Any success stories using the TDEE-20% (15%) method?

Bump

BUMP!!!

bump! good read!. I'm also doing this... TDEE-20% I changed it up in March and i gotta tell ya.. i've lost only 1 lb for the month.. womp womp....

Should mention that even with doing a Ripped in 30 workout and having a normal day (cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, etc.) I only burned 2041 according to my body bugg yesterday. With me being completely sedentary (sleeping, or sitting on the couch all day with only getting up to eat and go to the bathroom) I would only burn about 1580. TDEE calculators told me that it would be higher than this... roughly 1750-1800.

Started at whatever MFP suggested for calorie intake (something like 1500 or less) and while I lost pounds REALLY quick, I was hungry and knew I wouldn't be able to maintain. I used IIFYM calculator (among several others) to figure my TDEE and subtracted the 20% everyone recommended. However, that felt like waaaaaay too many calories in comparison to where I was, so I tweaked itand settled in around 1800, which if I eat back my exercise calories puts me upwards of 2300 a day. I am NOT starving and I am still losing anywhere from a pound to three pounds per week, depending how regimented I am in tracking and such.

Don't be afraid to eat more based on TDEE, but don't be afraid to eat less than TDEE -20% like everyone suggests. Whatever feels best for you and meets your goals.

im slightly confused, my road map thingy was 1800 cal per day to lose weight i think that was -20% i did not eat back my exercise calories so i was averaging 1300 cal net a day. Now im MFP its set at 1600 cal a day and i eat back my calories and net 1600cal or over so why would the road map one be like this i eat less on this one then i do on MFP. maybe i did it wrong

For the road map- you use your TDEE which is activity and exercise. For MFP your activity level doesn't include exercise which is why you have to log it and then eat back those calories.

the T part of TDEE stands for total, so should include your exercise. It includes the following

TDEE: (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) = Sum of BMR+EAT+NEAT+TEF

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The number of calories you burn at complete rest.
EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of training, or training expenditure.
NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of activity that is not planned exercise. Vacuuming, driving, brushing your teeth, for example.
TEF/DIT (Thermic Effect of Feeding or Diet Induced Thermogenesis): Caloric expense of eating/digestion.

So it you are eating TDEE less 20% then you are eating 20% of each element

For those excluding exercise from their TDEE calculations, and then adding it back in, are you adding in the full amount of calories, or just 80%?

If you are doing TDEE less 20% and your exercise calories were included in your TDEE, you would be eating exercise calories less 20%, so really when you add in your exercise calories, you should also be deucting 20%, so that you are eating tour full TDEE less 20%.

It's not the same as MFP, where you add in the exercise calories to maintain a set defict of 500 calories.

I also just started doing this. Had a really hard time yesterday getting to my calories. It is hard to get out of that mind set of staying as low with my calories as possible... I'll get up right now and eat something!

Hi.

I'm just starting to do this and was wondering if people could share their success stories with me. Did you start using MFP settings and then start doing this instead and are having good results with it? And do you do resistance training?

Thanks.

Yes, yes, and yes. I'm now eating about 2150 cals/day, losing weight and inches, getting stronger and freaking loving all of it.

I've been doing TDEE -20% for one month (tomorrow) and have lost 4.8 lbs. I have a desk job and always thought I was sedentary but forced myself to use the lightly active TDEE based on all the research I did saying very few people are truly sedentary. Less than 2 weeks ago I bought a Fitbit and guess what, my lightly active calculation has been DEAD ON and maybe even a tad low.

I strive to eat around 1900-2050 each day. I walk for an hour at work each day (slowly, while working). I hit the gym 2x/week and do 30-40 minutes on the bike and then lift heavy. On gym days I find myself eating 100-150 more calories, but I don't let it bother me since I'm burning a ton more those two days. I also do Yoga once a week.

Nothing about eating 1200-1300 calories a day felt right to me, so even when I started this I'd eat closer to 1600. I was thrilled to find out 2000 was a better number for me. Even at my goal weight, maintenance will be around 2200/day.

I am eating now to train myself for how I need to eat for the rest of my life.

This is awesome news! When you switched to TDEE-20% a month ago, did you jump right to that number or did you increase gradually?

This is awesome news! When you switched to TDEE-20% a month ago, did you jump right to that number or did you increase gradually?

I went back and reviewed what I logged for my Feb diary since I was using MFP recommendations (1600) plus eating back my exercise calories. In Feb I was averaging more like 1950/day with the exercise cals, so I jumped right into TDEE-20% since it wasn't that huge of a jump for me (100 cals).

Personally if I was going from 1600 to 2000 I'd do it gradually, maybe over the course of a week or two.

I found that if you are using MFP recommendations and eat your exercise calories back (and aren't counting everyday things like cleaning your house), you'll end up with very similar numbers to TDEE -20%. I prefer to eat about the same amount each day, instead of going up and down based on exercise. And for some reason eating the exercise calories back made me feel guilty in some odd way. It's really whatever works for your brain!

Thank you! I didn't realize I was being so extreme before. I was eating ~1200 (my TDEE-20% is 1800) and NOT eating back any exercise calories, while working out 6 days a week. Of course I didn't do myself any favors because I kept losing and gaining the same 3 pounds. I'm going to try increasing gradually because that makes more sense to me I appreciate you sharing your experience!!

This is absolutely terrifying. Pretty sure I've been starving myself though.

So let me see if I have this right.

I am 5"4, 250-252 lbs (weight fluctuates) and I consider myself moderately active NOW. In the past I was completely sedentary. I do zumba for 45 minutes for 4-5x per week, and began doing Yoga 3x per week. This would be considered moderately active yes? The rest of the time I'm a stay at home mom, and go on walks with my 21 month old son, but let's face it, we go at a snail's pace.

Going of MFP I was eating the 1300 - 1450 cals to lose 2lbs per week - but no weight loss and I'm sweating my butt off during my exercises like I've never worked out before - even when I was a teenager. No weight loss.

So, according to the TDEE Calculator my calories in a day needed are 2962 - 20% = 2370.

Thats a TON of calories! But during the days I workout, according to the zumba calories calculator and MFP, I burn almost 1000 calories on the days I work out, which as I previously mentioned are 4-5x a week.

Does this sound correct?

Yes.

I didn't know what TDEE was until I started reading the forum.
I STILL don't know what mine is.
Never bothered to calculate it.
I just used MFP's numbers.
Why complicate things?

Because most women end up with MFP setting them at 1200 and that is not enough. TDEE gives you a range of what to stay under and what to eat over...staying in between is the key.

I'm enjoying this thread. I'm eating at the recommended MFP levels and have been doing great so far (lost 16 prior to starting MFP). I am getting to a point where I'll probably stall, as I'm very close to goal. Will probably give the TDEE-15 or 20% a go.

Opening a can of worms here, but do most of you on this plan stick to your macros? I'm having a heck of a time with that!