Another Help with TDEE and Encouragement.

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Wickedone1973
Wickedone1973 Posts: 43
in Health and Weight Loss
I need some help with TDEE and maybe some encouragement to just keep it up.

Age: 37
Weight: 314
Height: 6’
BF%: 43.5

I calculated my BMR (McAndrel) at approximately 2200 C. I am currently unemployed, so I have a sedentary lifestyle. I calculated my TDEE at aprox. 3200 C. I want to lose 2lb per week. I entered 2200 in MFP and I try to eat back the exercise calories I burn above normal daily activity. I am on day 29 of Stew Smith’s 45 Day Beginner Program. It has cardio and body weight exercises 7 days/week.

First week lost 6.4lb mostly water I’m sure.

Second week lost 2.6 good job.

Third week gained a little over 1lb back.

This week gained back up to 315lb (started at 321)

Am I doing this right? I am happy to be down 6lb’s for the month, but two weeks of gains are tough. When you look at my diary, keep in mind that I was eating much worse. Fast food more days than not for two meals, and chocolate snacks all day, no fruit or vegtables to speak of. Are my calculations correct? Am I eating too much or not enough? Or just “shut up and keep doing what I’m doing”. Thanks for any feedback.

P.S. I measure, weigh, and log everything I put in my mouth (except water, drink nothing but water all day til 6pm then have diet rite soda. I really don’t believe I have gained that much muscle in 28 days, not logical in my opinion.

Replies

  • Wickedone1973
    Wickedone1973 Posts: 43
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    /bump

    Anybody?
  • Wickedone1973
    Wickedone1973 Posts: 43
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    /bump #2
  • sniperzzzz
    sniperzzzz Posts: 282 Member
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    You have to lower your calories as you lose weight. Your tdee wont stay static, i see your using the Katch-McCardle formula
    that formula should have taken into account your activity level, so there would be no need to eat back you exercise calories.
    You could try using this calculator here http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm and do away with the mfp built in calculator, and manually edit your goal to set your tdee as given by the calculator i just posted. Also bear in mind calorie calculators can be off by quite a bit, so an easy way to get things moving is every two weeks if your not losing any weight, reduce your calories 150-200 until you start losing again. If your losing too fast then increase them until your losing at the desired rate, preferably 1-2 pounds a week.

    EDIT: Forgot to mention the calculator on the link i posted also has the McCardle formula available in the advanced tab.
    However if your unsure how accurate your bodyfat percentage is to apply to the McCardle formula, the Mifflin-St Jeor formula is pretty accurate to get started.
  • amyannnnn
    amyannnnn Posts: 9
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    good advice ^

    ive found in the beginning you have to experience lots of tiral and error with your numbers...before you find what works

    stick with it !!!!
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    Just wanted to say hi ...... and keep on truckin' !
  • KirstenTheFamilyCoach
    KirstenTheFamilyCoach Posts: 327 Member
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    I am currently unemployed, so I have a sedentary lifestyle.

    I do not understand this statement ^^
  • Wickedone1973
    Wickedone1973 Posts: 43
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    Thanks for the input sniper. I will take your advice and reduce my calories by 150-200 for the next two weeks. I am using a Polar FT7 for my calories burned during my workouts.

    I also appreciate the other input.
  • sniperzzzz
    sniperzzzz Posts: 282 Member
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    Good luck Wickedone1973 as said above its trial and error until you find the right tdee number, that will get you losing again.
    Just be sure to reduce calories gradually, i have found sometimes it it only takes 100 cals or so to get going again :)
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    You are not sedentary if you work out every day. You need to recalculate. Or if you actually know how much you burn during your workouts, you can stay with sedentary and just log your workout calories and eat them back, but do not use MFPs numbers for exercise. You need a reliable HRM or BodyMedia/Fitbit/Jawbone UP, etc. I would recalculate TDEE instead and take a 30% cut since you have a lot to lose.

    I calculate your TDEE to be at least 3600. I think you should be eating more like 2600 or even 2700 but don't eat back your exercise calories. Then as you lose, recalculate every 10-15 lbs.
  • Wickedone1973
    Wickedone1973 Posts: 43
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    Sniper that calculator gave me a Maintenance of 2865 and a fat loss of 2512. Looks like 2200 would have been about right for 1.5 - 2 lb loss. I'll try around 2000 - 2050 for a couple weeks i supose. But that is below my BMR in all the calculators I've used. So it counter intuitive from what I've read here for the past month.
  • Wickedone1973
    Wickedone1973 Posts: 43
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    So kate you are saying that i'm not eating enough, but that is hard to believe that I gained for two weeks by not eating enough? Is that possible, really? I know you can stall weight loss and kill your metabolism, but don't think you can gain.
  • sniperzzzz
    sniperzzzz Posts: 282 Member
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    Like i mentioned above calories calculators are notoriously inaccurate for some people. The bottom line is nobody really knows what your bmr or tdee is or how fast your metabolism is. You have to use a method of trial and error by reducing calories gradually or increasing activity until you find the sweet spot. Use a calorie calculator to give you a guesstimate, then increase or decrease calories it doesn't get simpler than that, don't get all hung up on calculators.
  • Craigamears
    Craigamears Posts: 65 Member
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    2200 is not too much for a guy your size. Your macros are good. You may want to add a sodium tracker to diary. You do a lot of processed food and that will hold water like a sponge. Been there, done that and have a 4XL t-shirt to prove it!!

    You could up your calories a bit and it would not hurt you. You could also try and increase your protein to say 200. Your loss rate will vary greatly due to your exercise and diet. They both are shockers to your system and it takes a while for your endocrine system to settle in. Give yourself some time.
  • Wickedone1973
    Wickedone1973 Posts: 43
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    Thanks Craig. I have adjusted my goal to 2050 to see what happens. I needed to hear what you said, "keep on keeping on". Since I am using the Polar FT7 Heart Rate monitor for my calories burned I will try to eat back at least half of those.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    Yes, you can gain not eating enough if you are eating a bunch of carbs and sodium both of which cause your body to retain water. Water weight shows up on the scale, and working out makes you retain a little water, too. If you gained for months, then that would be different, but in the short term, yes.

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