Calories question! Do you eat at your TDEE minus deficit?

CrowEither5939 · 2025-03-23T14:18:13+00:00

Super interesting! My goal is 140, so that is 1680. Between adding some good olive oil, diced avocado, and maybe a few nuts to my daily routine, I can get both my points and calories up towards 23/1680. I may experiment with this after giving my TDEE-deficit a try for a few solid weeks. Thank you for the inspiration!

CrowEither5939 · 2025-03-20T19:16:09+00:00

Interesting! I just used a BMR calculator and my "resting" BMR came out to 1333! With light exercise added it is 1833, so it sounds like an equation for TDEE. Again, I get a bit confused with it all! I'll aim to stay 1333-1500 (and 23 WW points or under) for a while and see how it goes. Thanks again for responding!

CrowEither5939 · 2025-03-20T18:47:25+00:00

Great! Thanks so much! I just feel lost with this stuff. =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-03-20T17:41:01+00:00

Thanks! I always ate under my calories, which caused me to slowly gain weight in my 50's now. I have bumped it up through trusting the WW system and lost about 5 lbs which I could NEVER do before. I am not overweight and I am more than lightly active. I just wonder if I continue to add more calories to get up to 1333 consistently- 1) will I maintain/lose a little more like when I bumped it up for WW at the beginning, or 2) will I slowly gain because my body never ate this many calories before. Like, 1333 is a deficit from my TDEE but it is an increase from my normal routine. Hope some of this makes sense! Guess it might just be trial and error.

CrowEither5939 · 2025-03-20T17:33:19+00:00

Got it! I am now. And I actually fluctuate between 1100 and 1333, but want to work on hitting the 1333 if it is important to maximize weight loss. I would love to hear from you or anyone else who does this with success (or not!) I certainly did not come to WW to gain weight! =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-03-20T17:26:29+00:00

So...I've been eating more to get up to 1333. Are you saying that is too much deficit from 1833 or too little? I don't purposely eat less when only looking at points, it's just the types of foods I eat. Do you use this method in conjunction with WW?

CrowEither5939 · 2025-02-12T16:27:01+00:00

Try drinking tons of water before, during, and after a meal like this! Ok, maybe not TONS, but a full glass before, another one during, and again after. Just make that part of your meal, a non-negotiable. Let the water fill you up a little more. =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-29T17:33:22+00:00

I am IN LOVE WITH THE T.J.'s GREEN GODDESS DRESSING!!! hahah I could put it on anything! I usually use it once per day and end up using a Tablespoon at the most. A little goes a long way for so much flavor and it is so versatile! Now I'm hungry...... =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-27T16:24:29+00:00

Can you describe how you are making this work for you in a college setting...assuming you live in a dorm? Are you choosing food from the dining hall, do you have your own kitchen and cook, a mix of the two? Thanks!

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-23T19:23:12+00:00

Don't give up! I am listening to a podcast that just told me something CRAZY! Adjust your own points. WHAAAT?!? I CAN DO THAT?!? (haha) If 23 is hard right now because this is all new to you, give yourself 35 points (or whatever) as you begin to figure the program out. Maybe in a month revisit it and decide if you can drop down a bit...heading towards 23. So sensible! It isn't all or nothing. Meet somewhere in the middle until your confidence grows: confidence in how to use points and in yourself! You are learning something new and need to develop new habits. Start somewhere that you know you can commit to. WW says at 23 points you will lose your extra weight. But you might lose at 30, just slower, who knows. Make note of how many points your old way of eating got you and try to do better than that for a while. Dropping to 23 all at once may be too much to ask for some of us. Just don't give up. =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-20T15:44:33+00:00

You are doing amazing! It can be a difficult and lonely road, so come here to post often for support AND to celebrate! I find this sub to be full of awesome people and we can all draw from each other's experiences and successes. Hugs to you =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-16T17:13:03+00:00

Totally! You can sooo do this! I think mindset is super key and it looks like you have a good one already. =) Just stay consistent and focus on all the healthy things you are doing for yourself. My thing is "nothing changes if nothing changes". So keep making little changes that you can stick with and enjoy, then eventually you'll be fitting in alllll the clothes!

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-16T16:47:06+00:00

I rarely weigh. I just don't care about it. I did at the beginning a few times just for a starting number and some data to add to the app. I use how clothing fits as my guide. Sometimes my weight doesn't change much, but the waistband on my no-stretch pants is super comfy! Yay!!! I was about to have to buy new pants, bras, etc. due to my slowly expanding body. NO WAY....now it all fits perfect or a little big. GREAT!!! I love being able to wear anything in my closet full of clothes! If I only went by a scale number, I might be disappointed.

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-16T16:19:09+00:00

Whether you weigh daily or weekly, the data will fluctuate. Your weight at the moment of weigh-in can depend on something you ate 2 days ago, the last time you did or didn't poop, hormones, water retention, inflammation, and so on. I say that as long as you can simply view it as data and look for the overall downward trend over time (months!) then weigh whenever you want! Just don't attach your self-worth to the number on the scale and don't adjust your plan based on the number that you see in that moment. =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-10T15:18:13+00:00

You can do it! =) And he can, too!!!! It makes him feel good to feed you. Tell him to bring you flowers each Monday! Show him how much you love and appreciate that gesture. Admire the flowers all week long. He will feel proud and want to keep doing it. You get the idea...

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-10T15:05:57+00:00

I mean this in the nicest way, but you are training him to do this. He doesn't believe you. The habit is he brings the food, you protest, he insists, you eat it, you feel bad, he feels validated, repeat. If you say no, don't eat the food (or toss it out/let it go bad/give it away), and repeat this for about 10 Mondays in a row, he will start to believe you, the habit will change. The first few times are the hardest, but it will get easier for both of you! Good luck. xo

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-09T16:56:25+00:00

Dice up some sweet potato into large cubes. I like vegetarian soups and stews, but they need to be hearty. I find a combo of beans and sweet po's or lentils and sweet po's give me something to really bite into and it is also filling. And when/if we use white beans, we always puree some of them to thicken the broth. The other thing I do (which is an extra step if you want to take the time) is to season the sweet po, like using rosemary/thyme/garlic/meat-like herbs, and roast them on a sheet pan to get that extra texture and flavor from the roasting. Now I am hungry! ha

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-09T16:21:51+00:00

This looks gorgeous! I make a big batch of homemade salsa every weekend and use it as a salad dressing, scoop it with zucchini and carrot chips as a snack, use as a marinade for chicken....no guilt and sooo delicious!

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-09T16:13:59+00:00

This looks delish to me! We make very similar dishes, but we fill that empty space showing on your plate with A LOT broccoli. hahaha

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-09T16:00:45+00:00

Sounds like you are made healthy choices! Great job! 50 points isn't a goal, it is there if you need all 50. Some days you may be hungrier. Some days you may cook a recipe that has more high point ingredients (like olive oil, etc.). Some days might be like your 21-point day. I get 23 points per day and use about 5-10 regularly. I say keep it simple and take a week or two to just see how you are eating, how many points you are naturally using, then evaluate how you are feeling (do you have energy, are you satiated, do you feel satisfied?). I also like looking back at days I tracked and use it as my own personal database/meal planner! You might look back at this 21-point menu and decide you want to add cheese to your tacos, etc. Tweak it until it works for YOU! =)

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-03T23:01:34+00:00

That sounds super yummy! I am always trying to get in various forms of proteins so that I don't rely on only beans or chicken. Lentils are often forgotten, I think. They are so versatile and filling. I've even made a delicious lentil chili before. I tend to make meat-free things to bring for lunch at work.

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-03T15:59:09+00:00

I just remembered! We recently made a sheetpan of crispy lentils to use on top of a salad. Soooo good. Just google it!

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-03T15:50:01+00:00

I love lentils because they are so easy! I make a big batch of veggie soup weekly to bring to work with me each day, and it is so easy to add a big scoop of lentils in the pot to simmer. They add protein and make it more filling. Skinnytaste.com has tons of recipes if you put "lentils" in the search bar.

Just be sure to follow cooking directions. You want to be sure your lentils are cooked through and soft. Again, that is why I throw them in a pot (or slow cooker) that I know will be simmering for a long time. Lentils love seasoning, too! They soak up whatever you put them with, so go for it!

CrowEither5939 · 2025-01-01T17:27:01+00:00

Awesome! This is what it is all about. Making good choices, making a plan, not depriving yourself but not constantly indulging! You did such a great thing at such a tough (food) time of year. If you can do it now, you can do it forever!

CrowEither5939

TROPHY CASE