I just friend requested you

Fr also sent. I need more friends who are losing weight by eating 1800 plus!

Peggy that is great!

I'm so with you guys. I am into the 200's at 216 and really hoping to go down. I'm finding a lot of people that have joined this group are from the 1200 calorie range and excited about being able to eat more. I can't say I ever was able to eat 1200 calories, I just got too hungry, but I just started this plan about 3 weeks ago and I'm a steady 1800 (+/-) calorie eater. So I think that is my average that got me to where I am now. I had a metabolic test with oxygen mask and all and bodpod about a month ago, and was told that my TDEE and BMR calculations tell me I should at least be eating 2100 cals, with 1923 being what my body requires. I worry that maybe this isn't the group for me because I have never been a low cal eater, apparently I've always been a high cal consumer. Granted I was eating less than my BMR so perhaps that could still constitute as starvation for what my body required. But since I started eating more calories I am gaining, already being a large sized woman that is not what I want to see. Any encouragement or push would be wonderful especially from those that have been in a similar boat but have seen success.

I was 229 but am a little less than that now, but I eat 1900-1950 calories per day right now, as I switched up from 1200. I am 5' 6.5". I have progress pics on my profile. Can't go back to 1200 anymore! I like food too much and hate being hungry. Feel free to add me if you want.

I was 250, now 190. RMR is about 1600. I ate around 1800 fo a while with good luck, but it wasn't enough to fuel any body comp changes with exercises. Right now I am supposed to eat around 2300 on lift/crossfit days and 1900 or so on rest days, but I have a very hard time eating 2300 most of the time, but usually make 2100. I eat mostly paleo, but use rice for exercise energy.

I'm so with you guys. I am into the 200's at 216 and really hoping to go down. I'm finding a lot of people that have joined this group are from the 1200 calorie range and excited about being able to eat more. I can't say I ever was able to eat 1200 calories, I just got too hungry, but I just started this plan about 3 weeks ago and I'm a steady 1800 (+/-) calorie eater. So I think that is my average that got me to where I am now. I had a metabolic test with oxygen mask and all and bodpod about a month ago, and was told that my TDEE and BMR calculations tell me I should at least be eating 2100 cals, with 1923 being what my body requires. I worry that maybe this isn't the group for me because I have never been a low cal eater, apparently I've always been a high cal consumer. Granted I was eating less than my BMR so perhaps that could still constitute as starvation for what my body required. But since I started eating more calories I am gaining, already being a large sized woman that is not what I want to see. Any encouragement or push would be wonderful especially from those that have been in a similar boat but have seen success.

If you got a Bodpod and RMR test, then you have best estimates to start with.

So I hope you didn't calculate BMR NOT using the bodyfat stat.

Try this, it'll tell you if the RMR was within range of expected for your LBM or not.

If you happened to have gotten measurements at the time of your Bodpod, or haven't dropped any weight so you can still trust those stats, then indeed enter your measurements still to see what the calculators say compared to Bodpod.
Take Bodpod BF% / calculated BF% to get a correction factor - you'll use that down the road as you lose fat. Write that value down somewhere, like right under the BF% calculation.

This will help use your best stats, because yes, it's still a valid method, you eat at a reasonable deficit from what you burn daily, not some arbitrary minimum figure for safety sake.
And even though you smartly didn't stick there, it still is a smarter way for continued loss.
You just likely don't need to do a reset for more than a week or two to unstress the body.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker

Sadly when overweight by decent amount, any TDEE calc's out there that do NOT use bodyfat %, are giving you inflated BMR, and therefore inflated TDEE, and therefore inflated cut value.

I've seen all kinds of examples that someone thought they were eating at a deficit, but because of that inflation, there were not.
And while eating at maintenance and lifting is great for body recomp compared to a deficit, I know many that are obese need to save joints and lose the fat and weight first, while maintaining muscle mass.

Hi! I just started EM2WL a week ago and just getting adjusted. I am still struggling with eating more and not weighing myself everyday. I was too scared to do the reset as I was already probably eating more than I should and since I have a lot to lose I started with my 25% CUT per Scooby's website. Will I still expect to lose doing this or do I really need to reset my calories to TDEE? Also on my non-workout days should I eat close to BMR or do I eat my CUT goal still?

Current Weight:267
Height: 68 inches
Age: 39
Workout 5 Days a week- TRX HIIT class 45 min 3-4 days a week and walk 5 days a week for 30-45 min.

Scooby's says:

BMR: 1948
TDEE: 3019
25% CUT: 2264

If you were already eating more than your cut for decent amount of time, you should have been losing already, unless you mean you were eating above your TDEE already.

In which case a reset is not needed if I read that right.

At 60 lbs left you should move to 20% deficit. Which you eat the same amount everyday. You averaged out your exercise from the whole week, you do the same with the eating level.

Except in 2 cases, if you miss a planned workout, skip 100 calories per hour missed that day, if you make it up, eat 100 more that day.
If you totally add a new workout you did not include in your TDEE estimate level, you eat those calories back with the same 25% deficit.

About every 6 weeks, you should take a diet break, and eat at TDEE for that week. Enjoy the improved exercise ability.

I'm here too & welcome to having new friends having success at this (or attempting)

Copied from a post I just listed today....
My story started over 10 years ago topping the scale at 313#. I started my success with WW but fast forward to getting married & having 2 kids (with gaining 90+ pounds with the combined pregnancy)....

Today I hover between 223-227. I haven't been able to get past 219-227# in over a year despite dedicated journaling via MFP. Yes, I have taken many mini-vaca's with the last one less than a month ago but I try to make the best choices possible. After reading Chris Powell's book on carb cycling, I started about 6 weeks ago & have been doing 2 low carb-1 high carb- 2 low carb- 1 high carb- followed by a Sunday cheat day.

I increased my calories from 1400 to 1700/1800ish about a month ago with no success.
I get in 2-3 days of cardio (HIT via elliptical or walk 4.0/jog 5.0) burning an average of 400calories/day
About a month ago I added in weights twice per week (heavy weights- not the Barbie barbells) on my non-cardio gym days.

Today I calculated my numbers using Heybals (?) worksheets...
BMR: 1622
TDEE 2572
TDEE -20%: 2058

Last week I increased my calories to around 2000-2100 per day (allowing myself a "cheat day" Sunday consuming closer to 3000).
I also took a break from the gym & stopped after getting in 2 days.
I also increased my protein to 170-200g on high protein days & 130ish on high carb days.
I lost 1.5#.

I'm in this for the long haul & would love nothing more than to see the scale move, accomplish my 100# weight loss & then trucking full force into onderland.

I've read many of the posts discussing resetting & those of us that have been in this longer may need to take a longer break. How do you know where and for how long? Should I continue at the TDEE -20% considering I had success there last week or do a full reset & shoot for my TDEE for a period? What about workouts? I've ready many stating taking a break from cardio during a reset but ok to lift weights...

Confused & afraid...
Thanks! Jennifer

Great decision and you'll feel the results faster than you see them on the scale probably.

One recommendation to workout. HIIT (if really being done and not just intervals) is the fad answer to those that don't want to lift and only do cardio.
If you are really lifting well, skip the HIIT, or even attempted HIIT. Unless you only lift 2 x weekly and do the HIIT no where near those days, there is no where to put a real HIIT routine that would not interfere with either doing a good lifting workout, or ruining the repair and recovery from a good lifting workout.
With a lot to lose, the lifting as focus right now gives you the rare beginning chance to actually gain muscle mass while losing fat. Just walk as recovery day after. You can do intervals right after lifting if you like the feeling of them, but using the same muscles you should feel really dead, if you did the lifting right anyway.

If you have been doing workouts for a while and diet for a while, a week long break from both might be in order. Even though you took a 2 day break it sounds like.
Take a workout break, only walking during your given time, and eat correctly for that week at that TDEE level. This is kind of diet break too.
Then the next week back to the workout, and eat at TDEE for this new level. Should feel really strong.

Since you weren't that far below BMR eating (unless you didn't eat back exercise calories), might only need a couple weeks. If your NET was really a lot less, than a month might be in order.

Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the advise! I was eating initially when I started back up on MFP at about 1400 cal a day which is what my target was when I entered in my data. I was only doing this for 2 weeks and started working out the 2nd week of this but tried to eat my workout calories back.
Do you think I need to eat at TDEE to reset or can I continue eating at my 25% CUT continuing my workouts? Since I upped my calories a 1 1/2 weeks ago my weight loss has stalled but I haven't gained either.

Thanks again for all the help!

If you start losing what the math says you should be, no need.
If not by 6 weeks out, then I'd suggest hit TDEE for a week or two, just because time for a diet break anyway.

Thank you heybales! BTW I stumbled across the spreadsheet you created last night and it was eye opening. I adjusted some of my numbers because of it and I think I should be on my way now. Thank you soo much for putting that together!

Thanks for the advise! I was eating initially when I started back up on MFP at about 1400 cal a day which is what my target was when I entered in my data. I was only doing this for 2 weeks and started working out the 2nd week of this but tried to eat my workout calories back.
Do you think I need to eat at TDEE to reset or can I continue eating at my 25% CUT continuing my workouts? Since I upped my calories a 1 1/2 weeks ago my weight loss has stalled but I haven't gained either.

Thanks again for all the help!

If you start losing what the math says you should be, no need.
If not by 6 weeks out, then I'd suggest hit TDEE for a week or two, just because time for a diet break anyway.

Thank you heybales! BTW I stumbled across the spreadsheet you created last night and it was eye opening. I adjusted some of my numbers because of it and I think I should be on my way now. Thank you soo much for putting that together!

This is just my personal opinion but eating at a 25% deficit may be why your weight loss has stalled. Try going to a 20% cut and see if that makes a difference.

Heybales, I take my deficit directly from the average that my BMF gives me. Since I'm probably considered "overweight by a decent amount", do you think the BMF is over-inflating my numbers or do you think it's pretty reliable?

Totally depends on if the sensors work for you, and how much adjustment to BMR is required.

So you may already have Katch BMR and Mifflin BMR known, how close are they?

So Katch is what you'd like the BMF to adjust towards if big difference, but it starts with calculated BMR using close to Mifflin formula.

You can confirm if sensors work well for you by 3 ways.

On BMF site Calorie burn chart.
Look at avg lowest cal/min during best sleep (like 1.0 and 1.1 back and forth, 1.05 then) x 1440 is the adjusted BMR they are using.
Close to Katch BMR?

Look at avg lowest cal/min during non-moving awake time, watching TV or movie, NOT after a workout, x 1440 is the adjusted RMR they are using.
Should be over the BMR by 150-250 calories.

So that is looking at the non-moving time, where those base BMR calories are used as burn estimates. Some have even reported seeing elevated cal/min sitting after a good lifting workout.
This will tell you how well the temp related sensors are working for you. In my general forum polling, about half worked well. The other half the BMR never adjusted off calculated, and sleeping and awake non-moving matched.

Now look at your MET chart. Doesn't matter where you set the levels to categorize things, has nothing to do with the calorie burn, just what you want to classify it as.
Does it seem that your workouts are totally noticed as increased level of MET burn? 1 MET is calorie burn sitting. Then moves on up for activity.
One lady had 20-30 min of her 60 min lifting workout as only part that showed up. Not at increased category level, but at all as increased MET's.

So that is looking at moving time, where your weight and movement is used as calorie burn estimate.

All those checks if not showing well, or as well as they could, can be corrected with a height adjustment.
So if the sensors don't work right for you at all and no adjustment, then can make the calculated BMR that is used closer to reality.
If the partially work, but didn't adjust enough, that can help too.
The lady with partial exercise effort showing up, after height change had her whole workout show up as increased MET's, some as vigorous where it really was, some as lower level, but at least there.

Her calorie burn went up.

The spreadsheet, after filling out the Simple Setup tab excluding Activity Calc, on the FitBit_BodyMedia tab can help with figuring that out.

238 two years ago.

A TIGHT size 18 down to an 8.

Strength training, with a bit of HIIT on the stationary bike in the beginning. Mostly strength training and walking now. I'm tweaking body recomp now ....

To your question: YES! Strength training is where it's AT !