Who has had long term/big success with TDEE-20%??

Samblantha · July 2013

I’m giving this some serious thought. The concept makes sense to me, but for me personally with still at least 90lbs to go…. that would mean that I should be eating 2100 calories everyday. I just can’t even imagine that would work!

So I’m looking for people who have done TDEE/-% and lost a Big amount with it. Make me a Believer People!!

skinny4me2be · July 2013

bump

thegoodner · July 2013

Have you checked out the group Eat more to weigh less here on MFP? Lots of great stories there. Give me a few months and I'll be able to tell you my results, but I'm enjoying every single one of my 2,000 calories and losing weight

Samblantha · July 2013

Yeah, I cross posted. The only thing that makes me nervous is that I haven’t run into very many stories of this working for longer than a few months.

Skeptical :huh:

thegoodner · July 2013

well, you have to continually be resetting your calorie goals as you lose weight, and most likely, it's not that eating at a calorie deficit doesn't work, it's just that the deficit shrinks as you get closer to goal, so people get frustrated because progress seems slower or they have to work in more exercise. For others, it could be not how much they're eating, but what they're eating. But when you start at a 1200 calorie allowance and plateau, you have nothing left to cut. You've only accomplished slowing your metabolism when you need more like 1800 calories (that's just me) just to support your basic bodily functions. At the very least, I don't think it would hurt to try. Each of us who are quite overweight have gotten there through various means. We have to be patient with our bodies. Some of us (like me) have arrived here after trying numerous different diets, many of them very low calorie, and have to repair our metabolisms a bit.

in the worst case scenario, you've already observed that it works for a few months. Who knows how much you could lose between now and then?

silvergurl518 · July 2013

i would check out the "eat, train, progress" group and ask some questions there. very knowledgeable people who've done this and done it well.

AJ_G · July 2013

I've been doing TDEE - 20% for a few months now, I'm down 25 pounds with 15 more to go. It works perfectly for me cause you eat the same number of calories everyday instead of this net calorie eat back your exercise bull. In my opinion it's the only way to go. Make sure you have your macros set up for optimal fat loss with minimal muscle loss.

calibriintx · July 2013

Yeah, I cross posted. The only thing that makes me nervous is that I haven’t run into very many stories of this working for longer than a few months.

Skeptical :huh:

Where are you looking? :huh: I've never heard anyone say that it only works for a few months. The only people who would say it doesn't work after a few months are those who either don't adjust their goals with weight loss, or aren't accurately gauging their activity level or logging, etc. Or do you mean you can't find anyone who has done it long term?

If you follow it, it works. It's not a fad diet or weight loss program. It's just science. I switched to TDEE - 20% back in January and I'm down 26.1 lbs since then. I was really sick in Feb/March and ate at TDEE for almost a month, so subtract a month out of that time frame. Almost everyone on my FL is doing TDEE - 20%, or they already did it successfully and are now maintaining or doing a bulk.

cwolfman13 · July 2013

Yeah, I cross posted. The only thing that makes me nervous is that I haven’t run into very many stories of this working for longer than a few months.

Skeptical :huh:

Where are you hearing this? It's just a different method of calorie counting. If you're doing it right, it basically comes out to the same as the MFP method (NEAT method).

As an example...My MFP goal to lose 1 Lb per week was 1,850...add exercise calories and I was grossing around 2100-2200 calories per day depending on the workout. My TDEE - 20% equates to roughly 1 Lb per week loss...my TDEE is roughly 2650. 2650*.80 = 2,120 gross calories per day. See...6 of 1, half dozen of the other.

People who gravitate towards the TDEE method are generally consistent in their exercise routine and are tired of logging and eating back exercise calories with the NEAT method. With TDEE method, those exercise calories are accounted for so you just get a gross calorie goal. The biggest mistake people make when switching to the TDEE method is that they don't adjust their calorie goal every 5-10 Lbs lost. Also, a lot of people start out with good intentions exercise wise...but then they fall off, but don't adjust their TDEE accordingly. If you aren't consistent in your exercise regimen, your formula is going to be ****ed.

tracieangeletti · July 2013

I doubted it at first too. Couldn't wrap my head around it but I wasn't losing on the 1200-1300 I was eating and like someone else said there really wasn't anything left to cut. So I started increasing slowly and low and behold started losing again. Technically I should be eating even more than I am now and I'm eating around 1700-1800 and according to my tdee I could eat up to 2000. I'm thinking of trying to eat closer to that but like you I'm still a little nervous about it but even with that being said I'm still losing on the higher calories. Actually when I think back on it I'm not sure how I was surviving on less!! Good luck!

trogalicious · July 2013

Me.

Samblantha · July 2013

I “heard” this from online forums. Not really people saying it doesn’t work anymore, but people who posted/blogged/whatever several months or a year ago, and their weight tracker is still in the same place….they clearly haven’t posted in a while. I just know that when I disappear from MFP, my weight isn’t doing so well LOL…

So a couple more questions then:
"People who gravitate towards the TDEE method are generally consistent in their exercise routine and are tired of logging and eating back exercise calories with the NEAT method. With TDEE method, those exercise calories are accounted for so you just get a gross calorie goal”

So Is the whole TDEE/cut approach the same as MFP guidelines and eating back all exercise calories? What makes TDEE different/better?

Question two: Do you think I would need a full metabolic reset? Right now I’m currently losing weight consistently by exercise and eating anywhere from 1400-1700ish calories. My BMR is 1900. I’ve only been eating this way for about 4 weeks, before that I was eating closer to 1900ish and up…but not losing anything. (not tracking so not making great choices)

ColletteNicole · July 2013

Thanks for posting this!!! In the past I've asked in other threads if anyone has actually lost a great deal of weight (100+ lbs) using this method for the bulk of it and I've yet to get a response... based on my own experience reading the forums and my friends here that have lost a lot of weight, the trend seems to be losing most of their weight around 1200ish calories, then upping it when they get closer to their goals. Then it works, but by that time your metabolism is much better anyway from exercising so much more!

HeidiCooksSupper · July 2013

I'm doing TDEE-20% and recalculating it every 10 pounds. So far, I'm losing pretty steadily at 1.3 pounds/week. I sometimes snack over and I sometimes exercise and, at this point have those kind of balance. I will continue to recalculate every 10 pounds while trying to increase exercise and decrease off-diary snacking. We'll see how this works. So far, so good.

daniellemm1 · July 2013

bump. I just switched to this today.

madrose0715 · July 2013

Thanks for posting this!!! In the past I've asked in other threads if anyone has actually lost a great deal of weight (100+ lbs) using this method for the bulk of it and I've yet to get a response... based on my own experience reading the forums and my friends here that have lost a lot of weight, the trend seems to be losing most of their weight around 1200ish calories, then upping it when they get closer to their goals. Then it works, but by that time your metabolism is much better anyway from exercising so much more!

As someone who has lost over 70 pounds by eating WELL over 1200 calories, I can tell you that the conclusion you have made here is not accurate.

MommaChocoLatte · July 2013

I started out here at 1200 cal like many other people. I switched to TDEE-20% within my first month and have been ever since. I have had one week where I had a very small gain and that was during a week where I was sick and didn't eat enough. I have lost steadily every week since. I am also very small (under 5 feet) and i need all the calories I can get. I have lost 27 lbs since Jan 30 and have a minimum of 18 more to go.

tiffanyraylene · July 2013

I plateaued after only 5 pounds eating 1200-1300. I use TDEE - 25% (over 1700 cals per day) and I lose consistently now.

micqs · July 2013

I started the TDEE method three weeks ago. I haven't had the scale move up or down since. BUT I have lost inches. Im giving it this one more week then taking someone's suggestion and decreasing by 100 till it works. I know alot of individuals who use the TDEE method and it is extremely successful. Best of luck!! I hope you find the answer your looking for!

kts3639 · July 2013

I've been doing TDEE -20% since February, so about 5 months now, and as of this morning, I have lost 36.6 lbs. I plan on continuing this until I've lost the last 8-10 lbs., and then using straight TDEE to maintain.

DucksandOranges · July 2013

Wow thanks everyone and congrats on your successes! I see the TDEE/BMR discussion around on MFP but am pretty new so haven't looked into it much. I dont have much to lose so I'm feeling a lil skeptical too but I think eating above my BMR (~1400) at least makes a whole lotta sense. My TDEE -20% seems high (~1800) and I feel like it'll make me feel guilty on days where I skip a workout, but definitely gives me some breathing room! I've realized that 1200 will leave me lightheaded and foggy so I could definitely use some more cals!

Who has had long term/big success with TDEE-20%??

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