The FastDay Forum

Fascinating and it so makes sense.
So.
I started at 12st 10lbs in January 2013 and am now 11st 4lbs and have been aiming for 1550 cals on average daily but, as we all know as I can bore for Britain about it, nothing more is dropping off.
Please can you suggest what my TDEE could usefully now be?
Many thanks as ever :0)

I'm now down to a TDEE of a little over 1200. Frightening, isn't it?

[carorees]

@azureblue As a starting point, take your progress tracker TDEE and multiply by 0.9 that will take 10% off. (Or for a 15% decrease multiply by 0.85.) Assume that this is your correct TDEE and see what happens.

I'm now down to a TDEE of a little over 1200. Frightening, isn't it?

Which formula are you using to calculate that Penny as it seems very low given your height? x

[carorees]

The formula used by the progress tracker is supposedly the best for post menopausal women according to a paper I read today. But none is especially accurate, probably to do with what we're discussing plus the fact that NEAT has the biggest impact on calorie expenditure.

This is really interesting. I'm 5'3". My progress tracker says my TDEE is 1581, but I use MyFitnessPal and I've had it set to 1400 just in case. I've been struggling to lose even when I stick at 1400 and do 5:2, so I wonder if my body is supposed to be below a certain weight at the moment? I'm certainly nowhere near underweight, I have a decent amount of podge on my tummy still so how can my TDEE be so low?! Especially as I've heard from so many sources that it can be dangerous to eat lower than 1200 calories a day. If I lose more weight won't that be how much my body needs though?

Is the answer to this going to be exercise? Eek...

Thank you dear Carorees, so 1350 cals a day and see what happens!

My tracker TDEE less 15% is 1250.

[carorees]

On a bright note, there is a school of thought that a lower metabolic rate is the reason calorie restriction leads to longer life in experimental animals. I have also seen papers claiming that a high metabolic rate shortens life. So while a low TDEE might mean bad news if you love your food, it might not be a bad thing for health. And, of course, raising your TDEE by exercise increases your food allowance a little and improves your life expectancy.

I can manage 30 seconds as a plank, hoping to progress ... !

I wonder how many more calories that 30secs will mean you can eat @azureblue?? Not enough for a fried egg sarnie that's for sure

All very interesting - and I think there must be something in this as so many of us are discovering slower weight loss, or stalls, recently. I had tried cutting my fast day cals down to between 300 -375 on a fast day ( just the one meal) and this did result in loss of 1lb ... so maybe this is why. To be continued ... and let's hope the new season helps to speed things up (not scientific I know, but one can hope )

Ahaa! This would explain the collective internationally plateau many of us are experiencing.
Thanks Caroline.

Well after 11.5 months of not counting calories on non fast days I have just installed myfitnesspal on my tablet and phone so I can see how much I'm actually eating and try and start losing again. The bar scanner is very cool! I wouldn't have done it probably if you hadn't posted this new info, so thanks @carorees

Keep us posted @julianna, as someone who also doesn't count, I'm interested in what you find out.

I find that my TDEE seems to be permanently fixed! Perhaps it's all the dieting in my lifetime that makes it so. My antidotal evidence is that I live with two very skinny family members who eating more than me everyday, … it all seems very unjust!

But I'm also finding, that with the fasting, my body naturally wants less now, so hopefully it'll all work out in the end. It seems to be.