TDEE People... what would you do??? (not losing!)

thinking_thinly
thinking_thinly Posts: 143 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I switched over to the TDEE method a month ago from eating a vegan diet ala mcdougall. I eat a pretty clean diet, with a few exceptions now an then. However, my calories are always at or slightly under 1700 (my tdee -20%) Yet, since starting TDEE my weight loss has slowed, from a steady 1-2lbs a week to nada after an initial loss. I have actually put on weight (it has fluctuated from 263.4 to 268.8 lbs this last week or so) So how long should I put up with this before giving up? I'm so fustrated. I have about 30lbs more I want to loose, but would really be happy with loosing the last 15 or so to get me in the "normal" bmi range. Maybe TDEE is not for me???
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Replies

  • thinking_thinly
    thinking_thinly Posts: 143 Member
    Bump?!
  • maf2045
    maf2045 Posts: 24 Member
    I'm with you on this one. Today, I started eating at my TDEE-20% which is roughly 2000 calories and apparently I gained 1 pound. Idk if it just takes a while since I was eating and plateuing at 1200 calories, but I'm 5;1 and feel like this is a lot of calories for someone my size.
  • thinking_thinly
    thinking_thinly Posts: 143 Member
    Any overnight gain is always water and waste :) However, it is fustrating. I lost, and lost well eating lower calories and didn't feel deprived... but the TDEE people roped me in with the "you need to eat more"... Bologna! Lol
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    Are you over estimating your calories somewhere, either in food or exercise?
  • MrsTheunissen
    MrsTheunissen Posts: 44 Member
    Read this,
    2000 sounds to much for some one that is 5'1". I am 5'2 and eat 1600 cal.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • thinking_thinly
    thinking_thinly Posts: 143 Member
    I don't record excersize calories as that is figured into TDEE. I just eat my 1700 calories :)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    May have the BMR, the foundation to the math, not the best estimate.
    The Katch BMR as best I've seen 200-400 below the other 2 BMR estimates. Take off 20% on high TDEE, you really have no deficit in place.
    So your workout is making great body improvements.

    May also be your TDEE guess is off.
    1 hr of walking is not the same as 1 hr of lifting as 1 hr of running.

    As well as daily activity may well be more than a sedentary deskjob, in which case TDEE actually isn't enough.

    Are your weigh-in days valid? Meaning morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels and not sore from last lifting workout.

    Use this to get better estimate of bodyfat % (unless you have tested stat in which case use it), best BMR based on it, better activity calc, and deficit based on amount to lose and activity, and lop progress, and use the macro goals.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones
  • MrsTheunissen
    MrsTheunissen Posts: 44 Member
    I don't record excersize calories as that is figured into TDEE. I just eat my 1700 calories :)

    How tall are you?
    No you don't eat calories from excersise with TDEE.
    I would look at sodium intake too

    You will figur things out, it just takes some time for some. I am still don't get some of the stuff :blushing:
  • maf2045
    maf2045 Posts: 24 Member
    Is 2000 too many calories? I keep getting mixed responses. The thing is I'm really heavy. (180 lbs) but I work out everyday for about an hour of intense cardio as well as walk 1.5-2 miles a day since I have no car. My TDEE came out around 2500 calories and my BMR is like 1650. Urgghhh this weight loss stuff is tricky.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Any overnight gain is always water and waste :) However, it is fustrating. I lost, and lost well eating lower calories and didn't feel deprived... but the TDEE people roped me in with the "you need to eat more"... Bologna! Lol

    Do you know what you were losing exactly? Besides weight that is. What was the weight.
  • ansaguy
    ansaguy Posts: 14 Member
    My wife and I don't use TDEE - haven't since we started. We use harris Benedict, which is essentially what MFP does by default it seems. Calories were virtually spot on between the two anyway. We've both been losing steadily since mid-march for me ( when I started ) and since mid-february for her ( when she started ). According to TDEE I should be eating ~3290 minus %20 or about 2600 calories a day. Meanwhile MFP has me eating 1690 (my 2600 for my daily energy requirements minus 1,000 cals a day to lose ~2 pounds a week). That's a pretty big difference. Whether I should be eating more or not I don't know. I do know that I'm stronger and leaner than I was before I started. I guess if I plateau this way I'll have to try the other equation.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Is 2000 too many calories? I keep getting mixed responses. The thing is I'm really heavy. (180 lbs) but I work out everyday for about an hour of intense cardio as well as walk 1.5-2 miles a day since I have no car. My TDEE came out around 2500 calories and my BMR is like 1650. Urgghhh this weight loss stuff is tricky.

    Use this. Loss of the right stuff is tricky, anyone can burn off a bunch of the wrong stuff. And spend their whole life repeating the mistake again and again.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones
  • MrsTheunissen
    MrsTheunissen Posts: 44 Member
    Is 2000 too many calories? I keep getting mixed responses. The thing is I'm really heavy. (180 lbs) but I work out everyday for about an hour of intense cardio as well as walk 1.5-2 miles a day since I have no car. My TDEE came out around 2500 calories and my BMR is like 1650. Urgghhh this weight loss stuff is tricky.

    Well I am 5'2 and 172lbs. My BMR is 1516 and TDEE 2085. So if I don't want to lose I eat 2085. If I want to lose I eat 2085-20% or -500. But as lon as it's not under my BMR 1516.
    I Have bad knees so I only do weights and walking, I have put me at light activ.
    Read this and maybe this will give you some better info :flowerforyou:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • maf2045
    maf2045 Posts: 24 Member
    So Harris Benedict is more accurate. MFP has me at 1700 calories a day, but I'm not sure if that's NET calories or the amount I can eat without eating back workout calories.
  • MrsTheunissen
    MrsTheunissen Posts: 44 Member
    My wife and I don't use TDEE - haven't since we started. We use harris Benedict, which is essentially what MFP does by default it seems. Calories were virtually spot on between the two anyway. We've both been losing steadily since mid-march for me ( when I started ) and since mid-february for her ( when she started ). According to TDEE I should be eating ~3290 minus %20 or about 2600 calories a day. Meanwhile MFP has me eating 1690 (my 2600 for my daily energy requirements minus 1,000 cals a day to lose ~2 pounds a week). That's a pretty big difference. Whether I should be eating more or not I don't know. I do know that I'm stronger and leaner than I was before I started. I guess if I plateau this way I'll have to try the other equation.

    Well a male should not go under 1800 calories and a femail 1200 calories a day..
    But it's so many ways to get fat so it must be as many ways to lose it to.
  • MrsTheunissen
    MrsTheunissen Posts: 44 Member
    So Harris Benedict is more accurate. MFP has me at 1700 calories a day, but I'm not sure if that's NET calories or the amount I can eat without eating back workout calories.

    I don't understand why MFP put you on 1700 cal, they always give people such a low numer.

    And THIS is Harris Benedict
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So Harris Benedict is more accurate. MFP has me at 1700 calories a day, but I'm not sure if that's NET calories or the amount I can eat without eating back workout calories.

    Harris BMR is considered least accurate, Mifflin BMR that MFP uses is considered 5% more accurate at goal weight and much more accurate when overweight, and Katch BMR is best of them because it's based on using bodyfat%.

    Harris TDEE levels are from study from 1919 and considered outdated too actually, many improvements on those levels since 1919 and what people do today.
    MFP uses a different scale levels based on another study that has no exercise included just daily activity.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    I don't record excersize calories as that is figured into TDEE. I just eat my 1700 calories :)

    Are you using a TDEE calculator that figures in the type and intensity of workouts or that you are working out xx number of times a week? You could be easily over/under estimating your exercise if you pick the wrong intensity or frequency.
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    3-4 weeks after any change like that. If nothing after that time, drop 10%.

    Upping your calories will always take some adjustment. Numbers are estimates, so go by results.:flowerforyou:
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So Harris Benedict is more accurate. MFP has me at 1700 calories a day, but I'm not sure if that's NET calories or the amount I can eat without eating back workout calories.

    Caught your confusion here.

    MFP sets eating and daily maintenance goals with NO exercise accounted for.
    While the setup page does do diet and fitness goals, neither is used in the math for the other.
    So yes you eat back exercise calories, that's why the daily goal goes up after you log them. The deficit is still there, but you just made it bigger. And bigger is not better.

    And you told MFP to make it 1700 by your choices.
    Did you say sedentary to be on the safe side, or what the vast majority discover even with desk jobs, that Lightly Active is correct?
    Did you select the recommended 1 lb weekly, or wanted to lose 2 lbs weekly?

    If you don't want the TDEE deficit method, set activity to Lightly Active, 1 lb weekly loss.
    Log and eat back your exercise calories. Don't worry about accuracy, you need more on workout days to counter-balance the too much deficit on non-workout days.

    Or if you do want the convenience of a single number every day, use the spreadsheet in posts above.
  • Justjamie0418
    Justjamie0418 Posts: 1,065 Member
    Well, if you dont record your excercise cals ( I see some people plugging in 1cal) and say you do a doubles day and burn over 1000 calories, and your TDEE-20% is like 1700 then youll only Net 700 which is below the BMR right?
  • HealthyLeeLee
    HealthyLeeLee Posts: 97 Member
    I am curious to know everyone's feedback as I recently switched to TDEE as well. So far it seems like a LOT to eat :/
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
    yeah.. I've gotten into arguments about this before.

    I think that TDEE -% is bullsh!t, and here's why. No one on this site gets their BMR ACTUALLY measured in real life, so they are basing their energy expenditure off a guess, which may be within +/- 15% of their actual BMR. THEN they cut 20% of this. If any of the guesses are innacurate, then guess what, you aren't cutting! You're eating maintenance!

    So yeah. Just chop off a good 500 calories a day from your BMR + sedentary, and workout. You don't have to worry about starvation until you are at a healthy weight, less than 20% bodyfat
  • Cat_Lifts
    Cat_Lifts Posts: 174 Member
    I too have had some struggle with TDEE. I'm thinking it may be time to go get a more accurate reading of my BMR (if that's possible)! My TDEE is at 2260 at 5'3", 192 lbs. My TDEE - 20% is about 1750, but still not too much of a budge on the scale, and it's been about 2 months now. I'm wondering if I ought to bump it up (eat a little more) or drop to 1600. I typically eat back most/all exercise calories as well.
  • maf2045
    maf2045 Posts: 24 Member
    I redid my MFP Calorie calculations using sedentary and I'm at 1400 net calories which seems A LOT Better. But MFP told me that my BMR is 1522 so yeah...I'm confused lol. I'm supposed to eat less than my BMR?
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
    OP, What did you set your activity level to when calculating your TDEE?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I redid my MFP Calorie calculations using sedentary and I'm at 1400 net calories which seems A LOT Better. But MFP told me that my BMR is 1522 so yeah...I'm confused lol. I'm supposed to eat less than my BMR?

    You plan on logging your exercise and eating back those calories when really done then?

    Not a great idea if you got other stresses in life.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I too have had some struggle with TDEE. I'm thinking it may be time to go get a more accurate reading of my BMR (if that's possible)! My TDEE is at 2260 at 5'3", 192 lbs. My TDEE - 20% is about 1750, but still not too much of a budge on the scale, and it's been about 2 months now. I'm wondering if I ought to bump it up (eat a little more) or drop to 1600. I typically eat back most/all exercise calories as well.

    Did you pick a TDEE level that included your hrs of exercise already?

    If you are eating them back, no wonder you aren't losing a thing, you are doing it wrong if your TDEE level already included exercise.
  • maf2045
    maf2045 Posts: 24 Member
    I personally just used mfp BMR's calculation which was 1550. Then MFP set my daily calorie intake as 1400. However, all the sites I do my TDEE are 2500+ calories even sedentary. I feel like that's way too much. I tried 2000 calories and thought I was gonna die.
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