TDEE method...does it work?

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  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    TDEE minus a certain % (a proper amount for the amount you need to lose, people with more weight to lose can use a bigger %)

    SHOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME AS:

    A properly set MFP goal plus exercise calories.

    It's really not that difficult, people. Read, understand, learn.

    Example:

    My TDEE is 2,000 calories. I have 10 pounds left to lose, so I want to eat at 10% less than TDEE. 2,000 x 10% = 200. 2,000 - 200 = 1,800 calories. This is what I eat per day.

    MFP says I should eat 1,500 calories a day, plus I burn 300 calories per day working out. 1,500 + 300 = 1,800.

    Some people prefer one method over the other. I prefer the TDEE - % because then I don't have to track my exercise calories.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I am trying it and have been maintaining my weight as I am trying to ear that much! I used to eat 1500 or less a day and lost no weight for months. Now I am eating 1800-2200 and I feel better and I am leaning out and making some muscle gains. I should be losing soon but its awesome that I can eat this much and not gain weight.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I'm trying to use this method now, but of course the last two nights I'm hitting about the 1450 MFP had me at before and then finding I'm full, so it's gonna take a bit more work on my part to hit the sweet spot. I was so excited to "Eat more to weight less" and then didn't manage to eat more, lol. I'm hoping that, with cardio every other day and some beginners weight training, will have me looking lovely by July. :D
  • larovers
    larovers Posts: 100
    TDEE minus a certain % (a proper amount for the amount you need to lose, people with more weight to lose can use a bigger %)

    SHOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME AS:

    A properly set MFP goal plus exercise calories.

    It's really not that difficult, people. Read, understand, learn.

    Example:

    My TDEE is 2,000 calories. I have 10 pounds left to lose, so I want to eat at 10% less than TDEE. 2,000 x 10% = 200. 2,000 - 200 = 1,800 calories. This is what I eat per day.

    MFP says I should eat 1,500 calories a day, plus I burn 300 calories per day working out. 1,500 + 300 = 1,800.

    Some people prefer one method over the other. I prefer the TDEE - % because then I don't have to track my exercise calories.
    Thank you for this post...it has been the most helpful. My workouts vary so much and I like to track them exactly with my polars HRM in order to be accurate. Some weeks I exercise hard (2 hours a day), some weeks not so hard (1 hour per day) so it seems that the MFP method would be more accurate for me as my TDEE would be too hard to figure out as the categories seem a bit black or white (moderate vs. strenuous...there should be something in between this).

    If I set my MFP to sedentary (which I am extremely sedentary per day, desk job and I hardly ever get up) and then set it to lose 1lb a week (like TDEE-20 % is set to lose 1 lb per week, right?) and then eat back all of my exercise calories, I am basically doing the same thing as TDEE.....right? In my brain this would just be easier because of the net calorie thing and also not knowing my exact activity from one week to the next.

    I am assuming the science behind this is as follows (please correct me if I am wrong)- when we set ourselves up to lose more than 1 lb per week, it is too large of a calorie deficit and therefore causes us to be more hungry and also lose too much muscle which then slows are overall metabolism, making it even harder to lose in the future. By losing slower (1lb a week vs. 2lbs) we feel more satisfied, more energy, and also lose only fat.......do I have it right now?

    My trainer is very obsessed with macros. How much does everyone feel that macros matter with the TDEE method?
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Best success I've had has been since switching to TDEE minus 20%. Absolutely the best move I've made in changing my lifestyle for the better - fat is coming off, I've hit goal weight, and I look & feel better than I have in years.

    Short version of the plan I follow (In Place Of A Road Map) http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Yep
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/963088-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member


    If I set my MFP to sedentary (which I am extremely sedentary per day, desk job and I hardly ever get up) and then set it to lose 1lb a week (like TDEE-20 % is set to lose 1 lb per week, right?) and then eat back all of my exercise calories, I am basically doing the same thing as TDEE.....right?/

    A calorie deficit of 500 calories a day is a 1 pound week loss. Whether that is the same as TDEE - 20% depends on what your TDEE is. It may be for some people but not for others. For people who are closer to their goal weight, this much of a cut can be too much.
  • Jorfil
    Jorfil Posts: 15 Member
    bump
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I wanted to add that I've been doing TDEE-15% in the beginning and now at TDEE-10%...I'm within 3 lbs of my original goal and 8 of my longer-term goal so I don't need to do such a huge cut. But it works. It really does!
  • marissanik
    marissanik Posts: 344 Member
    TDEE - 20% in the beginning. Now -15%. I've been told several times to never do more than 20% as it's an aggressively weight loss target. Slow and steady wins the race on this one.
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
    I follow TDEE-20% most of the time and it works for me.

    I say most of the time because sometimes I fall a little closer to -25% and sometimes it's around -10%, heh. I have been steadily losing since I got serious about it. For whatever reason, it feels less restrictive even though it really isn't at all -- I suppose it's because I don't feel like I have to bust butt if I want another this or that because I eat about the same amount (give or take 100-150 calories) every day.

    It feels like it works better for me because I don't have bouncy eating -- I don't eat back exercise but I also don't eat less on rest days. To each their own but I'm not one to want to bust my butt just for a piece of cake or something, hahaha.

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