Does eating at TDEE really work?

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jeshhh
jeshhh Posts: 44 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm considering switching to the TDEE method. I currently aim for 1556 calories a day, which is my BMR, but I'm not losing like I'd like to – I've only lost 10 pounds (though I have lost 11 inches) since January and I have a deficit almost every day.

My TDEE is actually 2138 (light exercise) or 2410 (moderate) – I run 3x a week and do yoga/Pilates 2x, with lots of walking on weekends. I don't even know if I can eat that much. Does it really work? I'm so skeptical.
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Replies

  • AbbyCar
    AbbyCar Posts: 198 Member
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    Bump-I'd like to know as well.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
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    Eating at TDEe is a good way not to lose any weight. I think you mean TDEE minus 20%.
  • jeshhh
    jeshhh Posts: 44 Member
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    Eating at TDEe is a good way not to lose any weight. I think you mean TDEE minus 20%.

    Yes – thank you. So that would be 1928 for moderate or 1710 for light. It still seems high to me.
  • Koholint
    Koholint Posts: 104 Member
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    Eat more than your BMR, but LESS than your TDEE. Eat between those numbers and you should start to see the weight come off. If you eat at TDEE, then you are eating back everything that you burn from daily activity/existing... Total Daily Energy Expenditure. But by eating more than you need to live/function properly and less than you burn all day, you will lose weight.

    EDIT: I eat at TDEE -20%, which is around 1800 calories for me. It seems like a tall order at first when you try to fill that number with healthy foods, but eating things like Luna bars to fill in the extra calories has really helped me. I wasn't sure if eating that amount of calories was actually going to make me lose weight, but it works! It's a bit slow, but steady, and I know it's "real" weight loss instead of pounds that will fly back on if I have a piece of cake or something.
  • FammaMel
    FammaMel Posts: 293 Member
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    As stated above, it would be TDEE minus 15-20%. And, yes many have great results. Check out the Eat More to Weigh Less group.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
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    Eating at TDEe is a good way not to lose any weight. I think you mean TDEE minus 20%.

    ^This. A person needs a 500 calories deficit per day to average 1 pound of weight loss per week (the recommended weight loss for losing it in a progressive manner, and keeping it off).

    If you set your activity level to light on MFP, and set it to lose one pound per week, what does it give you?
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
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    Eating at TDEe is a good way not to lose any weight. I think you mean TDEE minus 20%.

    Yes – thank you. So that would be 1928 for moderate or 1710 for light. It still seems high to me.

    Seems high compared to what? With the MFP method if you have a 1 lb/wk setting and eat back exercise calories, then you will be eating the same about of calories on your workout days as the TDEE - 20% method. The biggest difference is your rest days.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    If your TDEE is calculated correctly, then yes it will work (eating TDEE - 20%, not eating at TDEE.)
  • tackie8383
    tackie8383 Posts: 59 Member
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    Just wanted to add....when you first start to increase you calories you might see a slight gain on the scale. It will take your body a little while to adjust since you have been eating at BMR. Don't let this discourage you.
  • KevinMassine
    KevinMassine Posts: 54
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    I changed to TDEE -15% and lost all the weight I needed too in a very short time. I adjusted my TDEE after my weight loss to maintain ........ It works well for me!
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
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    I'm considering switching to the TDEE method. I currently aim for 1556 calories a day, which is my BMR, but I'm not losing like I'd like to – I've only lost 10 pounds (though I have lost 11 inches) since January and I have a deficit almost every day.

    My TDEE is actually 2138 (light exercise) or 2410 (moderate) – I run 3x a week and do yoga/Pilates 2x, with lots of walking on weekends. I don't even know if I can eat that much. Does it really work? I'm so skeptical.

    I'm confused. You say you are eating at your BMR but it doesn't seem to me like you are eating your exercise calories back. If this is the case, you are not eating at your BMR and are probably netting 1200. How much are you netting?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Eating at TDEe is a good way not to lose any weight. I think you mean TDEE minus 20%.

    this!

    you should eat MORE than your BMR, but LESS than your TDEE to lose weight.
  • CTCMom2009
    CTCMom2009 Posts: 263 Member
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    I just switched to eating at TDEE, so I'm going to see how the results are in 2 wks or so. I have heard that a slight weight gain will happen at first since your body is adjusting...

    My BMR = 1377
    Activity Factor = 1.4
    TDEE = 1928
    TDEE-20% = 1542, so that is what I am shooting for. I hope that sounds right to everyone!

    Yesterday with all my activity, I had a hard time making that!
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523
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    I'm on TDEE-20% I exercise 3 times a week for on average 37 minutes each time. I am losing each week and my calories are currently set to 1640.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Eating at TDEE minus a certain percent (depending on how much weight you need to lose - a bigger percentage for more overweight people, a smaller percentage for less overweight people) does work.

    So does a PROPERLY set MFP goal plus exercise calories.

    The benefit of using the TDEE minus % is that you eat around the same amount of calories every day and you don't have to keep track of exercise calories.
  • jeshhh
    jeshhh Posts: 44 Member
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    Thanks all! You've helped a lot.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I just switched to eating at TDEE, so I'm going to see how the results are in 2 wks or so. I have heard that a slight weight gain will happen at first since your body is adjusting...

    My BMR = 1377
    Activity Factor = 1.4
    TDEE = 1928
    TDEE-20% = 1542, so that is what I am shooting for. I hope that sounds right to everyone!

    Yesterday with all my activity, I had a hard time making that!

    if your activity factor is higer than sedentary you wouldnt eat your exercise cals, so your activity yesterday wouldnt mean you eat more?

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