TDEE method...does it work?

larovers

I have been reading about this TDEE method of calculating calories. I just learned about it from my personal trainer who I like but I never like to take diet advice from a personal trainer because I have had bad luck with that in the past. Is it a load of crap or does it really work? I try to eat at 1500 calories a day but I am just too hungry. I need to lose 70-80 lbs.

rmtuesley

Works for me just as well or better than 1200 calories did. I plateaued on 1200 after I lost about 10 pounds. I started eating between 1800 and 2000 depending on my workouts and started losing again. I am only about 20 pounds from my goal so am losing between 1 and .5 a week. I am sooooo much happier!

Phrick

Works for me. Eating 1900-2000 cal/day I have lost 33 pounds so far in just over 2 months. I keep bumping it UP actually because the weight seems to be falling off too fast, but my body is determined :laugh:.

larovers

wow, okay. What is the best way to calculate it and how do you make it work with MFP? I guess you have to custom set your calories or something, right?

peleroja

Doesn't work for me, even with an underestimated activity level (I have a Fitbit One and know that I'm at least lightly active every day, so I've tried it there and at sedentary.) I maintain at TDEE -20%, and I weigh and measure absolutely everything and track calories extremely carefully. I may have ruined my metabolism with too many years of disordered eating (heavy restriction alternated with binge/purge mostly), though, as the vast majority of posters here seem to be very successful with the method.

Phrick

I'm not home at the moment but search for "IPOARM" or In Place Of A Road Map, there are a couple different variations of it but any of them make a great starting point.

trogalicious

short answer? yes.

long answer? absolutely.

longer answer? abso-yes-lutely.

ApexLeader

of course it works, unless you are overestimating your tdee to the point that 20% subtracted from your baseline is in reality at or above your maintenance calories

not a problem if the tdee you are using for your calculations for daily caloric intake is decently close to your actual biological tdee

larovers

I just don't understand if this work so well, why is weightwatchers and all these other diets using the same 1200 calorie thing.....is it something new?

LouiseDavis65

It has absolutely worked for me!
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator use this to figure out your TDEE

I upped my calories about a month ago - log everything I eat every day - and have gone down 7.5 pounds since!

DanaHerro

it's TOTALLY working for me.
I used the method in the in place of a road map post.

I eat 1650 calories per day - that's my TDEE minus 20%
I also make SURE that I net 1200 calories after exercise...so if i exercise and burn more than 450 then I make sure I eat those calories back.

I have lost 24 lbs since Feb 11 using this method. I',m averaging around 1.5 lbs/week. The weeks that I've eaten closer to 1200-1400 calories/day I either don't lose or I lose less. The weeks I REALLY hit the 1650 every day, I have lost even 2.8-3 lbs/week!!!
Started at 216, and my first big goal is 175....then 160 after that.

Here's the link!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

originalcookiemonster

Works for me. I'm 5'3 and eating 2200. Find the In Place of a Road Map 3.0 and give that a read for some additional info. Hopefully will make you feel more comfortable. I feel your insecurity with trainer advice but the TDEE method is effective and smart.

originalcookiemonster

I just don't understand if this work so well, why is weightwatchers and all these other diets using the same 1200 calorie thing.....is it something new?

Because they can continue to make money when people continue to use their service wondering why it isn't working. They stop making money when you can succeed on your own.

WendyBlendy

Yes....I reached a plateau with 1200 calories and now am using the TDEE. It has helped so much!

zyxst

It's working for me. I have it set up on MFP using moderately active for my activity level which is pretty close to what I burn according to my Fitbit. I found upping my activity level gives a flat number each day to work with. Just remember using TDEE - % (whatever % that is), you don't eat back your exercise calories.

almc170

Assuming you have a reasonably accurate estimate of your TDEE and actual calorie intake, then yes.

Flowers4Julia

works for me! check out the link above for details.

larovers

is this a new method or something? why have I never heard about this before? How fast is the weight loss to be expected? Also, my trainer said I need to eat some exact ratio of protein to carbs every meal...is that true for it to work? that seems like a lot of work. The easier the better for me. So here are my questions:

1. What is a fitbit? Is this something I need?

2. What is the most accurate way to calculate my TDEE for weightloss?

3. How do I make that work with MFP (the whole net calories thing is so confusing)? Do I set custom calorie goals or what?

trogalicious

is this a new method or something? why have I never heard about this before? How fast is the weight loss to be expected? Also, my trainer said I need to eat some exact ratio of protein to carbs every meal...is that true for it to work? that seems like a lot of work. The easier the better for me. So here are my questions:

1. What is a fitbit? Is this something I need?

2. What is the most accurate way to calculate my TDEE for weightloss?

3. How do I make that work with MFP (the whole net calories thing is so confusing)? Do I set custom calorie goals or what?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

take time, read that through and through.

larovers

I have a very sedentary job (at desk all day long) .....oh and here is my workout schedule:

Monday: walk my dogs for 1 hour- moderate to fast pace
Tuesday: Workout with trainer for an hour, she does metabolic training so very intense (dripping with sweat)
Wednesday: same as Monday
Thursday: same as Tuesday
Friday: same as Monday and Wednesday
Saturday: go to gym and workout on cardio/weight machines for 1 1/2 hours

Some_Watery_Tart

short answer? yes.

long answer? absolutely.

longer answer? abso-yes-lutely.

^^ This.

TheWiseCat

I did TDEE - 20% for 2 weeks and gained 1lb. I'm not a believer.

LouiseDavis65

You can definitely set up a custom calorie goal on here!

I don't have a fitbit (I think it's an arm band type thing -you could google it!) - from what I've heard they help, but I don't think they are necessary.

Go to any of the links that have been posted - they will have instructions on how to figure out your TDEE.


Weight loss is a personal thing - no one can guarantee how quickly the weight will come off. Be diligent, and patient, and you will see it work for you! I've never heard of the protein/carb thing before.

trogalicious

I did TDEE - 20% for 2 weeks and gained 1lb. I'm not a believer.

Then you didn't do it long enough. It takes the body longer than 2 weeks to adjust. Sorry.

mmddwechanged

it totally works for me! I have reached my goal weight and I eat between 1800 and 2000 calories a day

You could buy a fitbit for fun, but no, you don't need a fitbit. I have one at home that just sits in a drawer.

Lyadeia

I have been reading about this TDEE method of calculating calories. I just learned about it from my personal trainer who I like but I never like to take diet advice from a personal trainer because I have had bad luck with that in the past. Is it a load of crap or does it really work? I try to eat at 1500 calories a day but I am just too hungry. I need to lose 70-80 lbs.

Technically, the "TDEE method" as you call it is how most people have lost weight in the past before muddying up the waters...just eat less than your total calorie needs for the day, and you lose weight. That's all there is to it.

I screwed up my metabolism by undereating for years. I was eating between 1200-1500 calories a day depending on whatever stupid diet I tried. Recently, I went back to what I knew worked and wouldn't starve me. My TDEE is around 2200, and I've been taking out 15-20% and eating that much while still doing my same exercise routines. That means I have been averaging 1800 calories a day. And I feel soooo much better. I have more energy, I am stronger, and I am losing body fat consistently. At first, though, the scale was playing tricks on me. But I chose to ignore it since my clothes were getting looser. I am now wearing size 6, sometimes a size 4, and yet I weigh the same as I did when I was a size 8. The scale doesn't mean much to me when I am losing body fat every week consistently and I look smaller and leaner!!!

Most people who say this method didn't work either didn't give it enough time to work (meaning they were probably either too impatient and quit after 1 month or less, or they didn't tweak anything to find their own personal sweet spot since the calculator is probably never 100% accurate and you need to adjust things accordingly) or they have damaged their metabolisms by too much exercise and not enough eating over the past few months to years. This can and does happen, and when you start eating a smaller percentage under your TDEE, you need to slowly increase your calories over time, not just jump from 1200 up to 1800 overnight or something.

NJD2885

i just started doing it and i lost 2lbs in the first week by eating 500 calories more on a daily basis than i was. i'm going to stick with it.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I use it. I actually set MFP to my maintenance calories and then I aim for 250 calories under. That's a small cut from my TDEE because I'm not interested in losing a lot more weight, I'm just trying to lower my body fat a bit. I wouldn't worry about macros by meal. Instead worry about macros for the whole day. For someone who is working out, 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass is recommended, and .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight, and then the rest can be carbs. For me that's 98 grams of protein, 48 grams of fat, about 220 grams of carbs per day.

LiftAllThePizzas

Doesn't work for me, even with an underestimated activity level (I have a Fitbit One and know that I'm at least lightly active every day, so I've tried it there and at sedentary.) I maintain at TDEE -20%, and I weigh and measure absolutely everything and track calories extremely carefully. I may have ruined my metabolism with too many years of disordered eating (heavy restriction alternated with binge/purge mostly), though, as the vast majority of posters here seem to be very successful with the method.

No, you don't maintain at TDEE -20%. You maintain at your actual TDEE. That's the definition of TDEE.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I did TDEE - 20% for 2 weeks and gained 1lb. I'm not a believer.

Then you didn't do it long enough. It takes the body longer than 2 weeks to adjust. Sorry.

This is true. OP you want to give it at least a month if you try it. You'll gain a couple of pounds while your body adjusts.

wild_wild_life

Doesn't work for me, even with an underestimated activity level (I have a Fitbit One and know that I'm at least lightly active every day, so I've tried it there and at sedentary.) I maintain at TDEE -20%, and I weigh and measure absolutely everything and track calories extremely carefully. I may have ruined my metabolism with too many years of disordered eating (heavy restriction alternated with binge/purge mostly), though, as the vast majority of posters here seem to be very successful with the method.

No, you don't maintain at TDEE -20%. You maintain at your actual TDEE. That's the definition of TDEE.

Exactly what I was going to say. TDEE isn't a number a calculator spits out for you -- it is your maintenance calorie level. Eat less than that and you will lose weight.

The reason TDEE-20% works for so many people is that is gives you a smaller deficit than MFP tends to give people. So it's an easier deficit to maintain and it takes longer to plateau. There's nothing really magic or complicated about it, just figure out your TDEE/maintenance level (calculation, then trial and error) and eat a little less than that.