MFP to TDEE-20%... Results????
Replies
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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.0 -
Bump0
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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 everyone0 -
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!0 -
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!!!0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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.0
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TDEE is total daily energy expenditure - the amount of calories you burn all day long based on your activity level and all your info.Call me crazy, but what is TDEE?
Then 30% is too large a deficit - did you try figuring it at 20% or 15%?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.
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
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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.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. 0 -
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I started eating at TDEE (edit: -20%) 3 weeks ago and have lost 3lbs so far! I have 9 more to go till my ultimate goal weight, so nice to eat the same each day - but I tend to focus more on the weekly, than the daily picture.0
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I'd stopped losing weight on 1280 calories a day so decided to switch to TDEE -20% which brings me to 1483 on Light Activity. It's been a little over a week I think, my weight is the same but there's an inch off my waist, hurrah! I've had a week off work so I haven't been up to much activity-wise (just walks or a bit of Zumba), but I'm back on Monday so can't wait to see how my body reacts to a Moderate Activity calorie intake and more exercise every day.
It feels so good to have just that little bit more food freedom without feeling guilty.0 -
Helpful thread
After a month I wasn't loosing, using the MFP details. .... So had a look and figured this might be the best route,
I found the 1200 MFP gave me was under my BMR... Which I still don't know which is right. The Mfp one (1312)or the one on the Scooby site (1427 )
I've gone with the MFP one.
My tdee is 1707 at sedentry....I never know if I'm lightly active or not, it changes,
So I'm working on my tdee -20% and eating back any excercise calories. puts at a little over my (MFP) BMR a day.
Will see if it works.0 -
This seems to be a good rule of thumb...
Activty Level
This is your activity level, estimated as:
Sedentary: little or no exercise, x1.2
Lightly Active: light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week, x1.375
Moderately Active: moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week, x1.55
Very Active: hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week, x1.725
Extra Active: very hard exercise/sports and physical job, x1.9
there are a couple good sites: http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ and http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-and-daily-calorie-calculator.html0 -
Helpful thread
After a month I wasn't loosing, using the MFP details. .... So had a look and figured this might be the best route,
I found the 1200 MFP gave me was under my BMR... Which I still don't know which is right. The Mfp one (1312)or the one on the Scooby site (1427 )
I've gone with the MFP one.
My tdee is 1707 at sedentry....I never know if I'm lightly active or not, it changes,
So I'm working on my tdee -20% and eating back any excercise calories. puts at a little over my (MFP) BMR a day.
Will see if it works.
That's what I did. I am lightly active but I calculated for sedentary so I knew I could always eat back exercise without having to fret. Good luck, let people know how it's going!0 -
If you are using TDEEE - 20% you should not enter exercise as it's included in your TDEE.0
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I switch TDEE almost 3 weeks ago now, my daily cal's include 3-5 hrs moderate exercise a week, so i do NOT eat my exercise cal's back. YOu should re-evaluate your TDEE every 5 lbs you lose and adjust your cal's accordingly. Scooby has and excellent TDEE calculator, he recommends you eat 20% less thats a good start. I haven't lost a pound since DEC22:noway: and i was getting very frustrated, now after 3 weeks of TDEE i have lost 1 lb and feel I'm over my 7 week plateau and hope to continue to loose these last 6 lbs. FYI I have boosted my protein intake with Whey Isolate Powder, and set my marcos at 40/40/20…..im blasting away fat and gaining lean muscle back with circuit training, its a win win for me so far.
Cheers!:drinker:0 -
If you are using TDEEE - 20% you should not enter exercise as it's included in your TDEE.
Exercise is NOT included in you TDEE calculations you have to chose your exercise habits an have it calculated in. Try going to Scooby's Work Shop for a very accurate calculator and don't forget to chose the exercise that best suits you.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/0 -
Yes it is.0
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I started with 1200 and lost 3 pounds, but I was always hungry, tired and grumpy! Then I calculated my TDEE and BMR, which turned out to be 2000 and 1600 respectively. On 1200 a day I was literally starving myself! So, I upped my cals to 1500-1600 slowly. I gained back those 3 pounds, but lost inches! (which is even better in my case since I am already a healthy weight). I am not starving anymore, and can now gain muscle and loose fat while eating more.0
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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?
It depends on what you choose as your activity level. I personally set mine as sedentary so that I eat my
exercise calories back.
Also, I just upped my calories a week ago. You should probably give it at least 4-6 weeks to see if there
is a change.
If you are consistent with exercise (that is don't skip workouts) I would include the exercise calories in TDEE and not eat back exercise calories. The reason I suggest this is that even HRMs have a fairly large margin of error (I believe up to 30% for women less than that for men) and over longer periods of exercise or with strength training they are not accurate for various reasons. Including the exercise calories in your TDEE, albeit, is an estimate, but one based on huge amounts of studies on average calorie burns.0 -
for everyone who is changing methods and seeing increases in scale weight you have to remember than to add 1lb of fat you need a surplus of 3500cals. So say for example you changed from 1400 before to 1600 now that is only 1400 cals difference for a week and as long as you are somewhat accurate with your TDEE calculations you will still be in a deficit. Therefore, any scale increases are most likely water.
So take measurements/pics0 -
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.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.
Yup I gained 3 in the first week then lost 3 in the second week.. we'll see what week 3 brings!0 -
I use TDEE and I am at 41 lbs lost. I have also learned that it makes me really sick if I don't eat enough calories when I exercise. I have to be very mindful of eating enough on running days or I don't have enough fuel to get through the run. Becoming a runner has taught me how to feed my body as a machine vs. feeding it for pleasure. Running has been a fantastic teacher.0
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TDEE is total daily energy expenditure - the amount of calories you burn all day long based on your activity level and all your info.Call me crazy, but what is TDEE?
Then 30% is too large a deficit - did you try figuring it at 20% or 15%?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.
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!
Quick question for you.... When did you increase to -15%? I am currently TDEE-20% and still losing, but I was wondering if you waited until a certain weight or if you just jumped if/when you plateaued. I have searched the forums already and havent' really found a definate answer.
As for the OP:
I started really using MFP in late December. The 1200 + exercise calories drove me nuts....especially with my work and stuff. So to have a set number for every day of the week is awesome. I eat 1800 across the board. Some days I go over a little, some under. But as stated ablove, as long as I am between my BMR and TDEE I know I am good. I have yet to even go over my TDEE (which is like 2300 something). I have come close to it once, but never over. On January first I weighted 168 pounds....yesterday I weighed in at 159....and all of it was from TDEE-20%. I feel great, I rarely binge (unless I get into a pickle fix...yeah I know sodium intake but I combat with a ton of water the next day lol).0 -
for everyone who is changing methods and seeing increases in scale weight you have to remember than to add 1lb of fat you need a surplus of 3500cals. So say for example you changed from 1400 before to 1600 now that is only 1400 cals difference for a week and as long as you are somewhat accurate with your TDEE calculations you will still be in a deficit. Therefore, any scale increases are most likely water.
So take measurements/pics
^ THIS is something to definitely remember.0 -
Yes, TDEE includes your workouts. You cannot add in exercise if you are using TDEE - 20%. You just eat that every day whether you exercise or not but it does include the workout cals that's why the calculator asks you for activity levels.0
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Like some of the others on here I set my activity level at sedentary and then eat to my TDEE minus 20%. I have a HRM so use it to eat back my exercise calories on the days I exercise. I do this as some weeks I exercise six days a week, some days three, so find this more accurate.
I started six weeks ago and have lost 6lbs. Some of this has been lost as 1lb in the space of a couple of days, other times it has taken 13 days to lose a pound. But it's a loss, nonetheless and I'm still eating carbs, drinking beer and don't feel deprived. I've also started weight training, so want to make sure I'm fuelling my body and only getting rid of fat, not lean tissue.
It's a bit slow, but it's the most success I've had in a long time.0 -
Hi! I just switched and was wondering what other peoples success (or not) with upping calories was and how long it took before you started to lose weight/inches/bf% whatever your goal is???? Also any suggestions when doing this???I just did this as well. Curious.
If I use the TDEE #, does that already include workout calories? Do I eat those back?
I'm having more success using tdee- 15% than I had using MFP numbers. My only suggestion is to stick with it, even if it gets scary, you'll start to see the results within 8 weeks, I NEVER saw a gain when I started but I may be an exception to the rule.
When you calculate your TDEE add in your activity (exercise) DO NOT choose sedentary when you're clearly not, either don't log your exercise on MFP or log it as 1 calorie burned no matter how much it really burns, when you add on exercise it increases your macros and you don't need it to do this at TDEE cut :flowerforyou:0
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