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help!

jamiek917
jamiek917 Posts: 610 Member
edited January 13 in Motivation and Support
If I eat close to my TDEE - 20% I gain weight immediately. The only way I lose is to eat below 1600, which is the a supposedly too low, and sometimes hard for me. I can't win :( been struggling with this for years

Replies

  • HokieMama4
    HokieMama4 Posts: 112 Member
    Every body is different. Talk to your doctor or a dietician and see what they recommend. The insurance company provided through my husband's work actually has staff dieticians and nutritionists for free consultations. I guess they see it as an investment because healthy people are less expensive to cover than unhealthy people. It's worth a phone call to see if your insurance/gym/employer/doctor offers some services that might be helpful.
  • Rum_Runner
    Rum_Runner Posts: 617 Member
    Your diary is not open so its hard to say for sure but it could be *what* your eating now how much you are eating. Not all calories are created equal and you may have an allergy (gluten, dairy, etc) that causes you to gain when you have too much of it.
    Also, not all people are created equal - 1600 cal is a decent amount in a day....doesn't seem too low (depending on your exercise habits) but like above said talk with a doctor and get your thyroid checked as well as an allergy test. You may be surprised.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    If you figured out TDEE-20% with an on-line calculator, it's only an estimate/average. Individuals vary around that average. Yours may vary to the lower side.
  • violinkeri
    violinkeri Posts: 212
    Try comparing your TDEE-20% to the TDEE for your desired weight. Obviously there are other variables but the rough formula is to take your desired weight and divide by 2.2 to convert to kg. then multiply it by anywhere between 25 and 30, which will give you the range of what is typically required for that weight. Again, this is just an estimate as well, but I find that this works better for me.

    You know, dress for the job you want, not the job you have, except with food. I got a lot of flak for going with this rather than the TDEE-20%, but a dietitian recommended it to me and if TDEE-20% isnt working, what do you ahve to lose?
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
    you have to work with your body. Youmay no be able to eat as many calories as someone else. Frustrating but if you do better on 1400 calories, that is your personal level. Exercise will help but I can never eat back my supposed calorie burn or I gain. good luck
  • sweetzoejane
    sweetzoejane Posts: 153 Member
    1. You may have calculated your TDEE incorrectly.

    2. You may not be tracking your food accurately and/or consistently.

    3. You may be over or underestimating the calories you burn during exercise.

    There's no way to know which, if any, of this is true without more information about you, your workouts, your method of tracking exercise calories burned and if you use a food scale, and an open food diary.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    If 1600 is below your BMR - or "too low," as you put it - your metabolism has likely slowed down. Thus, increasing Calories to where they should be would normally make you "immediately" gain weight - but only temporarily. Stick to it, and you'll succeed.
  • Iron_Duchess
    Iron_Duchess Posts: 429 Member
    1. You may have calculated your TDEE incorrectly.

    2. You may not be tracking your food accurately and/or consistently.

    3. You may be over or underestimating the calories you burn during exercise.

    There's no way to know which, if any, of this is true without more information about you, your workouts, your method of tracking exercise calories burned and if you use a food scale, and an open food diary.

    ^^^ This. in addition,
    4. You may be eating your exercise calories

    5. You tried the TDEE - 20% method one week, gained weight, freaked out and lowered your number

    6. You are steeping on the scale too much and just seeing the "normal" fluctuations in weight. (Due to muscle repair, water retention, TOM, etc...)

    7. You started a new exercise routine at the same time of increasing calories and the weight gain was just water to repair your muscles.

    "Patience and consistency are keys to success"
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