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

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  • Justjamie0418
    Justjamie0418 Posts: 1,065 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    OP, What did you set your activity level to when calculating your TDEE?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    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.

    1550 x 1.25 Sedentary on MFP = 1938 daily maintenance (NO exercise account for at all.
    1938 - 500 cal (1 lb weekly) = 1438 NET eating goal.

    Other sites.
    1550 (BMR likely close, those Harris BMR probably inflated) x 1.2 Sedentary they use = 1860

    If you reached 2500+, you entered your stats wrong. Or selected Very Active and forgot. Sedentary would never get you up that high, sorry. Even with inflated BMR calc of Harris compared to Miflin MFP uses.

    Now, MFP goal of 1438 with NO exercise calories accounted for, you exercise and eat those back - mere 562 calories of exercise has you at 2000 for your goal, and a TDEE of actually almost 2500 calories for that day.

    You hit the same figures, unless you are dishonest and select sedentary level but you actually exercise.

    If you are stuffed at 2000 calories, it must be your food selection, because I can almost guarantee you did not get to the point you are at now of needing to lose weight, if you could barely eat 2000 calories.

    Did you ever log what you used to eat, to actually have any concept of calorie amounts?
    Most people total experience with calorie levels is previous diet attempts, and eating 1200 calories, or getting MFP goal.
    There is actually no concept of other calorie amounts to compare it too.
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
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    i have to say, having a fitbit (or similar device) is crucial for dieting according to tdee. No one has the same tdee every day, unless you were to do the exact same things at the exact same time at the exact same intensity under the exact same conditions each and every day. That meas typoing this changes my tdee from yesterday when i didn't type this.

    For example, over the last week my tdee has been 3453, 3546, 3709, 3220, 4265, 2841 and today its on pace for 3355, but i plan on walking my dog later so that will go up a bit. As you can see, if i was eating my tdee-20%, that amount varies each day. I think that is why people have so much trouble with tdee. But it realllllly works if you can at lease somewhat accurately track it.
  • MrsTheunissen
    MrsTheunissen Posts: 44 Member
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    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.

    If you use TDEE you should NOT eat back your excersised calories ! And 2260 -20% = 1808 calories. (If you been eating the excersised calories you have been maintaining your weight :noway:

    Eat 1750 for 6 weeks,
    Use a measuring tape and not the scale for these 6 weeks.
    And do some weight lifting during the week..
  • MrsTheunissen
    MrsTheunissen Posts: 44 Member
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    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?

    Read this! :drinker:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • Cat_Lifts
    Cat_Lifts Posts: 174 Member
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    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.

    TDEE is set to not include exercise, just a normal day at work. If I were to add in my exercise (which is usually inconsistent days) then my TDEE would probably be like 2500 :embarassed:
    If you use TDEE you should NOT eat back your excersised calories ! And 2260 -20% = 1808 calories. (If you been eating the excersised calories you have been maintaining your weight :noway:

    Eat 1750 for 6 weeks,
    Use a measuring tape and not the scale for these 6 weeks.
    And do some weight lifting during the week..

    Same as I mentioned above, a normal, non exercise day at work for me, which usually includes lots of walking, squatting, and occasional lifting/pulling/push 30lbs+ puts me at 2260 calories. I wanted to just go a little lower from the 1808 and *was* eating at 1700, but started 1750 today. I do have to forget about the scale, as there has been some changes in inches. :) Also, have been doing weight lifting! I just got back from a 16 day vacation with no exercise, so I'm working back into it now! :drinker:
  • wwwdotcr
    wwwdotcr Posts: 128 Member
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    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.

    Sorry but your information is way off. I am average fit male and stalled at 1800 now going to 1700 on Keto. A 5'2 Female at that weight should NOT be eating 2000 calories. No way in the world.

    Do NOT use impedance scales or pinch tests. They are COMPLETELY inaccurate. Get a Dexa Scan / Water displacement test if you are serious about losing weight.

    Initial weight: 165
    My DEXA Scan (4/1/2013) - 23.6%
    My Scale - 13.7%

    Margin of Error: 72%

    #1 flaw of TDEE is not many people know what their exact LBM is. Trust me, its the best $100 you'll ever spend. Almost better to take a dart and throw it on a board then rely on pinch tests / weight scales.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    If you have been doing this for a month then I believe the TDEE folks typically recommend a 10% cut of the calories. (Sometimes they say wait up to 6 weeks). If you have maintained weight then you have your maintenance level calories.

    I don't do the TDEE-% method so I could be wrong.
  • CatMcCheesey
    CatMcCheesey Posts: 143
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    i have to say, having a fitbit (or similar device) is crucial for dieting according to tdee. No one has the same tdee every day, unless you were to do the exact same things at the exact same time at the exact same intensity under the exact same conditions each and every day. That meas typoing this changes my tdee from yesterday when i didn't type this.

    For example, over the last week my tdee has been 3453, 3546, 3709, 3220, 4265, 2841 and today its on pace for 3355, but i plan on walking my dog later so that will go up a bit. As you can see, if i was eating my tdee-20%, that amount varies each day. I think that is why people have so much trouble with tdee. But it realllllly works if you can at lease somewhat accurately track it.

    I agree. Using a Bodymedia Fit has really helped me with the whole "how many calories should I eat" thing. I had no idea that my calories burned changed so much from day to day.
  • ktrn0312
    ktrn0312 Posts: 723 Member
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    bump
  • Mock_Turtle
    Mock_Turtle Posts: 354 Member
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    step 1 - take some measurements right now

    step 2 - drop 300 calories per day, do this for a month

    step 3 - after 1 month check your weight and measurements

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