So it looks like in your other thread, Heybales was suggesting you do the 250 test. Why don't you do that for two weeks and then come back with your results? When you're stuck, you have to try different things...and you won't know until you try. I'm betting your TDEE is higher than you think it is and you'll realize that when you increase your cals.

I don't know what you mean by TDEG? Do you mean TDEE? There's no way your TDEE is 1374 - you may have used his spreadsheet incorrectly.

What is your activity like? When you start a new thread, we lose all of your past info and it's hard to go back and track it down. What kind of workouts are you doing and for how long?

When I put your info into Scooby using moderate activity and Katch formula w/30% body fat (unless you're really non-active, you probably fall under moderate, not light...but it sounds like you have been using lightly active category, which you're probably not and that may be where the issue is) I get a TDEE of 2108 - with a 10% cut being 1897 cals daily. Your BMR is around 1366 - why would you think decreasing calories below your BMR would be the answer? You don't have much to lose...stick with only a 10% deficit for better results.

You aren't eating too much...I think you're eating too little...and that's probably not what you want to hear because I know you're afraid of adding calories. Eating too little can cause these things to happen - stalling and even the appearance of inches gained (which is probably just water). Again, I can't remember what all you posted before about your dieting history, but I think you ate low calorie for 6+ months? I think you also said you gained weight when eating 1800-2000 cals? Your activity could have been different or maybe you weren't keeping track as well to really know what your intake was or your metabolism is suppressed or all of these things. You very well may need a full reset if your body isn't responding well, but I would try increasing your calories first...slowly. You are not petite, meaning 5'2 or under, so there's no reason to be eating that low of calories. I'm 5'4 and about 10 lbs heavier than you - and I eat 2200 to lose weight with 3 workouts per week at only 30 min each.

So forget the calculators...what you are doing isn't working. You clearly don't want to decrease calories - you're barlely above your BMR as it is. So give increasing a try. Do the 250 test if you want, but don't change up your workouts along with changing your calories or you won't know what's working/not working. You'll figure out where you need to adjust...it just takes some time.

I totally disagree there saying that daily activity doesn't count!! It most surely does and this is where most people badly underestimate. It does count a lot. I realize what Scooby site says, but many will tell you of course it counts! I actally work out very minimal, but I use the 5-6 hr level - if I eat less than that, I stall out. I workout 1.5 hours a week - the rest is just daily activity. It took me a long time to realize this but I found out by slowly increasing cals and found out I lost weight much easier when eating more. So those are my thoughts and advice...to increase up! You know what you're doing isn't working so at some point you'll probably be willing to try. Keep an open mind! Help your metabolism to heal after that low cal dieting.

Girl, if you're hungry, then eat. Your body is talking to you. I am betting you will not gain...you'll probably be back here posting that you lost scale weight! Just increase slowly and you'll be fine. Do maybe 1550 this week, 1650 next week, etc. There is a lot of conflicting advice, I understand. The good thing about EM2WL is there are a ton of us who have done it and had great results so hopefully that's encouraging to you. Keep us posted!

LoLoGB wrote: »

That's what I thought but when I use the spreadsheet @heybales provided it has my TDEG at 1374 counting my activity and all measurements. I'm eating 100-200 over the recommended TDEG. My TDEE on Scooby and the spreadsheet is 1700.

I am 5'4", 30% BF, 102 pounds LBM and 42 pounds fat for a total of 144 pounds. I want to be at 128-130. I used to be 115-120. Weight isn't AS big a deal if clothes fit. I was a 2 and am now a 8/10. I would like to get to 4/6. Again the past month with increasing nothing was changed except increasing inches and pounds. That's why I wonder if eating too much which seems weird. Should I do the 1374 instead of 1450?

I also thought of dropping weight lifting to 2/3 days a week and doing cardio for 30 min 3/4 times a week to see if that helps. The belly bulge and back rolls are what really distress me

But you came from a diet background, and should have eaten all the way up to TDEE first. That TDEG is for healthy body only from a non-dieting background. The TDEE estimate was likely fine, if you indeed included everything, including extra daily activity, which I think you said wasn't much.

And yes, his site comments on the TDEE table are confusing. Even more confusing since it's based on 1919 study and includes NO increase to daily activity, its merely about exercise.
So by his definition, a mail carrier doing 90 min of lifting each week would be Lightly Active.
Does that even sound correct?