Calculating your RDI - why so different between programs?

dblankenburg

I've noticed that MFP tells me my recommended daily intake should be 1730 calories per day to lose 1 lb/wk while both Fatsecret and Calorie King tell me it should be 2300 calories per day to lose 1 lb/wk. That's a big difference! Anyone have thoughts on why MFP is so much less than the other two?

DeguelloTex

Do the others include an activity level that MFP isn't?

TheVirgoddess

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Do the others include an activity level that MFP isn't?

Or exercise.

MFP uses the NEAT method, which is set up so earn and then eat your exercise calories back. It's possible the other sites already include your exercise in your activity level, and therefore you won't "earn" extra calories throughout the day.

TimothyFish

MFP is designed to have you log your exercise calories. If you take the MFP number and add the exercise calories, you will get a number that is close to what the other sites are giving you. I would be more concerned about the difference in numbers between the other two sites, since they don't tell you how much exercise they are assuming you are putting in.

Unknown

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DeguelloTex

FWIW, the maintenance given by those other two sites is much, much higher -- like 600 calories a day higher -- than my spreadsheet says would be my maintenance level.

dblankenburg

I do not "eat back" calories that I burn with exercise each day, I keep a set Carb/calorie target regardless of the exercise I do and do not record exercise in MFP (if I upgrade to premium it will allow me to record and not adjust). I will have to look at the other two and see if they are possibly adding back. I'm not recording any data in them, I was just going by the RDI it calculated on initial setup. I thought I had all 3 set to sedentary just to even them out but maybe not.

Thanks for the info!
Dave