TDEE. net or MFP for calories deficit?

MFP and TDEE should be the same, once you adjust for the differences.

Specifically, MFP calculates your TDEE if you do NO exercise (and based on how sedentary or not you tell it you are outside of intentional exercise) and then subtracts an amount based on how fast you tell it you want to lose. The max in kilograms is 1/week, so most women who say they are sedentary or even lightly active will end up at 1200. But the trick is that 1 kg is an aggressive rate of loss that might not be realistic, and that you are supposed to add exercise back in when you do it (unless you have MFP linked to an activity tracker).

The TDEE calculators all work a bit differently, but they will be higher than your base MFP (and should be the same as MFP on average when exercise is added back), since they will include planned exercise upfront. The other possible difference is they often have you choose a percent deficit (like 10 or 20% of total maintenance cals) or else a flat amount like 500 (1 lb/week), which are nearly always less than what people choose on MFP when they choose the maximum.

If you include exercise on MFP AND choose the same rate of loss, the two numbers should be close.

If you are eating 1200 and not adding back exercise cals, that would be too little, given your TDEE. However, if you aren't losing, it's very unlikely the issue is not eating enough -- more likely some tracking errors or occasional non tracked days or meals that are higher than realized given the otherwise overly aggressive deficit.

shelleysykeskeene wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I didn't add that I have hashimoto's thyroiditis which is an autoimmune disease (antibodies attack the thyroid making it inactive and causes it to die) so this does make losing weight extremely difficult and someone suggested I just go with the aggressive 1200cal for weight loss because of it. My doc recommended a 1400cal diet but I thought it was way too high. According to TDEE the 1350 cal is my "cutting" caloric goal, the higher calories is for maintenence. I'm just wondering if because of my hashimoto's and high body fat percentage I should be eating at a bigger deficit (1200cal). The only way I can test it is to do a week or two at 1350 and see if there is any loss,if not then the will have to drop it by 50cal every few weeks and find the sweet spot.

Tests should be at least a full menstrual period if premenopausal, so you can compare the same point in the cycle. Otherwise, 4 weeks is a minimum, perhaps longer if also starting major new exercise along with the eating.

Clinical results suggest the BMR/RMR "penalty" for untreated hypothyroidism is in the realm of 5%, so really not as huge as many people assume. (I'm hypothyroid, BTW, but treated. Lost like anyone else does.) However, fatigue can be an issue (reducing daily life activity, and possibly fatigue (subtle or obvious). If so, cutting calories ultra-far could add to fatigue, and be counter-productive. Water retention can also be an issue, masking fat loss on the scale for a period of time.

You seem really eager to cut calories further, which worries me a little (anxious internet granny type that I am ). I agree with the other experienced, successful people who've posted on the thread: Logging is a more likely issue, vs. the idea that your goal is too high. Also, being quick to make changes isn't giving you enough time to really assess the impact of what you change.

If you got advice from your doctor. At age 64, 5'5" (165cm), hypothyroid, weight around 135 pounds (61kg), I'd lose very handily on that calorie level even when adding back exercise. I lost most of 50 pounds (22.6kg) at 1400-1600 plus exercise. While I'm a mysteriously good calorie burner for a li'l ol' lady, your doctor probably is a better source than someone on the internet (given that he didn't toss out the blanket "eat 1200" that many doctors do as a kneejerk reaction without much science behind it ).

Best wishes!