Success with TDEE -20%

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Replies

  • kmchambers64
    kmchambers64 Posts: 158 Member
    So, is there a settings on MFP to adjust those calories eaten for this program, or do you just know what to eat, and ignore the under over portion of your diet tracker. Honestly, I rarely eat my exercise calories on MFP and I don't feel hungry yet on the 1200 I am allotted. However I am 49, and I am eating a lot of veggies.
  • Gapwedge01
    Gapwedge01 Posts: 494
    Wouldn't your TDEE without exercise factored in just be your BMR?

    No. TDEE = BMR + activity factor. Look up the definitions.
  • JennKie1
    JennKie1 Posts: 200 Member
    This was posted by a MFP member.
    It really helped me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12:

    It has tons of valuable information. I couldn't do it on the 1200 calories a day MFP recommended, and it was too hard to try to remember what calories I should eat back and what I shouldn't. TDEE-20% worked great for me! It's much simpler. I just recalculate it every couple of weeks based upon my current weight and measurements. I usually actually end up eating somewhere about halfway in between MFP's recommendation and TDEE-20%. I don't feel hungry, the weight is coming off, and if I have a "bad" day, it realistically is probably right around my TDEE (so I won't be gaining).

    I was so happy when I found the link on here. Some of the members here can be great resources!
  • deveauxc
    deveauxc Posts: 4 Member
    What is TDEE-20%?
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
    I just started doing this wholeheartedly last week. But more than just sticking to my calorie goal of 1800, it required a total commitment to changing the way I ate - planning, preparing ahead of time, grocery shopping (I HATE grocery shopping), cooking, packing lunch, etc. I broke a 3-month plateau last week and lost 5 POUNDS! I was stuck at somewhere between 209.5 and 211 from October through last week, but on Friday, the scale said 204.5! I do NOT eat back exercise calories because TDEE-20% includes any activity, so I eat a stagnant 1800 calories. I still log my exercise just because I like to see it. I work hard to take credit for it! But I only log "1" calorie burned for each exercise.

    I hope this works for you, and I hope it continues to work for me! I know I feel much better about it. :)
  • GypsyNrs4Evr
    GypsyNrs4Evr Posts: 49 Member
    I lost 13 lbs doing MFP suggested 1290 calories a day, but like everybody else was hungry and grumpy. Then I reached a plateau through the holidays and just got plain frustrated. So I changed to TDEE - 20% and am now eating between 1400-1600 calories a day and I feel so much better. I also increased my activity level with the help of Fitbit & now 30DS, but I don't eat back my exercise calories. I've started losing again and am thrilled!! It's nice to be able to lose without starving!!

    :smile:
  • porkchop_13
    porkchop_13 Posts: 122
    i started this yesterday actually. I figured out my TDEE -20% which equals to 1620 - I eat this whether i exercise or not. I'm hoping it will be easier for me to plan my meals when i eat the same amount of calories every day instead of more on exercise days and less on rest days. I dont log my exercise because it's already counted in my TDEE. We'll see how it works after a month or so!!! I'm excited to see what other's results are as well!

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • Lyra89
    Lyra89 Posts: 674 Member
    I got to goal by eating this way...for me it was 1700 calories a day with our without a 30 minute workout and walking!
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    What is TDEE-20%?

    Check out my friend Yoovie's very simple, very common sense explanation of TDEE and using it to calculate your calorie requirements!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes
  • emills1970
    emills1970 Posts: 118 Member
    Bump for later!
  • fayefern
    fayefern Posts: 57 Member
    Bump
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
    I did TDEE - 20% then 15% then 10% as I got closer to goal. Exercise is included in TDEE that is why it's called Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

    This was exactly what I was going to say. You shouldn't eat exercise calories back if you log them...you'll be over and possibly gain.

    and also don't skip workouts, because if they're included in your TDEE then you skip them, you'll be burning fewer calories than your TDEE number

    I use this method, lost lots of weight, maintaining it without difficulty :)

    another piece of advice... calorie calculators are based on averages, and not everyone is average, you may need to adjust your calorie intake based on your real world results. You should find that you're losing 0.5-2lb a week and not feeling hungry all the time or deprived. If you're not finding that, you may need to recalculate, e.g. adjusting your activity level or simply adding in a bit more exercise while keeping the calories the same. If you're hungry all the time, then you would need to add 100-200 calories and see if that helps, and/or focus on eating less calorie dense foods and see if that helps.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I just recently changed my calorie goals to my TDEE -20%. Even though I am a bit wary of it, I feel like it better suits my lifestyle.
    Wanting to hear from some of the MFP folks that have had success losing weight with this particular course of action!

    Also, did you all eat your exercise calories back or no?

    Thanks!

    I've lost around 11 pounds so far using this method. It is slower....roughly 1 Lb per week for me, but much more doable than when I started out on a 2 Lb per week plan. I'm not miserable.

    In RE to eating back calories...this depends on how you calculated your TDEE. Many calculate their activity to include their exercise...i.e lightly active if they exercise a few hours per week, etc. In that case, you would not want to eat them back. I calculated mine based on an overall sedentary lifestyle...i.e. I have an office job and until fairly recently wasn't doing much in the way of exercise. I've started exercising 5 days per week for 30-45 minutes now for the past couple of months and I've though about just bumping up my activity level, but at the same time, what I've been doing has been working so I'll leave it be for now.
  • BB19
    BB19 Posts: 6
    Your macros should be 40/30/30 not 40/20/20!
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member

    I just upped my calories this week to be my TDEE- 20%. I was back and forth the same few pounds so I'll give this a go for a while to see if it will get me to where I want to be. Wish me luck!!


    ^ YUP! Me too. I started off MFP with 1520 cals I think? This week I bumped up to TDEE-20% which brings me up to 1790. We'll see how she goes!
  • BB19
    BB19 Posts: 6
    I've used TDEE right from the beginning because MFP caloric goals were set way too low. I also think that the exercise values are way over inflated and give people a license to consume more calories, or workout in order to treat themselves. It really is about being consistent about eating healthy.

    I've consistently lost weight doing it this way and I like it because I don't have to calculate my exercise. I have a daily caloric goal based on what activity level I've chosen and whether I work out that day or not, that is always my caloric goal. As I drop in weight, I will readjust the numbers.

    From my understanding MFP sets your daily caloric intake based on what you should be eating at your future goal weight which can be quite a shock to the system. I think for anybody starting out, that is not a good approach and you are going to be hungry and grumpy and least likely to succeed. The TDEE-20% approach is more like weight watchers, where you slowly decrease your caloric intake based on your current weight. Some people might lose weight a little slower, but as long as your eating TDEE-20% or just under your TDEE you are going to lose weight.
  • raeleek
    raeleek Posts: 414 Member
    That's the formula I use. I found that it actually helped me lose weight at a faster and more steady pace than what MFP set for me.

    I do the TDEE X 20% + Exercise Cals - Desired Deficit = What I eat in a day.

    Some days I'm a little under and some days I'm a little over but I will say it has helped me stay consistent, full, and happy!

    Also, I use a HRM to get an idea of what I'm burning when I work out. As other people have mentioned, I think MFP sets burn cals too high and too low sometimes.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    I was on a plateau for a month or so, and even put on a bit of weight over christmas, so about 3 weeks ago I switched to TDEE-20% and I've dropped about 5lbs. This is the most weight I've lost over the shortest amount of time since I started.

    TDEE includes exercise, so you don't eat any of them back. I eat 1800 on days I exercise and on days I don't.

    It works! Make good food choices, stick to your macros, eat and exercise and you will notice a massive difference. Not just in weight either, my hair and my skin are better, my moods are better, I'm generally a lot happier.

    I do exactly this and it has been working for me. The ballooning up and down with how MFP had me eating was making me grumpy and mad and to be honest it was just down right annoying. Knowing that all I have to do is focus on one number makes it easier for me to keep track and my tummy is a lot happier too.

    By the way, I still track my calories burned, I just ignore them when it comes to calories consumed.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    I was on a plateau for a month or so, and even put on a bit of weight over christmas, so about 3 weeks ago I switched to TDEE-20% and I've dropped about 5lbs. This is the most weight I've lost over the shortest amount of time since I started.

    TDEE includes exercise, so you don't eat any of them back. I eat 1800 on days I exercise and on days I don't.

    It works! Make good food choices, stick to your macros, eat and exercise and you will notice a massive difference. Not just in weight either, my hair and my skin are better, my moods are better, I'm generally a lot happier.

    Exactly this. I was stuck at a plateau for 2.5 months and using TDEE -20%, I've been able to eat more than what the MFP goals were allowing, I have a metric-crap-ton (or would it be tonne) more energy, and I've started losing again.
  • BlackTimber
    BlackTimber Posts: 230 Member
    Wouldn't your TDEE without exercise factored in just be your BMR?

    No. TDEE = BMR + activity factor. Look up the definitions.

    TDEE-ACTIVITY=BMR

    BMR+ACITIVTY=TDEE
  • LaurnWhit
    LaurnWhit Posts: 261 Member
    Bump!!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I have eaten TDEE-20% and did very well with it. Close to goal weight now, so am at TDEE-15% and it's still working great for me for fat loss. In the past few months my scale doesn't move a whole lot, but I've lost fat & inches & dropped another pants size.

    I set up my goals through the Road Map: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Edited to add: I don't eat back exercise cals unless it was a long run day with a huge burn, then I at lest make sure I net my BMR or higher. Usually not a problem as I enjoy food. :tongue:
  • 00sarah
    00sarah Posts: 621 Member
    I used the Katch McCardle TDEE and I calorie cycle.... On days I do weights it's 20% over, on days I don't, it's 20% under. I think it's working out well. And I don't eat back my cals.
  • stephaniecaine82
    stephaniecaine82 Posts: 117 Member
    I love all the advice on here......I am at 1200 calories and havent lost in a couple months......so I will calculate and eat more! Thanks
  • stephaniecaine82
    stephaniecaine82 Posts: 117 Member
    OK, so I just went and did my TDEE-20% and I would have to eat 2100 calories!!!!!??? That is a lot and just doesnt seem right....ahhh I'm scared. I will change my calories on MFP to 2000....we will see what happens!
  • MommaFuhrer
    MommaFuhrer Posts: 214 Member
    BUMP :happy:
  • ryblueeyes
    ryblueeyes Posts: 257 Member
    great thread! saving for later
  • 3RachaelFaith3
    3RachaelFaith3 Posts: 283 Member
    Yes, I'm having great success, but you don't eat your exercise calories back per say, because that's already calculated in when you figured your TDEE. Get what I'm saying? If you calculated it correctly, then you accounted for your workouts already.
  • MudDancer
    MudDancer Posts: 151 Member
    bump
  • BadAzzBea
    BadAzzBea Posts: 461
    Bump..

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