Success with TDEE -20%

bump for when my brain can handle it lol

I eat based on my TDEE-20% & I have consistently lost. I average 1600-1800 calories daily. This number already reflects my moderate exercising level. I am 6 lbs short of reaching my initial goal weight. The past 3 mths I have incorporated strength training.

Your macros should be 40/30/30 not 40/20/20!

Eek! Typo. They're at 40/30/30.

Good grief. So confused. :noway: No wonder I'm circus fat.

Use the tools in this topic to find your BMR and your TDEE: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Subtract 20% from your TDEE, and that's your daily calorie goal - don't eat back exercise calories UNLESS your NET cals for the day are below your BMR. BMR is your bare minimum required cals per day, TDEE is the maximum cals per day. Eat in between and you're good to go to lose weight/fat.

Example - my BMR is about 1400. My TDEE minus 15% (because I'm near goal weight, so less of a deficit) is 1800. I aim to eat about 1800 calories per day, period. I keep an eye on my net cals to make sure that number is at least 1400 or above - if it is, then I'm set for the day. Usually it's not a problem as my average calorie burn from exercise is 350-400, but occasionally, like today, I ran 5 miles so my burn is over 600. I will eat to 1800 but my net will still be below 1400, so I'll eat a little more throughout the day to make sure I've at least given my body that bare minimum of my BMR.

Clear as mud?

It really is an awesome way to do this once you wrap your head around it - so much more freedom in eating, none of the restrictions of trying to stick to 1200 coma calories and still enjoy birthdays, dinners out, holidays, vacations, etc. It all fits in my goals now, and the fat loss has been steady. I'm a happy camper!

had great results eating -20% of TDEE.

Works for me. Check out my ticker.

Down 43 lbs, eating 2000 calories per day :happy:

ok I just calculated mine and i am to eat 1831 a day. coming from someone that has always ate 1200 to lose weight 1. Im scared to death Im going to gain back EVERYTHING I had worked so hard to lose 2. how the H*LL do you even eat 1831 calories and what should I be eating? I know your not sup to eat crap but if your eating veg and chicken all day Im thinking I would be so flipping stuffed by the time I reached 1800 calories I would feel like I would explode! but..........I must try something because I don't want to feel deprived the rest of my life and I do want to finally make my goal!

I have used my TDEE almost the whole time since I started losing weight. Yes, it is possible but I am an exercise addict so I am not sure about the -20%. In theory it should work. I am on a diet of 1718 calorie and I usually have a -700 to -1500 deficit every day. I burn around 800-1500 calories per day, 6 days a week at the gym. (using an HRM to be accurate because MFP and machines usually overestimate) A lot of times I eat more then my TDEE cause simply, I can because of the exercise.

It is important you know the basics. A calorie is never just a calorie (Its about the kind of food you eat too) but the general rule you need a -3500 calorie deficit to lose 1lb of fat. That means if you exercise -500 calories every day of the week from your TDEE you should lose 1lb of fat.

It is much easier when you use your TDEE as your calorie goal because you can see how "In the green" you are at the end of the week to see how much weight you should have lost. Its all about the numbers. Saying that, if your just starting out, people tend to lose more at first which is great!

I've seen these words/abbreviations bandied around the forums for awhile now, so thankful I found the website to calculate it and the other forum post with more explanation. Thank you!

Works for me. Check out my ticker.

Down 43 lbs, eating 2000 calories per day :happy:

How old are you? I'm a 6 ft male at just over 200 lbs and I calculated my TDEE - 20% at 2000 calories/day...the same as yours! That doesn't make sense to me unless I have made a big error, or it's an age thing (I'm 59).