Dont be afraid to EAT MORE ladies!

Maybe this topic should be called: Try and eat at your TDEE -20% if you're looking to lose weight?

My TDEE -20% (according to the ever popular Scooby website) IS 1200 (1281 to be exact) so eating more for me WOULD cause weight gain.

I'm very happy to hear OP that you're enjoying being able to eat more on your weight loss journey and MFP is a great website, mostly. I wish you all the best of luck!

Are you sure that isn't your BMR? Scooby has me at like 1700 calories to maintain my weight, which is ludicrous and to -20% is 1400...which I would never eat that little. I actually maintain at 2300. Calculators are just that, simple machines that cannot factor in all the variables but that seems like a crazy low amount for someone who is 5'7". I'm only 5'3.5 " and getting a higher -20%

Maybe you are younger?

Maybe this topic should be called: Try and eat at your TDEE -20% if you're looking to lose weight?

My TDEE -20% (according to the ever popular Scooby website) IS 1200 (1281 to be exact) so eating more for me WOULD cause weight gain.

I'm very happy to hear OP that you're enjoying being able to eat more on your weight loss journey and MFP is a great website, mostly. I wish you all the best of luck!

Are you sure that isn't your BMR? Scooby has me at like 1700 calories to maintain my weight, which is ludicrous and to -20% is 1400...which I would never eat that little. I actually maintain at 2300. Calculators are just that, simple machines that cannot factor in all the variables but that seems like a crazy low amount for someone who is 5'7". I'm only 5'3.5 " and getting a higher -20%

Maybe you are younger?

:flowerforyou:

I don't think it's about eating MORE. I think it's about eating ENOUGH of the RIGHT foods.

Well I for one will definitely think about eating more ladies now hahahaha

YES!

Thank you for your thoughtful post, OP. However, I don't want to engage in cannibalism! :bigsmile:

Just kidding. You have a good point, but you really don't eat more to lose weight, you eat more to properly fuel your body for whatever your activity level is. if you exercise you will naturally need to eat more.

Here's an excellent article on why eating low calories and exercising your butt AND stressing out about how much a week you lose, etc., off are not good things: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1254955-metabolic-damage-alan-aragon-interviews-lyle-mcdonald

You still have to stay under your TDEE to lose weight.

There's some evidence that eating more actually does raise NEAT, which results in increased TDEE. I'm experiencing this a bit right now. My tested TDEE has been 1950 for the past year and a half. But right now I'm eating above that, have been for a month, and I haven't gained anything. My suspicion is that the extra calories (specifically carbs) are giving me more energy and making me more active throughout the day.

Which is a good thing because 1950 is a pretty low maintenance for a person who exercises 5 days per week.

Also to those who do have a lower TDEE I'd say this: my TDEE is lower than a lot of the ladies in this thread. But I would never discourage someone from trying out eating more for a couple of months at least. If a person CAN eat more, then they should imo.

Well after switching from weight watchers for many years decided to give mfp a try at first I started with what mfp set me up with which was 1440 calories + exercise but found this method was too messy and sometimes I felt bad for eating back my exercise calories. So after many many posts of annoying people and stressing myself out that I would be eating too much I took there advise followed TDEE -20% which gave me 1700 calories, this worked out me eating a lot more then when doing weight watchers ever with all free fruit,veg salad and weekly points so I was a little nervous! Any way today been my big first week weigh in I have lost 2lb!! I only ever use to lose 0.5-1lb a week max on weight watchers so maybe I wasn't eating enough back then who knows? I'm thrilled with this loss as I haven't denied myself any foods even ate 2 Easter eggs which I won at work sending me over my calories this week, before I would have usually thought I had failed and binged, but I tracked EVERYTHING even though I hated seeing numbers in red and stopped at that. So what I'm trying to say is don't me afraid to eat more like I was 1200calories or less doesn't mean better weight loss, be happy eat more and lose weight xxx

I have the same problem. While on WW, I was given 36 daily points to eat. I was afraid at first to consume so much, but found that If I ate below my points (5 points or more), I gained weight. If I ate at or very close to the 36, I would lose weight. Staying on this program, I lost 46 lbs in 8 months (with exercise 2-3 times a week). Now, on MFP, I have daily calories of 1510 and have lost only 10 lbs in. Although I am happy for that loss, the problem is that I've been doing this for 5 months. I understand that weight-loss is not linear, but the way my weight is just going up and down, I feel as if I'm just losing and gaining the same few pounds over and over again.

I exercise 2-3 times a week, doing cardio and strength and wear a FitBit Zip. I do eat back some of my calories, but I cannot seem to get out of this rut. I was thinking of just using the WW conversion which comes to 1880 calories (not sure if this is correct due to conflicting conversion information out there. Some say it's 40 calories per point, others say 50). So I decided to calculate my TDEE, which is 2069. I want to lose 80 more lbs, so at 20%, my TDEE is 1655.

I'm not sure if this is correct and have become very frustrated at the whole thing. I think that perhaps I should stay in the range of 1600-1800 calories per day, consuming a % of what I burn.

I am open to constructive advise.

This makes me confused.

Some posters, who are in the 40s have responded, stating eating more works for them.

I'm curious to know from those people who are 40s and eating, over 1500 calories; what types of workouts and how often and at what intensity are these workouts done?

I'm 5'4, 165, 45 y/o female, desk job. Workout at least 3 times a week, sometimes 5 (rollerblading, stairmaster, 5x5, elliptical, walking at least 4 miles).

Why when I tried eating at 1600 plus exercise I gained (tired it for about 6 months)? Yes, the gain was slow, but i gained. It seems I can only lose at 1400, with at least 5 hours of exercise a week.:grumble: I've had my thyroid and hormones checked... all good.

I have a sweet tooth, but isn't it calories in/calories out?

I've just given up and went back to 1200.

I'm 42 y/o female, I've gone through early menopause, eating around 1700 calories a day and I have a serious sweet tooth.

I lift 3 times a week, short runs twice a week, and ride my bike for all my errands as well as 1 long bike ride every week.

When you were eating at 1600 calories were you weighing your food or estimating it?

Hi,

A little of both. :blushing: Only because I've been counting for years and have a lot of the foods already in my diary. I have measuring cups and digital scale. I usually overestimate when I do estimate.

However, last week I decided to really, really measure and weigh ever single thing i can. I will see if this is my problem.

Thanks for responding. :flowerforyou:

Thanks to all for your stats.

I know i can't be a "special snowflake". This gives me hope, that when I do find the right numbers for me, I will be in at a weight i'm happy with.

:flowerforyou:

I hope you find a balance that works for you. I was eating 1400-1500 when I started and am able to eat 1700+ now and lose but I lift heavy weights. I was scared to increase what I ate, but ended up being pleasantly surprised.