Question about my maintenance.

Little_Miss_Kriss
Little_Miss_Kriss Posts: 105 Member
edited December 4 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
So i am 5 foot 3 and 135 pounds
MFP says at lightly active my maintenance calories are 1820.

I've also checked into the TDEE method and get Your TDEE Is: 1841

So here is my question, MFP is supposed to be based on no excersize but just my daily activities and my TDEE calculations include my gym time in its calculation, both numbers are pretty much on par with each other.

My gym time burns are varied, after a rest day i can hit the gym for several hours and burn a good 1000 calories then go the next day and burn 700-800 and if i go a third day i might put in 500 calories burned simply cause i need to recharge with another rest day and then im good to go again for another couple days, but its looking like all those calories burned are simply helping me to maintain, as i have not lost anything nor gained anything in several months.

MFPs numbers seem to be unhelpful at this point in my weight loss, it's helped me lose 117 pounds but its looking like if i wanna lose another 5 i am going to have to put in my usual gym time and eat less in order to do so instead of eating 1800, thinking i burned 1000 off that and only net 800 like MFP says.

Does my line of thinking make sense? that since my deficit is so rigid now, the TDEE method - 10% would probably be the best way to go about things and to stop logging my workouts and eat that calorie goal instead?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You lost 117lbs, eating how much?
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  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Those calculators are estimates and a starting point. You should be able to look back through the data you collected when you lost weight to calculate your personal numbers.
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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    For one...if I'm understanding you correctly, I would say you're probably underestimating your activity level in the TDEE calculator...if you're only including your day to day with MFP, a TDEE calculator should be more...so something is off there.

    Secondly, I think the TDEE method makes sense for anyone who is exercising on the regular...and you really can't look at individual burns...you have to average things out over the week...when you get into TDEE, you're really getting out of the day to day kind of minutia that is MFP.

    Third, at this point I would think you would have plenty of your own data to work with...I gave up using these calculators long ago...once I had my own data to work with, they weren't necessary...they're great for providing a starting point, but once you have your own data, that really trumps everything.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    So how many have you eaten to maintain?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Little_Miss_Kriss wrote: »
    I don't have that data unfortunately.

    So you haven't been using mfp till now?
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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Pick a number, watch the scale for 4-6 weeks... tweak up or down as necessary.
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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Little_Miss_Kriss wrote: »
    well i guess if TDEE is a starting point i will go with that 1840 and -10% off it and no longer log my workouts into MFP and see what happens.

    I'm not sure why you think 1840 is your tdee based on the amount of exercise you've stated on this thread?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Little_Miss_Kriss wrote: »
    well i guess if TDEE is a starting point i will go with that 1840 and -10% off it and no longer log my workouts into MFP and see what happens.

    yes....and then just tweak things as necessary.
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    edited September 2016
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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Little_Miss_Kriss wrote: »
    Is there a TDEE caluclator i should be using? i used the one on IIFYM.com
    It asked me how many times i go to the gym and how intense those workouts were and what kind of lifestyle i lived, so i selected lightly active since i have a busy job, i go to the gym at least 3 times a week for at min an hour each time and i run, so the options were could i hold a conversation while working out or not hold a conversation while working out, so i selected that i couldn't.. i can only go by what i am given to work with

    Scooby gives you a maintenance of 2156.

    But anyway, you can start at 1800 and see how you get on.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Little_Miss_Kriss wrote: »
    Is there a TDEE caluclator i should be using? i used the one on IIFYM.com
    It asked me how many times i go to the gym and how intense those workouts were and what kind of lifestyle i lived, so i selected lightly active since i have a busy job, i go to the gym at least 3 times a week for at min an hour each time and i run, so the options were could i hold a conversation while working out or not hold a conversation while working out, so i selected that i couldn't.. i can only go by what i am giving to work with

    Just pick one and go with it...start looking at your weigh ins and whatnot as data points...use those data points to make any necessary changes...any and all of these calculators are just estimations/guestimations...just pick one and go.
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  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
    I struggled with the same issue after losing 110 pounds. I tried following MFP's number but couldn't shake the remaining 5 - 10 pounds. It's been close to two years since I lost my weight and I still didn't get those last few. Admittedly, I haven't been very rigid lately. I just started another push to dropping those pesky few pounds.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Get MAD - Make A Decision! Either TDEE method or MFP method.

    Both work, just stop comparing the two.... Pick one, stick to it accurately for a month then adjust if required.

    Both are just starting points and need tweaking based on actual weight loss results.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    I just switched from MFP's NEAT method to TDEE because it's easier -- from a planning perspective -- to have the same calories budget every day, rather than exercise to earn back calories on a daily basis. If your exercise is consistent week to week it seems like the easier choice. On Sunday's, I literally plan ALL my food for the week, then adjust on the fly day-by-day to stay in my 1750 "budget." Way better than having to walk 3 miles to earn some ice cream after dinner.
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