Were the cals mfp gave you accurate?

Suhrah623

arditarose wrote: »

Suhrah623 wrote: »

Right now I weigh about 139 lbs. I am a 5'5" female. Mfp is saying that at this very moment at 139 lbs that my maintenance cals are supposed to be 1,680.

Does that sound about right to anybody else with similar stats as me?

Sounds low to me. Are you very sedentary?

I do have it set to "sedentary", but I chase my little kids all day and I also work about 20-22 hours a week where I am fairly active. I would really like to get back into a regular workout routine here soon. I have a huge test I'm studying for, which I'm taking in March sometime I believe, so my plan is to get back into regular workouts then.

Suhrah623

CooCooPuff wrote: »

Suhrah623 wrote: »

Right now I weigh about 139 lbs. I am a 5'5" female. Mfp is saying that at this very moment at 139 lbs that my maintenance cals are supposed to be 1,680.

Does that sound about right to anybody else with similar stats as me?

Do you have it set to sedentary? I eat back the adjustments Fitbit gives me, so I keep MFP set to sedentary. At 24, 5'7", 140lbs, MFP gives me a base of 1,780.

Yes I have it set to sedentary.

robingmurphy

Suhrah623 wrote: »

Right now I weigh about 139 lbs. I am a 5'5" female. Mfp is saying that at this very moment at 139 lbs that my maintenance cals are supposed to be 1,680.

Does that sound about right to anybody else with similar stats as me?

That's about right if you are totally sedentary. I'm 5'5" and 141 lbs. MFP gives me 1620 a day to maintain my weight if I am sedentary. I usually burn 400-500 calories extra through activity and exercise, and end up with a TDEE around 2100 a day. I am losing 1 lb. a week eating about 1600 calories.

nxd10

Before I started counting steps, I used MFP, logged for a month, then adjusted my activity level downwards. When I got a pedometer, then fitbit, now apple watch, I realized I had overestimated calories burned through exercise.

But yes, it was exactly accurate for losing until I got close to my goal weight and slowed way down. Then I maintained at what MFP estimated (including eating back all the exercise calories I was hungry before) for 3 years. I don't eat just to eat - I eat what I'm hungry for. But I don't hesitate to eat anything within my calorie budget and haven't had a problem.

sistrsprkl

Congrats on just about making it to maintenence. Yes, I've found MFP to be pretty accurate. I'm pretty active and eat about 2000, I'm 5'8" 140.

galprincess

MFP spot on for me

starling01

MFP’s maintenance calories (1330) were too high for me. Within a week I’d gained 2 pounds. I dropped my calories back to 1200 and floated up and down the same 2 pounds for almost 6 weeks before suddenly dropping 3 pounds. At this point I don’t know what my maintenance level is – MFP is too high but I will eventually lose on 1200. (Lost 90 pounds on it) I’m 63, 5’5”, currently 111 pounds, sedentary but outside running and walking my dog for about an hour a day. (Mostly running – dog is fat and needs to run, and now that I’m no longer breathless, I enjoy running.) Fitbit HR usually gives me a couple hundred calories from that. Anyway, MFP’s maintenance calorie level is not too low for me but the difference between losing and maintaining is going to be small, so it's probably very close.

neohdiver

Suhrah623 wrote: »

I'm going to be entering maintenance here soon... I have about 5 more pounds to go! (Yay!)
Anyway, for those of you maintaining- were the calories mfp gave you for maintaining weight pretty accurate? Or did you calculate your cals somewhere else and manually enter them in instead?
Thanks!

I'm not there yet, but I can guarantee that they will be too high.

Over the last 5 weeks, MFP predicted I would lose 13 lbs. I lost 9. It was off by 44% (and my consumption was accurately logged and below, rather than above, the calorie count on the day it made that prediction).

No surprise, I've always known my body is a pretty efficient machine. Good for avoiding starvation. Not so good for losing or maintaining weight. Based on that, I expect to only be able to eat maintenance less 400 calories a day in unless I want to gain weight.

AnnPT77

neohdiver wrote: »

Suhrah623 wrote: »

I'm going to be entering maintenance here soon... I have about 5 more pounds to go! (Yay!)
Anyway, for those of you maintaining- were the calories mfp gave you for maintaining weight pretty accurate? Or did you calculate your cals somewhere else and manually enter them in instead?
Thanks!

I'm not there yet, but I can guarantee that they will be too high.

Over the last 5 weeks, MFP predicted I would lose 13 lbs. I lost 9. It was off by 44% (and my consumption was accurately logged and below, rather than above, the calorie count on the day it made that prediction).

No surprise, I've always known my body is a pretty efficient machine. Good for avoiding starvation. Not so good for losing or maintaining weight. Based on that, I expect to only be able to eat maintenance less 400 calories a day in unless I want to gain weight.

I wouldn't guarantee that at all. There really is individual variation - even if not over a huge range - so I think it's reasonable to plan on some experimentation & adjustment.

I'm 60, hypothyroid (which I don't think makes a difference for me, but many find it does), and still losing roughly half a pound a week on a calorie level about 100 above what MFP says I should eat for maintenance. (I'm not actually trying to maintain yet, not quite there - but obviously, the MFP estimate for my age & activity level is too low by at least 300 or so, for me.)

starling01

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

I think you're confusing normal water weight gain (that you would expect when you increase your calories) with actual fat gain. You might find this post helpful. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/993576/why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut/p1

Thank you! I read through it, and since I'm below my target weight now (not 5 pounds below but I'm too thin for comfort so 3 will have to do), I'll start eating at maintenance again and hopefully let the minimal gain stabilize. I eat back my exercise calories so between that and the MFP suggested calorie level, I'll increase close to 300 calories a day, and that will be a good thing. I'll see how it goes. Thank you again!