MFP to TDEE-20%... Results????

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  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    I just did this as well. Curious.

    If I use the TDEE #, does that already include workout calories? Do I eat those back?

    No you don't eat your exercise calories back. You calculate your TDEE based on how you live your life, and you just keep living your life but eat the same every day...you can go a little lower for a deload week, or a little higher if you worked extra hard.

    ETA: I can tell my body has changed but i'm not sure if the switch is that i switched to TDEE or that I changed my lifting routine. I think they go hand in hand tho.
  • mymelody_78
    mymelody_78 Posts: 657 Member
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    BUMP...thanks for everyone's input!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I am new to MFP and I want to know too. What is TDEE and how do I know if I need to change mine and how do I do that? Thanks for your time!

    TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure. These are two different methods of reaching the same goal. The MFP method does not take into account exercise into your daily activity when you set your goals; exercise is considered extra and you are expected to eat those exercise calories back when you do workout. Conversely, the TDEE method does take estimated exercise into account so you don't worry about logging and eating back exercise calories as the goal that has been set assumes that you are doing them and being consistent in doing them as part of your daily activity.

    Further...the TDEE method is generally TDEE - 20% of that number or less (i.e 15%, 10%, 5%, etc) for healthy weight loss. This is often less of a caloric deficit than MFP will give you because most people select the most aggressive, 2Lb per week loss when they sign up for MFP. For this reason, the TDEE method is slower, but ultimately safer and healthier weight loss and you are more apt to learn how to eat appropriately to meet your bodies needs which is very important when you get to maintenance.
  • Insanity2bSane
    Insanity2bSane Posts: 204 Member
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    Bump
  • singledj
    singledj Posts: 147 Member
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    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/


    You can also use this calculator to get your numbers.
  • SheriKCourtney
    SheriKCourtney Posts: 77
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    Thanks..........I will have to study up.
  • Lovable12
    Lovable12 Posts: 34
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    Week 1 update: gained 3 lbs!

    I know this takes a while for your body to adjust but this is so discouraging... how much is normal to gain at first before you lose? Will I just lose back down to where I was at and plateau again?? Did I not calculate it right? I used a bunch of different calculators which all gave me TDEE of somewhere between 1800 to 1900 so I set my goal to 1450 (seemed to be between the two for 20% [slightly lower to make a slow adjustment from the 1200]. BMR at around 1300 so always eat at least that but never over 1800)... Am I missing something?
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
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    Week 1 update: gained 3 lbs!

    I know this takes a while for your body to adjust but this is so discouraging... how much is normal to gain at first before you lose? Will I just lose back down to where I was at and plateau again?? Did I not calculate it right? I used a bunch of different calculators which all gave me TDEE of somewhere between 1800 to 1900 so I set my goal to 1450 (seemed to be between the two for 20% [slightly lower to make a slow adjustment from the 1200]. BMR at around 1300 so always eat at least that but never over 1800)... Am I missing something?

    Patience, it takes at least a month or sometimes a more.
  • Akumu
    Akumu Posts: 120 Member
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    Don't forget to take your measurements. I haven't lost any weight yet, but lost an inch off my chest, hips, and elsewhere. From what I read it takes a little bit, plus your muscles store water while repairing when you first start working out.
  • hms142002
    hms142002 Posts: 15
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    I upped my calories from 12-1300 to 1600 this week as well. I have gained 3 pounds. But no worries..I guess its my body adjusting to the extra calories.

    I need to reduce my carbs and up my protein now..
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    Week 1 update: gained 3 lbs!

    I know this takes a while for your body to adjust but this is so discouraging... how much is normal to gain at first before you lose? Will I just lose back down to where I was at and plateau again?? Did I not calculate it right? I used a bunch of different calculators which all gave me TDEE of somewhere between 1800 to 1900 so I set my goal to 1450 (seemed to be between the two for 20% [slightly lower to make a slow adjustment from the 1200]. BMR at around 1300 so always eat at least that but never over 1800)... Am I missing something?

    are you exercising? that's usually the cause for weight gain initially because your body goes through an adaptive phase where it's getting used to the new workout regimen, causing it to retain water - thus the weight gain. It will go away soon as long as you keep at it.
  • DorisR184
    DorisR184 Posts: 471 Member
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    Bump
  • onehecticmom
    onehecticmom Posts: 299 Member
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    using MFP I would average under 1 pound a week. I just switched to TDEE - 20% & lost almost 2 pounds my very first week. My workouts haven't changed since I started a month ago. I am never hungry now either. Hoping it keeps up.
    Best of luck to everyone
  • Lovable12
    Lovable12 Posts: 34
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    Update: Lost 3 lbs!

    Well back to where I started... hope I can break through this and lose some more!! Eating this much I can actually get 90+ grams of protein every day!
  • 2013queen
    2013queen Posts: 82
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    I started this yesterday after a few weeks of plateau and even increasing.
    I am 5ft 3, 155lbs, and looking to shift 25 more.
    The amount of cals I should have is something around 1700 according to BMR and TDEE so that is what Im aiming for, without eating exercise cals back however yesterday I only managed 1400 and today I barely will reach 1500 unless I cram more down my throat. This is an increase on the past few weeks so little steps.
    Its not hard to get a couple of extra hundred cals in, and hell, I have no issue being made to have more (or perhaps a glass of beloved red that I feel bad about having!)
    Good point, there is a glass at home, will add that to today and it should bring me up near 1700!
    I am really gonna freak if the scale goes up to begin with, thats the whole reason Ive started this!!!
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
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    I was stalled for 3 months eating 1700 calories and eating back exercise calories. Three weeks ago, I switched to TDEE - 20% (or close to it), which increased my calories to 1800, and stopped eating back exercise calories. I also started concentrating on my macros, with my priority being on meeting my protein and fat goals. I lost 5 pounds the first week, maintained the second week, and lost 2.5 pounds the third week for a total weight loss of 7.5 pounds lost in 3 weeks after not losing anything for 3 months.

    I'm not saying this will be everybody's results, but it's just so much easier to me to eat a set number instead of trying to hit a moving target and filling the additional exercise calories with junk just to meet the higher number.
  • SheriKCourtney
    SheriKCourtney Posts: 77
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    I know I need to wait 4 to 6 weeks for results but did you gain in the beginning??? I started a week ago and I am already up 2 lbs ~ super frustrating. It took a lot longer to lose that two lbs and came back really quick. Any help would be appreciated.
  • kabertrand63
    kabertrand63 Posts: 111 Member
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    Are you all changing your settings in MFP to use TDEE - 20%? I'm having issues making that work the way I want to.
  • fancycupcake
    fancycupcake Posts: 78 Member
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    Call me crazy, but what is TDEE?
    TDEE is total daily energy expenditure - the amount of calories you burn all day long based on your activity level and all your info.
    I tried to work this out using the roadmap but my TDEE - 30% is lower than my BMR. So confused!
    The calorie allowance MFP is giving me seems too much, with 150+lb to lose I have a long way to go but I want to do it right.
    Then 30% is too large a deficit - did you try figuring it at 20% or 15%?

    I've been following this method through the road map thread for nearly a year with excellent results. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I really wish I had taken notes of when exactly I started it, but I do remember being on a plateau and stuck bouncing between the same few pounds for quite a long time before I figured my BMR & TDEE through that topic, and started eating at TDEE minus 20%. The scale moved, the fat started coming off, and I had to buy all new shorts for summer. :bigsmile:

    I am very near goal weight now, and have rerun my numbers, and have dropped my deficit to just 15%, and still seeing great results. Honestly, this close to goal weight, the number on the scale doesn't even matter to me anymore, and I haven't really lost pounds in months, however I am still steadily losing fat and inches, and dropped yet another pants size. On 1800+ calories a day. Didn't even gain weight through the holidays and I was over goal several times a week! :drinker:

    Knowing the BMR and the TDEE is very freeing - I have my daily goal, but I also know that I just need to eat in between those two numbers to stay on track. I always make sure I at least net my BMR for the day, aim for the 1800 goal, and no sweat if I'm over now and then. It works!

    Hopefully someone sees this because I'm very much interested...I've heard the TDEE -20% and BMR thing is the healthiest way to go in terms of losing at a regular pace (and reduce flabbyness? Did my brain just make that up?). So I calculated mine, my BMR is 1600, and my TDEE-20% is 1700. So I should be eating anywhere between those two numbers, but never less than 1600. MFP has me set on 1400 for losing 1 pound a week, or 1540 for .5 pounds a week. So, I guess basically what I'm wondering is, what is the benefit of upping my calories to between 1600-1700 (which I am very much looking to do, because I feel very hungry!) and what are the consequences to eating below the BMR, as I am now? Haven't been back into MFP but for a week or so, and I want to do this right. Thanks :smile:
  • _chiaroscuro
    _chiaroscuro Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I know I need to wait 4 to 6 weeks for results but did you gain in the beginning??? I started a week ago and I am already up 2 lbs ~ super frustrating. It took a lot longer to lose that two lbs and came back really quick. Any help would be appreciated.
    Yes. I gained a pound in the beginning. Then lost it and another pound. It's a little freaky to see that initial creep up but don't worry it'll come back down and then some. Be patient, trust, it works. :)

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