Anyone else discovered low calories are their only option?

mindydaile

No, your actual TDEE is 1510. TDEE is by definition the amount you need to maintain. Sorry that your life was wasted and you were unable to do anything else during that entire time or enjoy living or anything. But your TDEE is not 2300. And yes you would lose at 1400. You wouldn't lose as quickly as you would at 1300 but you would still lose. Yes there is a margin of error but the error goes both ways, and you've also already 'calibrated' the relative values of your TDEE and your scale's inaccuracy.

The road map thing that people around here love to push as gospel and follow it, follow it, follow it or die by starvation! gave me that number as did Helloitsdan via PMs. I followed it, gained weight.

But ya know what you are so determined to be right when you don't know me, my lifestyle, stress level or jack diddly about me.

SO here's your "YOU ARE RIGHT!" gold star darling! Go back and play in your precious it's right thread for eat more to weigh less playground.

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

I think your response to this poster was completely uncalled for. Look at what they are actually saying! All of the calculators online (including the road map and dan and everything else) uses ESTIMATES that are based on the population at large. The are STARTING points from which you can then refine and discover your individual numbers.

You've done that. Your experimentation found that for you the estimates are not right - your TDEE is lower than the "norm" which is why the numbers you are getting from all theses calculators are wrong.

Your TDEE is 1510. Not whatever the calculators say. Try eating 1510 - 20% for a month and see where you stand.

toutmonpossible

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

Yes, white is not black, up is not down and 2 + 2 = 4, at least in the real world.

estherlion

I am experiencing the same exact thing as you. I am going to go see a Dr in my area that can hook me up to a machine and tell me my real RMR so i don't waste more time. I need this weight off!!

janetteluparia

5:2 works. Once you establish it, do TDEE-20% on your feast days. It works. Broke my plateau and I am SO grateful!!

Deipneus

So after 4+ months on MFP and after following tons of advice to eat more, eat at TDEE - 15,20 or 25 pc and to eat back exercise calories etc. without success I've finally concluded that the only way I can lose any scale weight OR body fat is to eat no more than 9000 calories per week or an average of just under 1300 per day. All this while burning off 3000 calories through exercise including lifting weights 3 times a week.

Good for you and congratulations. As you are discovering, various people will have a problem with your 9,000 calories a week but at one time I ate at that level myself with no ill-effects.

JAT74

Janette I'm glad it worked for you but it's not working for me and it's been nearly 5 weeks. I love doing 5:2 but can't do TDEE - 20 pc on fast days so that's why I've decided to eat 1450-1650 on feast days of lower still if I have to.

Danilynn1975

No, your actual TDEE is 1510. TDEE is by definition the amount you need to maintain. Sorry that your life was wasted and you were unable to do anything else during that entire time or enjoy living or anything. But your TDEE is not 2300. And yes you would lose at 1400. You wouldn't lose as quickly as you would at 1300 but you would still lose. Yes there is a margin of error but the error goes both ways, and you've also already 'calibrated' the relative values of your TDEE and your scale's inaccuracy.

The road map thing that people around here love to push as gospel and follow it, follow it, follow it or die by starvation! gave me that number as did Helloitsdan via PMs. I followed it, gained weight.

But ya know what you are so determined to be right when you don't know me, my lifestyle, stress level or jack diddly about me.

SO here's your "YOU ARE RIGHT!" gold star darling! Go back and play in your precious it's right thread for eat more to weigh less playground.

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

I think your response to this poster was completely uncalled for. Look at what they are actually saying! All of the calculators online (including the road map and dan and everything else) uses ESTIMATES that are based on the population at large. The are STARTING points from which you can then refine and discover your individual numbers.

You've done that. Your experimentation found that for you the estimates are not right - your TDEE is lower than the "norm" which is why the numbers you are getting from all theses calculators are wrong.

Your TDEE is 1510. Not whatever the calculators say. Try eating 1510 - 20% for a month and see where you stand.

Which still means I wasted 6 months of time failing at weight loss. That 1510 minus the 20% is 1208. Which according to everything that the eat more folks preach is going to starve me to death. do untold damage to my body.

Now account for the scale inaccuracy, becaue I am not going to personally spend 3 grand on an analytical balance like they use in professional labs, and I probably should stop eating for the day at roughly 1000 to 1050 calories a day to allow for that inaccuracy.

Which will in turn set off riots because OMG! I'm starving myself.

If reading a thread about other folks struggles to follow this hallowed sanctified eat more stuff and it's failures for us personally offends you, then perhaps you should stick to the threads preaching eat more. I don't go in them because they don't work for me and there's no sense telling other people who are doing well they are wrong. Also by that same logic train perhaps telling me I am wrong when I did try it is also just ignorant. But thanks anyway for your PC policing skills. You'd make an excellent HR rep.

katy_trail

low calorie smo calorie
it was never for me

toutmonpossible

I am experiencing the same exact thing as you. I am going to go see a Dr in my area that can hook me up to a machine and tell me my real RMR so i don't waste more time. I need this weight off!!

That's smart.

Mads1997

I am similar. I started out eating what MFP gave me to lose the recommended weight loss per week (1600 cals I think it was )and also ate all my exercise calories back. While this worked for the first 20 kilos it stopped working so I tried upping my calories on the advice of the eat more 2 weigh less crew so I went from 1600 to 1700 to 1800 and kept gaining, I stuck at it for a few months and gained just as many kilos back. I tried changing exercise etc nothing seemed to work. It wasn't because I had slowed my metabolism either like everyone tried to tell me.

In frustration I went to a registered dietician. I told her all the problems I was having losing weight so we had my BMR tested and it came back that my BMR is a lot lower than any online calculator gave me. I am now eating under my BMR (not unhealthy or dangerous if you have plenty of fat stores) and have been losing again.

JAT74

Wish I was in a position to do the same but will have to stick to trial and error. I definitely have plenty of fat stores!

LiftAllThePizzas

All the failed experiment with road map taught me was where I maintain and that is at 1510 calories per day.

Learning is failure? You know your maintenance level. Since you only have 11 lbs to lose, you would not be needing a huge deficit to lose. You can lose on anything below 1510, including 1400, etc. The funniest part is that you're saying TDEE - 20% doesn't work and you're going to do 1200 instead. But 1200 is your TDEE -20%.

GAINING 7 pounds is failure.

My actual TDEE worked out to 2300 a day in calories minus the 20% crap following the links set forth in the road map post.

No I do not lose at 1400, nor at 1300. You forget even with a food scale there is still the margin of error all scales except calibrated yearly analytical balance scales possess and even those still have a variance of .5-1% error rate allowed.

So yes, it was a failure. I just wasted 6 months of work. the original 3 to lose that 7 pounds initially and then regained it over the next 3, so by the time I get them back off 9 months of my life will have been spent in vain efforts of weight loss.

No, your actual TDEE is 1510. TDEE is by definition the amount you need to maintain. Sorry that your life was wasted and you were unable to do anything else during that entire time or enjoy living or anything. But your TDEE is not 2300. And yes you would lose at 1400. You wouldn't lose as quickly as you would at 1300 but you would still lose. Yes there is a margin of error but the error goes both ways, and you've also already 'calibrated' the relative values of your TDEE and your scale's inaccuracy.

The road map thing that people around here love to push as gospel and follow it, follow it, follow it or die by starvation! gave me that number as did Helloitsdan via PMs. I followed it, gained weight.

But ya know what you are so determined to be right when you don't know me, my lifestyle, stress level or jack diddly about me.

SO here's your "YOU ARE RIGHT!" gold star darling! Go back and play in your precious it's right thread for eat more to weigh less playground.

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not into eat more to weigh less or IPOARM or whatever. I'm not a member of any of those groups and I don't care what those people say. You are missing the point. Your TDEE is 1510. I really don't care what Dan or anyone else says your TDEE is. The numbers the calculators give you are only a ballpark estimate to be used as a starting point. I don't need to know your lifestyle, stress or jack diddly. All I need to know is that you said you found that your weight stayed the same at 1510. That's your TDEE. That is what TDEE means.

1500 times 80% is 1200.
Your TDEE - 20% = 1200.

By eating at 1200 you are actually doing TDEE -20%. So saying that it doesn't work is a failure.

And sorry again that you allowed seven pounds to ruin your life.

JulesAlloggio

This guy is an actual Doctor...feel free to educate yourselves by watching this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY1DsZMNfNw

Based on the quality of your prior statements I will not waste my time. Everything you said was inaccurate.

Wow thats not very nice... hmmm sorry you feel that way.

madrose0715

No, your actual TDEE is 1510. TDEE is by definition the amount you need to maintain. Sorry that your life was wasted and you were unable to do anything else during that entire time or enjoy living or anything. But your TDEE is not 2300. And yes you would lose at 1400. You wouldn't lose as quickly as you would at 1300 but you would still lose. Yes there is a margin of error but the error goes both ways, and you've also already 'calibrated' the relative values of your TDEE and your scale's inaccuracy.

The road map thing that people around here love to push as gospel and follow it, follow it, follow it or die by starvation! gave me that number as did Helloitsdan via PMs. I followed it, gained weight.

But ya know what you are so determined to be right when you don't know me, my lifestyle, stress level or jack diddly about me.

SO here's your "YOU ARE RIGHT!" gold star darling! Go back and play in your precious it's right thread for eat more to weigh less playground.

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

I think your response to this poster was completely uncalled for. Look at what they are actually saying! All of the calculators online (including the road map and dan and everything else) uses ESTIMATES that are based on the population at large. The are STARTING points from which you can then refine and discover your individual numbers.

You've done that. Your experimentation found that for you the estimates are not right - your TDEE is lower than the "norm" which is why the numbers you are getting from all theses calculators are wrong.

Your TDEE is 1510. Not whatever the calculators say. Try eating 1510 - 20% for a month and see where you stand.

Which still means I wasted 6 months of time failing at weight loss. That 1510 minus the 20% is 1208. Which according to everything that the eat more folks preach is going to starve me to death. do untold damage to my body.

Now account for the scale inaccuracy, becaue I am not going to personally spend 3 grand on an analytical balance like they use in professional labs, and I probably should stop eating for the day at roughly 1000 to 1050 calories a day to allow for that inaccuracy.

Which will in turn set off riots because OMG! I'm starving myself.

If reading a thread about other folks struggles to follow this hallowed sanctified eat more stuff and it's failures for us personally offends you, then perhaps you should stick to the threads preaching eat more. I don't go in them because they don't work for me and there's no sense telling other people who are doing well they are wrong. Also by that same logic train perhaps telling me I am wrong when I did try it is also just ignorant. But thanks anyway for your PC policing skills. You'd make an excellent HR rep.

Wow. Bitter much? So YOU failed at EATMORE. It didn't work FOR YOU. Do you find it neccessary to be hostile to everyone who writes in this thread who SUCCEEDS with it? Is this thread about you or the OP??? Personally, any learning in the process to a healthy life should be valued...but hey. Continue with your bitterness. For every indivdual who succeeds here on VLCD, there are significantly more succeeding with EatMore.

quill16

Yes!!!!! I thought it was just me at first, but I have been successful at 1200 cals and lost ALL of my weight with this and exercise. I wish I could eat more, but now after years of trial and error ,I have truly learned how my body reacts. I exercise about 2 hours a day Running 5 miles/day and swimming an hour 6 days a week. I added in lifting and free weights 3 days a week .All this burns 800-900 cals a day. I eat 1200-1300 cals/day to lose and 1400-1500 cals to maintain. I have been on maintenance for almost a year now. When I gain back5 or so lbs I go right back to 1200 cals and get it off. I weigh everyday.These are things that work for me and everyone has to figure it out. The numbers are averages and guides. I know what worked for me.
FYI I am fit and not starving. My muscles are getting bigger and stronger. My bloodwork is perfect and my doctor is pleased.

madrose0715

All the failed experiment with road map taught me was where I maintain and that is at 1510 calories per day.

Learning is failure? You know your maintenance level. Since you only have 11 lbs to lose, you would not be needing a huge deficit to lose. You can lose on anything below 1510, including 1400, etc. The funniest part is that you're saying TDEE - 20% doesn't work and you're going to do 1200 instead. But 1200 is your TDEE -20%.

GAINING 7 pounds is failure.

My actual TDEE worked out to 2300 a day in calories minus the 20% crap following the links set forth in the road map post.

No I do not lose at 1400, nor at 1300. You forget even with a food scale there is still the margin of error all scales except calibrated yearly analytical balance scales possess and even those still have a variance of .5-1% error rate allowed.

So yes, it was a failure. I just wasted 6 months of work. the original 3 to lose that 7 pounds initially and then regained it over the next 3, so by the time I get them back off 9 months of my life will have been spent in vain efforts of weight loss.

No, your actual TDEE is 1510. TDEE is by definition the amount you need to maintain. Sorry that your life was wasted and you were unable to do anything else during that entire time or enjoy living or anything. But your TDEE is not 2300. And yes you would lose at 1400. You wouldn't lose as quickly as you would at 1300 but you would still lose. Yes there is a margin of error but the error goes both ways, and you've also already 'calibrated' the relative values of your TDEE and your scale's inaccuracy.

The road map thing that people around here love to push as gospel and follow it, follow it, follow it or die by starvation! gave me that number as did Helloitsdan via PMs. I followed it, gained weight.

But ya know what you are so determined to be right when you don't know me, my lifestyle, stress level or jack diddly about me.

SO here's your "YOU ARE RIGHT!" gold star darling! Go back and play in your precious it's right thread for eat more to weigh less playground.

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not into eat more to weigh less or IPOARM or whatever. I'm not a member of any of those groups and I don't care what those people say. You are missing the point. Your TDEE is 1510. I really don't care what Dan or anyone else says your TDEE is. The numbers the calculators give you are only a ballpark estimate to be used as a starting point. I don't need to know your lifestyle, stress or jack diddly. All I need to know is that you said you found that your weight stayed the same at 1510. That's your TDEE. That is what TDEE means.

1500 times 80% is 1200.
Your TDEE - 20% = 1200.

By eating at 1200 you are actually doing TDEE -20%. So saying that it doesn't work is a failure.

And sorry again that you allowed seven pounds to ruin your life.

^^^ Exactly. God math hurts.

westcoastgrl21

At the risk of feeling the wrath of most of the MFP community, I support you on this one. I think I fall into the category of a "unique snowflake" as they like to call it on here. My TDEE is about 2300-2800 per day (according to my BodyMedia). I'm on my feet most of the day, and I hit the gym (heavy lifting plus 40 min of cardio) daily. I've tried all sorts of methods of weight loss, and the only thing that has EVER worked for me was cutting calories to about 1500 per day. I recently tried the "roadmap" method for 2 months hoping that there was some method that would allow me to eat a little more and still lose, and the scale didn't budge. Plus I was hungry at the 1900 calories it allowed. Fail. I'm not technically "overweight", 133 lbs at 5'7" tall, ~26% bodyfat. I am easily able to maintain my weight at around 2300-2500 cals a day, HOWEVER once I gain a little extra (I tend to indulge in sweets a bit too much), it's incredibly difficult for me to lose it again. You know your own body and so long as you've been screened for medical issues then do what is working to lose the weight. Just be very aware that the foods you're eating are nutrient-rich so you get everything you need micro-nutrient wise. I do endorse weight lifting, as adding muscle mass will increase your metabolism and allow you to maintain your weight at a higher calorie intake once you get to where you want to be. Good luck to you and keep up the good work!

Danilynn1975

All the failed experiment with road map taught me was where I maintain and that is at 1510 calories per day.

Learning is failure? You know your maintenance level. Since you only have 11 lbs to lose, you would not be needing a huge deficit to lose. You can lose on anything below 1510, including 1400, etc. The funniest part is that you're saying TDEE - 20% doesn't work and you're going to do 1200 instead. But 1200 is your TDEE -20%.

GAINING 7 pounds is failure.

My actual TDEE worked out to 2300 a day in calories minus the 20% crap following the links set forth in the road map post.

No I do not lose at 1400, nor at 1300. You forget even with a food scale there is still the margin of error all scales except calibrated yearly analytical balance scales possess and even those still have a variance of .5-1% error rate allowed.

So yes, it was a failure. I just wasted 6 months of work. the original 3 to lose that 7 pounds initially and then regained it over the next 3, so by the time I get them back off 9 months of my life will have been spent in vain efforts of weight loss.

No, your actual TDEE is 1510. TDEE is by definition the amount you need to maintain. Sorry that your life was wasted and you were unable to do anything else during that entire time or enjoy living or anything. But your TDEE is not 2300. And yes you would lose at 1400. You wouldn't lose as quickly as you would at 1300 but you would still lose. Yes there is a margin of error but the error goes both ways, and you've also already 'calibrated' the relative values of your TDEE and your scale's inaccuracy.

The road map thing that people around here love to push as gospel and follow it, follow it, follow it or die by starvation! gave me that number as did Helloitsdan via PMs. I followed it, gained weight.

But ya know what you are so determined to be right when you don't know me, my lifestyle, stress level or jack diddly about me.

SO here's your "YOU ARE RIGHT!" gold star darling! Go back and play in your precious it's right thread for eat more to weigh less playground.

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not into eat more to weigh less or IPOARM or whatever. I'm not a member of any of those groups and I don't care what those people say. You are missing the point. Your TDEE is 1510. I really don't care what Dan or anyone else says your TDEE is. The numbers the calculators give you are only a ballpark estimate to be used as a starting point. I don't need to know your lifestyle, stress or jack diddly. All I need to know is that you said you found that your weight stayed the same at 1510. That's your TDEE. That is what TDEE means.

1500 times 80% is 1200.
Your TDEE - 20% = 1200.

By eating at 1200 you are actually doing TDEE -20%. So saying that it doesn't work is a failure.

And sorry again that you allowed seven pounds to ruin your life.

^^^ Exactly. God math hurts.

I can add, and subtract, multiply and divide. My "TDEE" is actually 1510, 20% less of that is 1208. not 1207, not 1209. 1208.

Not bitter. Just sick of people telling me what should work. glad it did for you. As of now I have lost well over 40 pounds, closer to fifty. When you have been here just a wee bit longer than 2 months and have really gotten deep into your "journey" come back and tell me wasting 6 months isn't a disheartening endeavor.

madrose0715

OP: I have been playing with the number of calories I consume for a couple months now. My activity level has changed dramatically since I started logging here back in February. I think, ultimately, the process of playing with the numbers is advantageous because it let's you see how your body responds to different calorie levels. I believe that IPOARM supporters would agree that ultimately, each indvidual needs to do that. For anyone to think that one standard/calculator will be the answer for one and all is rather ridiculous. Many people succeed at higher calorie intakes, but I think individual variations to the calculators are absolutely the norm and no one should feel like they 'fail' because they cannot lose weight at higher intakes.

madrose0715

All the failed experiment with road map taught me was where I maintain and that is at 1510 calories per day.

Learning is failure? You know your maintenance level. Since you only have 11 lbs to lose, you would not be needing a huge deficit to lose. You can lose on anything below 1510, including 1400, etc. The funniest part is that you're saying TDEE - 20% doesn't work and you're going to do 1200 instead. But 1200 is your TDEE -20%.

GAINING 7 pounds is failure.

My actual TDEE worked out to 2300 a day in calories minus the 20% crap following the links set forth in the road map post.

No I do not lose at 1400, nor at 1300. You forget even with a food scale there is still the margin of error all scales except calibrated yearly analytical balance scales possess and even those still have a variance of .5-1% error rate allowed.

So yes, it was a failure. I just wasted 6 months of work. the original 3 to lose that 7 pounds initially and then regained it over the next 3, so by the time I get them back off 9 months of my life will have been spent in vain efforts of weight loss.

No, your actual TDEE is 1510. TDEE is by definition the amount you need to maintain. Sorry that your life was wasted and you were unable to do anything else during that entire time or enjoy living or anything. But your TDEE is not 2300. And yes you would lose at 1400. You wouldn't lose as quickly as you would at 1300 but you would still lose. Yes there is a margin of error but the error goes both ways, and you've also already 'calibrated' the relative values of your TDEE and your scale's inaccuracy.

The road map thing that people around here love to push as gospel and follow it, follow it, follow it or die by starvation! gave me that number as did Helloitsdan via PMs. I followed it, gained weight.

But ya know what you are so determined to be right when you don't know me, my lifestyle, stress level or jack diddly about me.

SO here's your "YOU ARE RIGHT!" gold star darling! Go back and play in your precious it's right thread for eat more to weigh less playground.

But for the record, GAINING WEIGHT IS A FAILURE.

Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not into eat more to weigh less or IPOARM or whatever. I'm not a member of any of those groups and I don't care what those people say. You are missing the point. Your TDEE is 1510. I really don't care what Dan or anyone else says your TDEE is. The numbers the calculators give you are only a ballpark estimate to be used as a starting point. I don't need to know your lifestyle, stress or jack diddly. All I need to know is that you said you found that your weight stayed the same at 1510. That's your TDEE. That is what TDEE means.

1500 times 80% is 1200.
Your TDEE - 20% = 1200.

By eating at 1200 you are actually doing TDEE -20%. So saying that it doesn't work is a failure.

And sorry again that you allowed seven pounds to ruin your life.

^^^ Exactly. God math hurts.

I can add, and subtract, multiply and divide. My "TDEE" is actually 1510, 20% less of that is 1208. not 1207, not 1209. 1208.

Not bitter. Just sick of people telling me what should work. glad it did for you. As of now I have lost well over 40 pounds, closer to fifty. When you have been here just a wee bit longer than 2 months and have really gotten deep into your "journey" come back and tell me wasting 6 months isn't a disheartening endeavor.

See - your emotions on this subject are so reactive you are making ridiculous assumptions about things. I have lost over 60 pounds since February 2012 and well over 30 inches on my body. The fact that I have only had a profile on MFP for 2 months does not discredit my logic.