TDEE-20% for one month = I found my maintenance?

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  • fluffykitsune
    fluffykitsune Posts: 236 Member
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    SO. What you meant to say was "I am on a plateau and TDEE - 20% didn't work"

    If you weren't in a plateau and were just starting fresh, I could see this happening.

    Honestly, eat TDEE. for 2 weeks, then try -20% again.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
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    What was your BMR?

    I ate at about my BMR (based on charts) for two months and lost as expected. Then I plateaued. RMR testing revealed I was more than 10% lower than the charts predicted.

    I pretty much slacked off, went on vacation, kept trackiing but didn't worry about goal as long as I was close to my TDEE (based on the RMR testing). It's been another two months and I"m losing again, which leads me to believe my metabolism returned to where it was when I first started.

    If you were eating at a decent deficit, you may well have knocked your metabolism down by 10% or more (some studies find closer to 20% down with a very steep deficit. Which means that yes, whatever oyu are eating now is "maintenance" by the fact that you are maintaining - but it doesn't mean its as high as you can ever ever eat.

    (and the people implying that maintenance is 10x weight? If it works for you, you're either ridiculously sedentary or you've ****ed your metabolism with years of abuse).
  • CassieLeigh86
    CassieLeigh86 Posts: 68 Member
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    SO. What you meant to say was "I am on a plateau and TDEE - 20% didn't work"

    If you weren't in a plateau and were just starting fresh, I could see this happening.

    Honestly, eat TDEE. for 2 weeks, then try -20% again.

    Honestly, I'm not sure I'd call it a plateau. I've been on this "journey" since January of 2012...my starting weight was 162. Since then I've switched up my cal intake, the lowest being 1450 when I started and the highest being 1900. With the exception of doing TDEE for the past month, I usually ate my exercise cals back. During the spring of 2012 (probably March-May), I upped my cals to 1700 while I started New Rules of Lifting. I didn't lose any weight or inches during that time. I ended up quitting the program, because I started training for a half marathon and couldn't fit both programs into my schedule. The lowest weight I've been since January 2012 is 155.

    So basically I've lost pretty much no weight at all. My understanding of a plateau is that you lose weight and then maintain that weight until you've broken the plateau. Is that wrong?

    Would you suggest I still eat at my TDEE for a couple of weeks, or does this info change anything?
  • Erikalynne18
    Erikalynne18 Posts: 557 Member
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    That does not seem to be a calorie level that would lead to weight loss for you. When you calculated your TDEE, perhaps some inaccuracy crept in. The proof is in the pudding. If you're stable at 1900 and want to lose, go lower.

    I use the rule of thumb, # of cals / 10 = goal weight. So if I wanted to weigh 190, I would eat 1900 per day. PS, I am a woman, 5'5" and don't want to weigh 190!

    Another thought, are you eating back exercise calories? I think you're not supposed to do that with TDEE, but don't quote me.

    Hmm..... curious, where did you hear that? I eat 1700 plus my exercise calories and I'm STILL losing. According to your formula I should weight 170.... I currently weight 128 lol. My goal is 125, according to you I should eat only 1250 calories a day!? Ekkkk... no thanks! I tried that I felt horrible, hungry, dizzy, migraines, weak... it just didn't work for my lifestyle. I'll stick to my 1750 calories (I just increased it by 50, cause what the heck I'm so close to maintenance weight anyway lol).

    To the OP, log consistently. If you log everything, everyday for a month and still see that same number after, then maybe you messed up and should recalculate. However I've found logging everyday has definitely opened my eyes to the real number I was eating lol. Also, take pictures cause sometimes the scale lies :P

    And best of luck to everyone! :D

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