calories, I would see a doctor as you have some metabolic issue going on. Or you could just not be accurately tracking your food.

CoderGal

I have eaten 500 calories below my TDE and that maintains my weight.

800 calories a day keeps me full because I eat high volume, low calorie foods. It seems silly to eat more food and stuff myself when I'm not hungry.

I'm still sold on the 1200 calorie diet because I have tried this and it doesn't work for me.

This is confusing. If you are eating under your TDEE, you will lose weight - it's a simple reality of physics that you can't get more energy out of a system than you put in. In this case, you are either not calculating your intake or your output correctly.

You mention a 1200 calorie-per-day diet, and then you mention that 800 calories per day keeps you full... unless your calorie counts are wildly inaccurate, you are probably doing severe damage to your body and should stop immediately.

ETA: Out of curiousity I ran some numbers. A TDEE of 800 (what you say you're consuming daily to maintain your weight) is less than an 80 year old, three-foot, six-inch tall, 70 pound woman would need to sustain a sedentary lifestyle.

I should have been more clear. My TDEE is 1800. Consuming 1300 calories has made me maintain weight. Technically I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day right now but lately I have been eating 800 because I haven't been hungry for more. If my stomach doesn't growl, I'm not eating.

I meant I have eaten 1300 in the past, 500 below my TDEE, and it has not worked.

You joined this month. How have you tracked your intake before?

If you actually maintain at 1,300 calories, I would see a doctor as you have some metabolic issue going on. Or you could just not be accurately tracking your food.

This, something is really really wrong here.

hockeymom95

Thanks.

BurtHuttz

I should have been more clear. My TDEE is 1800. Consuming 1300 calories has made me maintain weight. Technically I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day right now but lately I have been eating 800 because I haven't been hungry for more. If my stomach doesn't growl, I'm not eating.

I meant I have eaten 1300 in the past, 500 below my TDEE, and it has not worked.

Putting aside weight loss advice or who should eat what or when or whatever -- if you are seriously having trouble eating more than 800 calories per day, please, please see a doctor. The Mayo Clinic, NIH, American Heart Association -- there is absolutely no question amongst medical health professionals that an unsupervised, prolonged 800 calorie per day diet is extremely dangerous to your health - dangerous like dead dangerous.

I'm not assuming, inferring or implying that this is something you've chosen - I take you at your word that you feel full on 800 calories - but nonetheless, that way does indeed lie a premature death.

CoderGal

I should have been more clear. My TDEE is 1800. Consuming 1300 calories has made me maintain weight. Technically I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day right now but lately I have been eating 800 because I haven't been hungry for more. If my stomach doesn't growl, I'm not eating.

I meant I have eaten 1300 in the past, 500 below my TDEE, and it has not worked.

Putting aside weight loss advice or who should eat what or when or whatever -- if you are seriously having trouble eating more than 800 calories per day, please, please see a doctor. The Mayo Clinic, NIH, American Heart Association -- there is absolutely no question amongst medical health professionals that an unsupervised, prolonged 800 calorie per day diet is extremely dangerous to your health - dangerous like dead dangerous.

I'm not assuming, inferring or implying that this is something you've chosen - I take you at your word that you feel full on 800 calories - but nonetheless, that way does indeed lie a premature death.

Yep http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/56/1/230S.full.pdf <-large deficits and sudden deaths

That full feeling on very little is also very common. And feeling full on little. That does not make it a healthy choice. Just ask anyone recovering from an ED

Steffani911

So I have a question. If one is following the formulas for several weeks (I even bought BFM and a food scale to ensure that I am being as accurate as possible) and not losing weight, what would the next step be? To look at macros? I was thinking perhaps I'm too high in the carb and too low in the protein.

Edited to say that I have lost weight but not since I joined the MFP community and started paying attention to BMR, TDEE, and eating exercise calories.

BurtHuttz

So I have a question. If one is following the formulas for several weeks (I even bought BFM and a food scale to ensure that I am being as accurate as possible) and not losing weight, what would the next step be? To look at macros? I was thinking perhaps I'm too high in the carb and too low in the protein.

Is several two or six? The distribution of macros shouldn't make that much of a difference. Additionally, are you coming off of a prolonged period at very low calorie levels?

CoderGal

So I have a question. If one is following the formulas for several weeks (I even bought BFM and a food scale to ensure that I am being as accurate as possible) and not losing weight, what would the next step be? To look at macros? I was thinking perhaps I'm too high in the carb and too low in the protein.

I'm assuming by BFM you mean BMF. Depending on what you're doing, I hear they can be quite off.

Steffani911

So I have a question. If one is following the formulas for several weeks (I even bought BFM and a food scale to ensure that I am being as accurate as possible) and not losing weight, what would the next step be? To look at macros? I was thinking perhaps I'm too high in the carb and too low in the protein.

Is several two or six? The distribution of macros shouldn't make that much of a difference. Additionally, are you coming off of a prolonged period at very low calorie levels?

I started March 24th, prior to that it wasn't low calorie. It was basically maintenance. I'm never one to starve. One of the things I've considered is have I given it enough time.

jsjp

Absolutely helpful....thanks

BurtHuttz

I started March 24th, prior to that it wasn't low calorie. It was basically maintenance. I'm never one to starve. One of the things I've considered is have I given it enough time.

A month is a reasonable time frame to expect to start seeing results. This makes me wonder if there may be an inaccuracy somewhere.

What were the numbers you calculated? How much (%) under your total expenditure are you? Doing any exercise in particular?

Lyadeia

Bumping for the sheer awesomeness in the OP. :drinker:

If only this was explained to me a couple of years ago, I wouldn't have tried to live off of 1400-1500 calories all through 2012. I'm loving my new goal of 1800 calories which is causing me to look amazing! I may even increase a little more, too, since I have decided to add another day of cardio to the mix (only because I love Turbo Kick and want to do more for the enjoyment).