TDEE Experts, Advise Me Please

BernadetteChurch
BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 47, 5'3", weighed 166.5 lbs at my last check-in, and want to lose around another 25 lbs. This is a vague goal which will take me to the top of my healthy BMI range, but it's by no means an obsession and I'm trying to focus more on how my body feels and looks in my clothes.

I think my diet's OK, though I know protein is a little low at the moment and I'm working on getting my macros closer to 40/30/30. I work in averages when it comes to my calories and macros, so I don't stress too much about low or high days and just keep an eye on the overall trend.

Most weekdays I get in around 70 minutes of brisk walking in my travels to and from work and the train station. I'm also doing Stronglifts 5x5 once at the weekend and twice through the week.

I've been aiming for around 1850 calories a day and during January I lost 10.5 lbs, which is 2 lbs short of my Christmas gain, although I've stalled lately and haven't lost any more for a couple of weeks. I'm not freaking out over this!

So what do you think? Am I on the right track, and do I just keep doing what I'm doing? Or do I increase or decrease calories?

Replies

  • Zomoniac
    Zomoniac Posts: 1,169 Member
    I had no idea you were a midget :)

    1,850 does seem quite high. I was doing 1,800 and didn't count walks as exercise and losing progress was very slow, and I have an extra 8.5" to fuel. And also I'm taller.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    I had no idea you were a midget :)

    1,850 does seem quite high. I was doing 1,800 and didn't count walks as exercise and losing progress was very slow, and I have an extra 8.5" to fuel. And also I'm taller.

    I'm not that short!!

    That's funny, I was thinking 1800 sounded low for you but I always figured you knew what you were doing. I count the walks because they're proper brisk walking and not skipping along looking in shops.

    So you think I should decrease then?
  • Zomoniac
    Zomoniac Posts: 1,169 Member
    I personally in your situation would try dropping to 1,600 for a couple of weeks, see what results you get, and adjust. I can't say "eat n calories and you will lose". But there'll be a magic number somewhere, I'm sure. The only thing I recommend is an excess of trial and error.
  • minuz5
    minuz5 Posts: 256 Member
    Hey,

    I think worse thing you can do is listen to people who do crazy deficits. PS. I am not referring to zomoniac.

    I am actually pretty happy you're on 1850cal a day. Especially if you're doing some walking each day which contributes to roughly 400cal burned. In that case just continue on. It looks like this caloric range made you lose some weight in the past, which is good. You might not be losing any more weight because you're growing muscle(especially if you're doing strong lifts) which is heavier than fat. So body fat callipers and mirror should be your friends in judging whether you lost fat or not.

    You can also try fluctuating your calories with 50-100 deficit, and see what happens on the scale. But I am convinced that you're just putting on muscle and losing fat, which I believe is ultimate goal.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    I had an encouraging first month and a stagnant past few weeks as well. (You and I have similar goals and outlook too! I'm going to send you a friend request.)

    Anyway, I really don't know what to do either so I just made a commitment to be super-diligent over the next five days with my diary, exercise and water drinking and see if I can't get that scale moving.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Hmmm, think I might ease my way down 100 cals at a time. Dropping all the way down to 1600 in one hit would make me very sad!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    My TDEE is 1995. I eat 1700 a day and lose on average 1/2lb a week while lifting 3x a week and doing HIIT 2x a week.

    I weigh all my food measure liquids and have consistently lost weight.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    You can also try fluctuating your calories with 50-100 deficit, and see what happens on the scale. But I am convinced that you're just putting on muscle and losing fat, which I believe is ultimate goal.

    you can't gain muscle while eating at a deficet unless you are obese or there could be noob gains which typically amount to a few ozs not pounds.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    My TDEE is 1995. I eat 1700 a day and lose on average 1/2lb a week while lifting 3x a week and doing HIIT 2x a week.

    I weigh all my food measure liquids and have consistently lost weight.

    Thank you. I've just dropped 100 calories to 1750 a day so will see how I go with that. You can be my inspiration!
  • mushroom58
    mushroom58 Posts: 3 Member
    Might sound silly but I am new to this and would like to know what TDEE is??
    I have similar stats and am doing 1200 calories a day. It is very hard to stay and often go over. I do excercise (walk/intervals) 3x a week. Any suggestions.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Might sound silly but I am new to this and would like to know what TDEE is??
    I have similar stats and am doing 1200 calories a day. It is very hard to stay and often go over. I do excercise (walk/intervals) 3x a week. Any suggestions.

    TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure. It's the amount of calories you burn during the day doing everything from brushing your teeth to exercising to sleeping. A lot of people like to eat at their TDEE-20% instead of at the level MFP recommends.

    If you want to know more do a search on the forums, because a lot of other people have probably explained it a lot better than I have.
  • mushroom58
    mushroom58 Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you...It seems as my calories are too low and that is why I can't stick with it:(
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Thank you...It seems as my calories are too low and that is why I can't stick with it:(

    Sorry, I forgot to mention that a lot of people have trouble sticking with only 1200 calories. Is that what MFP are suggesting you eat?
  • minuz5
    minuz5 Posts: 256 Member
    You can also try fluctuating your calories with 50-100 deficit, and see what happens on the scale. But I am convinced that you're just putting on muscle and losing fat, which I believe is ultimate goal.

    you can't gain muscle while eating at a deficet unless you are obese or there could be noob gains which typically amount to a few ozs not pounds.

    Your argument is invalid and, yes you can gain muscle while in deficit. She didn't state that she is professional lifter, therefore I am taking into consideration that she started lifting recently, which makes it possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time while being in a deficit.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Use TDEE-20% and eat at 'moderately active', or 50 calories under that, it should be pretty accurate. I workout a bit less than you (45 minutes walks every day and weights 3x a week but not as heavy as you) and I've been set between lightly active and moderately active and have been losing nicely.
  • mushroom58
    mushroom58 Posts: 3 Member
    Bernadett- Yes MFP is suggesting I should eat 1200 cal a day.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Bernadett- Yes MFP is suggesting I should eat 1200 cal a day.

    I suggest you increase your calories by 100 a week until you reach the point where you feel that you're eating enough and are losing weight at the same time. But if you want to stick with being guided by MFP, are you eating back your exercise calories? And have you set a reasonable goal of 0.5-1 lb a week loss? It's a bit hard to help without knowing very much about you!
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Bumping, in the hope of a few more expert opinions!
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Your argument is invalid and, yes you can gain muscle while in deficit. She didn't state that she is professional lifter, therefore I am taking into consideration that she started lifting recently, which makes it possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time while being in a deficit.

    By the way, I'm not a professional lifter but I've been lifting for years, albeit not SL5x5 type lifting.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    One last bump for the active evening people. Would love to hear some other thoughts!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    You can also try fluctuating your calories with 50-100 deficit, and see what happens on the scale. But I am convinced that you're just putting on muscle and losing fat, which I believe is ultimate goal.

    you can't gain muscle while eating at a deficet unless you are obese or there could be noob gains which typically amount to a few ozs not pounds.

    Your argument is invalid and, yes you can gain muscle while in deficit. She didn't state that she is professional lifter, therefore I am taking into consideration that she started lifting recently, which makes it possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time while being in a deficit.

    No it's very valid..I am not a professional lifter either but I have yet to gain a lb (except when eating over maintenance during the holidays) during my weight lifting in the past 23 weeks.

    To gain muscle at a deficet as I said...are noob gains which about to ozs not lbs or if you are very obese...

    And as the OP indicated she is not new to lifting so ....
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Bernadett- Yes MFP is suggesting I should eat 1200 cal a day.

    MFP defaults to that when your goals are to high..ie 2lbs a week...when you only have 25lbs to lose.

    Set a "reasonable" weight loss goal based on how much you need to lose...2lbs is reserved for those with over 100lbs to lose.

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