MFP method actually work for anyone?

redraidergirl2009 · June 2013

In the long run, I average 1+ a week. I lost .6 this week. I checked my weight this morning, and if I went with todays weight instead of yesterdays, I would have shown a 1.4 pound loss. Sometimes you may be holding onto water if you had too much sodium the day before. There may be other factors also that you may be holding onto water, etc. Don't sweat the program as long as you are LOSING weight. Good luck to you!!

I don't really buy the whole water thing. I know for a fact I retain water due to my medication, but I should have lost weight regardless.

ihad · June 2013

Eh, I tried it for a while. It works OK I guess.

:happy:

brillmer · June 2013

I'd say it worked for me. At least for the first 4-5 months.

Eventually I switched from using the numbers MFP calculated for me and I calculated my own macros and input them into MFP, and used MFP to track. I ate ate incredibly healthy + added in exercise. But without MFP - I would be nowhere.

Proof!

determinedbutlazy · June 2013

Not for me. I was 240lbs and it wanted me to eat 1200 cals plus exercise calories. I was pissed off and hungry and tired ALL THE TIME.
I switched to my BMR (around 1650) plus exercise calories for the next 50lbs.

My last 20lbs or so have been TDEE-20% paying attention to my macros and that's been going ok. My loss has been very slow recently, so I think I need to shake things up.

rml_16 · June 2013

I'm just curious if it's worked for anyone or if you've had to alter it to work for you? Mine is set to lose 1lb a week and let me tell you, I'm not losing near that. I lost .3 last week and nothing this week. I eat back some of my exercise calories, not all of them usually because I don't want to eat back that much because I'm not that hungry. I also use a hrm to track and measure my food. I have tried TDEE in the past and that was way too much food and I gained weight.

The MFP method is burn more calories than you eat. That number varies by person, but it works for everyone.

bajoyba · June 2013

Yep, I'd say it works.
So far so good, anyway.

ken_hogan · June 2013

In the long run, I average 1+ a week. I lost .6 this week. I checked my weight this morning, and if I went with todays weight instead of yesterdays, I would have shown a 1.4 pound loss. Sometimes you may be holding onto water if you had too much sodium the day before. There may be other factors also that you may be holding onto water, etc. Don't sweat the program as long as you are LOSING weight. Good luck to you!!

I don't really buy the whole water thing. I know for a fact I retain water due to my medication, but I should have lost weight regardless.

I'm sure I didn't lose .8lb of fat overnight either. My Thursday was high in sodium. I got some running in yesterday, after my weigh in, along with drinking extra water.....I'm sure I 'lost' the weight, but was just retaining some water, which I lost yesterday running & getting extra fluids in.

chelseascounter · June 2013

Nope. It wouldn't work for me. I use the calorie counter at scoobyworkshop.com

TallGlassOfQuirky · June 2013

Although there were some weeks where I lost more or lost less than projected, averaging out, I lost about what MFP said I would lose by eating about what it told me to eat. I've been maintaining a healthy weight for almost 2 years now. I am going to go out on a limb and say MFP works.

ken_hogan · June 2013

Although there were some weeks where I lost more or lost less than projected, averaging out, I lost about what MFP said I would lose by eating about what it told me to eat. I've been maintaining a healthy weight for almost 2 years now. I am going to go out on a limb and say MFP works.

this

LaurenAOK · June 2013

Weight loss is 95% calories in vs. calories out.

MFP uses calories in vs. calories out.

It works.

whitecapwendy · June 2013

It works for me. For me it comes down to food choices. If I fill the y calorie allotment with good choices (lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, etc), it works beautifully, but if I fill my calorie allotment with poor choices I find I do not lose any w eight. If I step on the scale and have a gain--I usually know exactly why. I know food choices that work for me and make me lose weight. I know people say a calorie is a calorie, but my body says differently. If I fill my calorie allotment with low calorie junk food, I find myself craving more junk food and unsatisfied and suffering a plateau. If I choose the right foods, the cravings subside and I lose weight. consistent exercise and drinking lots of water is another factor. I have lost 52 pounds in 5 months and 11 days, so I am not complaining.

edited to add--

I figured out that I have lost an average of 2.26 a week. I started out having my goal set for 2 pounds per week, and have since moved it to 1.5 pounds per week and am eating back most of my exercise. weight loss has slowed down but I am still losing.

whitecapwendy · June 2013

Eh, I tried it for a while. It works OK I guess.

:happy:

excellent loss.

Fozzi43 · June 2013

Working for me.

luckydays27 · June 2013

I had been counting cals using another site since Jan 2012 to April 2013 and lost a little over 20 lbs in that time. I was yo-yoing and eating way to few cals.

I switched to MFP in April 2013 and have been here 8 weeks and lost 9 lbs since.

The difference and why MFP works for me is that I was able to figure out why I was at a plateau for 6 weeks (thanks to the forums it was explained I was not eating enough) and make the change. MFP is more of a fitness site than a diet site to me. I see lots of advice here about working out and eating healthy amounts of food. The other site I was on was all about eating very little cals with no exercise to lose weight

I tried the TDEE method but it ended up not being accurate enough for me because some days I am even more sedentary than MFP allowed and others I am considered highly active. There is no rhyme or reason so I needed something to help me figure out what my true expenditure is Enter Fitbit (thanks to a post here in MFP).

I use my fitbit to calculate my daily cal expenditure and my HRM to determine my cals burned during fitness. Both MFP and Fitbit are set to give me 500 cal day deficit. Whatever number if spits out is what I eat. If I eat more, I exercise more. If I want a treat, I fit it in my cals for the day. If I have been slow on the eating thing for the day, I do what I can to get more food in.

So yes, MFP works but not because it came up with a number of cals for me to eat. It works for me because the forums and the people here showed me a way to determine my true calorie expenditure and the food diary helps me list my calorie intake. When its all said and done, I am losing and I am happy.

Oh and because of MFP, I have found out that cals are just cals and if I want a cheeseburger and fries, its ok to eat it. So long a I have the cals to eat it. If I dont, I either eat less, make another choice, exercise more, or enjoy the meal and do better the next day.

yanniejannie · June 2013

Ok.........I'm female, 61..........started Jan.11,2013 .........as of now have lost 25---YES!!!!! 25lbs....................you better BELIEVE it works!!!!