TDEE - 20% Help - Why has it stopped?

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I think there are entries in MFP that are imperfect and as you get closer to goal so have less room for error it's really easy to have that wipe out your deficit. Not saying this is definitely what's going on, but it's something to look at.
  • kellysdavies
    kellysdavies Posts: 160 Member
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    kellysdavies wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    kellysdavies wrote: »
    Hi. My TDEE - 20% is approximately 1400 depending on the calculator I use. Hard to know which one is best. I am definitely logging correctly; I don't cheat myself as that would be pointless. If anything my activity has increased!
    unless youre really light you are possibly calculating tdee wrong.


    Is your diary open? This will allow people to know if you log correctly. Ie do you weigh all food?

    Yes it's open
    gothchiq wrote: »
    OK so calories eaten per day are... ? Try eating 1200 and see if it budges.

    Think I'll pass out! Ha ha. I worry about this as as soon as I up them again I'll put on the weight anyway? Would rather not be drastic just to get to goal as I'd like to stay at the goal once I get there.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    She is pretty light--she's 132 and 5'1, so at 36 her TDEE is probably around what she's calculating.
    Based on her stats (estimating 3-5 hrs exercise) im getting 2200 for maintenance, 1700 for 20% deficit. Or 2000ish for 10%
  • kellysdavies
    kellysdavies Posts: 160 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    She is pretty light--she's 132 and 5'1, so at 36 her TDEE is probably around what she's calculating.
    Based on her stats (estimating 3-5 hrs exercise) im getting 2200 for maintenance, 1700 for 20% deficit. Or 2000ish for 10%

    REALLY? That's loads. I'd love to eat that much. How on earth would that make me lose the last 6lbs though. And, riddle me this.Someone else has said that maybe I'm not logging correctly and am eating more than I think ...then theoretically I'd be closer to that anyway... and I'm not budging!
  • kellysdavies
    kellysdavies Posts: 160 Member
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    Someone is telling me to eat 1200 cals a day, another eat 1700.. ha ha. Nobody knows really do they? So frustrating! (not your fault, I just wish there was an answer or something tried and tested)
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    kellysdavies wrote: »
    Lasmartchika wrote: »
    Ok, I believe that since you're getting closer to your goal you should switch to TDEE- 15%. You only need 6lbs more to lose to reach your goal... so most likely -20% is now too drastic.

    That would be lovely - but you can understand my reluctance given what I'm currently sticking to isn't bloody shifting it. I can't understand how more calories will mean it starts decreasing - I thought that theory was all nonsense and less calories in than going out, means weight loss!

    Others can explain it better, but if you think about it, you're going to have to up your calories when you finally reach goal to maintain your weight. Besides, that's the advice I was given, the less I have to lose, the lower the percentage I have to choose.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    kellysdavies wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    She is pretty light--she's 132 and 5'1, so at 36 her TDEE is probably around what she's calculating.
    Based on her stats (estimating 3-5 hrs exercise) im getting 2200 for maintenance, 1700 for 20% deficit. Or 2000ish for 10%

    REALLY? That's loads. I'd love to eat that much. How on earth would that make me lose the last 6lbs though. And, riddle me this.Someone else has said that maybe I'm not logging correctly and am eating more than I think ...then theoretically I'd be closer to that anyway... and I'm not budging!

    If you're still under your TDEE, you would still lose.

    With six pounds to go, you have to be pretty precise in your logging as you will need a small deficit (less than 20%). Do you use a food scale?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited October 2014
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    She is pretty light--she's 132 and 5'1, so at 36 her TDEE is probably around what she's calculating.
    Based on her stats (estimating 3-5 hrs exercise) im getting 2200 for maintenance, 1700 for 20% deficit. Or 2000ish for 10%

    I used 4 times per week (since the exercise is typically about 45 mins) and M-SJ, and got about 1750 for maintenance, which seems more likely to me, but I know you and I tend to prefer different calculators/sites here. As she has a logging record, the best thing for her to do is calculate it herself based on her numbers. If she hasn't been meeting her goal consistently, that might be helpful. (I'm not suggesting this is true.)

    The point is she's currently doing 1400 (or believes she is) and not losing. Her issue is not eating too little.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited October 2014
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    kellysdavies wrote: »
    Someone is telling me to eat 1200 cals a day, another eat 1700.. ha ha. Nobody knows really do they? So frustrating! (not your fault, I just wish there was an answer or something tried and tested)

    The calculators are just estimates (and I'm not sure how it makes sense to increase calories if you aren't losing as long as you aren't eating some crazy low amount), so if you are really confident that you've logged everything consistently, I'd calculate your total calories during the period (2 months?) when you haven't been losing and divide by the number of days. That's your maintenance. Then try deducting 100 calories and being as strict as possible for a couple weeks.

    There are lots of entries that are necessarily very rough estimates, IME. For example, restaurant meals. I have weeks when it looks like I've hit my goal every day, but if I thought about it I'd have to admit there was a lot of possible error, whereas I have other weeks where I'm much more confident in my numbers being quite close to reality (it's always an estimate).

    I haven't reviewed your diary, but there are also possible issues like whether you are weighing, using "homemade" entries that other people created, and whether the entries chosen are the best ones for particular foods. But as you said, if there's an error in logging you can also probably deal with that just by adjusting down a bit from the number you are currently getting as maintenance. It doesn't matter so much if the calculators are just a bit off for you or the logging is.

    And, yes, it sounds really frustrating and might just mean that the last few pounds will be slow. I'm in a similar place and am rather worried about that myself.
  • lucygoesrawr
    lucygoesrawr Posts: 184 Member
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    Hope you don't mind, but I had a look at your diary and noticed in some instances you use teaspoon and cup measures instead of weighing. These can be quite inaccurate, though possibly not enough to make you stall, I don't know. Just an idea.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    At 20% less TDEE I have you at 1475 calories per day. Seeing as you only have 6 pounds to go (according to your profile) I would reduce the deficit. Try 10% and see how that goes...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    kellysdavies wrote: »
    Someone is telling me to eat 1200 cals a day, another eat 1700.. ha ha. Nobody knows really do they? So frustrating! (not your fault, I just wish there was an answer or something tried and tested)

    You do realize that all of these calculators are just estimates right? You still have to use your brain and make adjustments as per real world results...so why not do that...you're maintaining...obviously, you're eating to maintenance.

    It doesn't matter if you are or only think you are logging correctly...what matters are the end results...which show over two months to be maintenance...you're maintaining...ergo, you are eating at maintenance...adjust accordingly.
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    kellysdavies wrote: »
    Someone is telling me to eat 1200 cals a day, another eat 1700.. ha ha. Nobody knows really do they? So frustrating! (not your fault, I just wish there was an answer or something tried and tested)

    You do realize that all of these calculators are just estimates right? You still have to use your brain and make adjustments as per real world results...so why not do that...you're maintaining...obviously, you're eating to maintenance.

    It doesn't matter if you are or only think you are logging correctly...what matters are the end results...which show over two months to be maintenance...you're maintaining...ergo, you are eating at maintenance...adjust accordingly.

    Exactly. Why on earth would you want strangers to make suggestions when you have actual data? You're currently eating at maintenance. Eat a little less, and you'll lose weight.
  • DanielleH1213
    DanielleH1213 Posts: 154 Member
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    I wasn't close to my goal but over the summer I stalled for a while. After reading a bunch of different posts on here I decided to try 2 weeks with higher calories. I went from 1200 calories a day to 1450 calories a day. And I dropped a whole bunch of weight that had been sticking. It might be worth it to try to up your calories a bit for 2-3 weeks and see what happens.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited October 2014
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I think there are entries in MFP that are imperfect and as you get closer to goal so have less room for error it's really easy to have that wipe out your deficit. Not saying this is definitely what's going on, but it's something to look at.

    ^^ this
    I'm only 5ft 2" and I am maintaining on 2000 cals. If I wanted to lose 1/2lb per week I could lose eating 1600. I am as active as OP.
  • kellysdavies
    kellysdavies Posts: 160 Member
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    Lucky you Ruth. I'm eating less than 1400 a day and only maintaining
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    kellysdavies wrote: »
    Someone is telling me to eat 1200 cals a day, another eat 1700.. ha ha. Nobody knows really do they? So frustrating! (not your fault, I just wish there was an answer or something tried and tested)

    The answer is, switch to TDEE-10% (you figure out what that number is). And be patient. The last few pounds take a lot longer to drop.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    There could be accidental logging errors.

    Do you weight fruits, veggies? Today's log has 1/2 large sweet potato for 78 calories. What is large to you may be medium to someone else. Sweet potatoes, by weight tend to have 150-250 calories.

    Homemade recipes, are they yours or in the database? If you didn't create the recipe for the homemade muffins or homemade banana loaf, you can't really know how it compares to what you're eating.

    Do you weigh slices of bread? The package may say 1 slice = 98 calories. It also may say 1 slice = 60g but be off by 10-20%. So if the slice is 66g, there is 10 calories. They add up when you have a narrow margin anyhow.

    When you weigh raw, be sure to use raw entries. If you weigh (such as meat) cooked, use cooked entries. Moisture levels change thru cooking, so 4 oz raw will weigh less once cooked. If you weigh 3 oz cooked but enter it as 3 oz raw, you're underestimating on calories.

    If eating out, even placed with nutritional info available, err on the side of caution. Who's to say the chef makes everything uniformly each time? 10-20% room for error...

    Weigh anything solid. How much you fit into the cup of pulled pork could easily be 1.25-1.5 servings by weight.

  • kellysdavies
    kellysdavies Posts: 160 Member
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    Thanks
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    What they're saying is, is that when you have such a small deficit, its imperative to be exact. Almost no room for logging errors. I read only 3 days and you have a lot of homemade items and cup. Are you weighing and measuring this? A teaspoon of peanut butter is a very tiny amount, if the teaspoon was heaped over, you have 64 instead of 32 calories.

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