Just a couple questions for a MFP newbie

mijdeets

I have to admit I have been accessing a site called NutriMirror in the past but just found out today it is closing down so I am on the search for another site. Most of the reviews point to this one or SparksPeople. I certainly don't want to get into a big debate about which is best as they both probably have pros and cons, but perhaps what you like best about this site might help.

When I went through the steps on this site to set goals, it put my calorie intake at only 1200! I can't imagine that being correct? So I manually set it to 1500. I guess time will tell if I did right or not. One thing I really liked about the Nutriirror site is it automatically updated my calorie intake based on my weight each week. So one week at 164lbs might say I can only eat 1530 calories to meet my goal and then the next week at 162lbs it might say I can now eat 1560 calories to meet my goal. Does this site do that?

wallelf1

yes

Sued0nim

MFP gives you a calorie based on your details as well as your chosen goals and activity levels but without any additional exercise so whatever you choose your activity level at any exercise you do to eat back those calories

If you manually adjust your calories which is fine, MFP won't automatically adjust your calories down when you lose weight, that only happens if you let it set your calories for you

And I don't think either site would give you more calories for weighing less..the less you weigh the fewer calories you get

mijdeets

Thanks rabbitjb for your reply. You're probably right, I may have not described the example properly but the idea is there. So for me to get automatically adjusted calories I need to go back and take off the manual setting? I just can't see 1200 calories being correct when my other site always had me between 1500 and 1700 including exercise! I asked to lose 1.5lbs per week while starting at 163lbs.

jgnatca

Reduce your goal to .5 lb per week and it should adjust upward. MFP expects you to eat back the calories earned from exercise, which is also calculated for you.

All I know is MFP and WW.

jmauerhan

Make sure your activity level is set correctly, and then maybe pick a more reasonable goal like .5 lbs. How much do you want to lose total?

Since you've already been using another site you've clearly been dieting already and the weight isn't going to come off as fast as it does when you first started.

ToddPa12

I am at the same weight you are, and when selecting automatic for the settings you are asking, I get the same calorie count as you. As far as it automatically updating your calorie intake as you lose weight, I have not had that happen since I started using the app in May of 2014. As I lost weight, I would go in once a month and just change my weight in the "Goals" section to have it update my calorie intake. The only other difference I have over yours, is that I did not enter my planned exercises for the week which I'm sure would make a difference for me and may push up my calorie count to the 1500 mark. This may be something to ask to have the developing team work on creating. I set my weight loss to 1 lb per week as I get health problems at 1200 calories, and it's suggested that anything less than that is not healthy for males.

quiksylver296

I've done Sparkpeople and MFP. My opinion - if you are looking for real rah-rah, way to go, cheerleaders as you get started, go Sparkpeople. If you want honest opinion and are really looking to push yourself in your fitness, go MFP. Both are good. MFP just feels more hard-core to me.

mijdeets

Hey toddPa12, thanks for your comments. I think that I will also adjust my weight in the goals area regularly and see how that works for me. I may also adjust how much I want to lose and see if that helps. I am anxious to see how this site works. And for the record, as i looked at reviews from SparksPeople users as I was trying to find a new site to use, they often talked about how "grumpy" or "rude" MFP users were. I am certainly NOT seeing that as a first day user. I appreciate all the kind and useful help!

silentKayak

There are jerks here, just like everywhere on the internet. But there are lots of great, helpful users, too. My suggestion is: find some friends, join some groups, and avoid the drama in the main forums

Sorry to hear your preferred site shut down. I'd be devastated if MFP closed.

eeelizabeth2012

If you work out it will allow you more calories per day. Mine is also at 1200 because of amount I am trying to lose and in the time I am trying to lose it. I also have an office job, etc.

bwogilvie

Just to clarify what others have already said, with some acronyms....

It sounds like NutriMirror used a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) model, in which your 1500-1700 calorie goal included exercise.

MFP uses a NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) model, in which your 1200 calories excludes exercise.

If you log 300 calories of exercise, your daily goal will jump up to 1500, though your "net" goal (goal without exercise) will remain 1200. Exercise calories are EAT (exercise activity thermogenesis). So NEAT + EAT (MFP model) = TDEE (NutriMirror model).

Neither way is superior; they are simply different paths to the same goal: maintaining a substantial calorie deficit.

mijdeets

Makes sense to me bwogilvie! I upped my exercise to 45 minutes a day and I think I have it close to where it should be. I will just adjust my weight regularly so that I keep it as accurate as possible.

middlehaitch

Adjusting you expected exercise number doesn't account for your exercise expenditure. You have to add it manually each time.
Ie: aquafit/ water calisthenics 60 min. Then MFP will give you your calorie expenditure 187 and add it to your calorie intake for the day.
I have 1200 cal plus 187 exercise. = 1387 for the day.
NB: MFP tends to over estimate so most people eat 50-75% of their exercise calories back. You have to play with it.

I tried both sites when starting, couldn't stand the rah rah of SP.

Cheers, h.

sheldonklein

mijdeets wrote: »

Hey toddPa12, thanks for your comments. I think that I will also adjust my weight in the goals area regularly and see how that works for me. I may also adjust how much I want to lose and see if that helps. I am anxious to see how this site works. And for the record, as i looked at reviews from SparksPeople users as I was trying to find a new site to use, they often talked about how "grumpy" or "rude" MFP users were. I am certainly NOT seeing that as a first day user. I appreciate all the kind and useful help!

I've been here for about 2 months and there are definitely some grumps or, more genteelly, curmudgeons. But they tend to be very knowledgeable. There are also a fair number of flakes -- they are the ones that draw the ire of the curmudgeons. I could do without the flakes, but then we might lose the knowledgeable curmudgeons, so on the whole I guess it is a healthy eco-system.