Now I am confused

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Gabrielm80
Gabrielm80 Posts: 1,458 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I thought I was suppose to base off 1200 calories the app set me up on. But than by reading on here I am suppose
To figure out my tmee in order to optimize my weight loss. I weigh 236 pounds male 5'6" age 32. By using a link on another topic I figure.out my tmee is 2580 and the by taking away 20 percent I should be consuming 2,064 a day. Is that right am I doing this all wrong? Please someone with experience crunch the numbers and check my work.

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  • bitterrevenge
    bitterrevenge Posts: 25 Member
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    I thought so at first and the 1200 calorie limit did help me lose weight for a while, but then I got stuck! I upped my calories to 1400 and the weight has started flying off, bare in mind I'm a 140lb short women so you should be eating more than 1200. I'm sure someone will come along with a more definate answer soon though
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    If you told MFP you wanted to lose 2lb a week and you had a sedentary lifestyle, then that's probably why you got the standard 1200 calories. TDEE gives you the amount you need to eat to lose 1lb a week, which is healthy and sustainable. Also bear in mind that MFP wants you to log and eat back your exercise calories, whereas TDEE already takes them into account, depending on what you've input on both.

    I can tell you though that 1200 calories is not enough for a man. I eat 1850! I would suggest going with the TDEE and upping them gradually.
  • skinnytayy
    skinnytayy Posts: 459
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    1200 is the standard for 2lb loss per week with a sedentary lifestyle as another user mentioned. Though it isn't really explained well, its expected that you eat back exercise calories. Still low for most people regardless.

    However, most will tell you the TDEE method is more effective. You can be sure that you're eating enough for your body specifically. You eat that number everyday, no exercise calories because your activity level is already calculated in. I started with the 1200 crap ... worked for a week or so and then I started to stay hungry. Bumped up to 1500 which is still below my TDEE -20% but generally I eat back exercise calories so in the end it probably ends up being about right. I feel way better, I'm not hungry 24/7, and the scale is still moving down. I recommend TDEE -20% ... Just up your calories gradually. Maybe go up by 100-200 every 7-10 days .. I'm almost positive that's the standard for increasing. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.
  • Gabrielm80
    Gabrielm80 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    What do you mean upping them gradually? As in closer to my tmee. Where as I try tmee - 20% eat like that for about a week try and see a change if yes stay at the number until I stale out. Increasing it when Than wait another week if see a change stay, if not increasing it again. So on till at my target weight
  • skinnytayy
    skinnytayy Posts: 459
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    Most people that switch from 1200 to their TDEE -20% go up gradually on their calories so they don't gain as their bodies adjust. Basically, it might look something like this if you started at 1200, which is what you said you have your goals set at.

    For the first 7-10 days, eat 1400 calories.
    After those 7-10 days, change to 1600.
    After THAT, change your goal to 1800.
    & So forth. Do that until you reach your TDEE-20% .. which would be 2,064, correct? I'd be sure to pay close attention to your net throughout this because until you reach your TDEE-20%, you can still eat some of your exercise calories. Like say on the week you're at 1600 calories on your goal and say you workout and burn 400 calories. You can still eat those exercise calories and your net would be 2000. But once you get up to 2064, you do NOT eat exercise calories since they are already worked into that number. See what I mean? I'm probably making this way more confusing then it needs to be. Sorry. Lol

    If anything, you can do what I've been doing. I have my goal set at 1500 and my BMR is 1644. I try my hardest to eat AT LEAST above my BMR. It might not be the healthiest option but its got to be better then netting 500 calories a day. I plan on doing it until I quit losing week then I'll up my calories and eventually get to my TDEE-20%. I just need to start loving things like avocados, nuts, etc. that are high in calories. Stupid taste buds. :grumble:

    Anyway, hope this helped some. If not, it will be bumped up to the top of the forum category or w/e ... Then someone who can explain this stuff better will chime in. =)

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