Did you use the MFP thingy to set your calorie goals?

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

After a little discussion with a MFP friend I figured I would venture into my "goals" and see what I could see. I entered my info blah blah blah. I just wonder, how accurate is this thing? I do keep up with what I consume most of the time, I do have times where I just don't bother. (go ahead, burn me at the stake) I don't usually enter that info here though. I just have it in my handy-dandy notebook. It is easier for me to keep up with that than it is to always be coming in here to search the data base or enter it all in my own entry.

Anyhoo, back to the actual question. Is the MFP calculator fairly accurate? How do you know? I admit the whole "macros" thing really feels like it just flies around my head and I can only swat at it like a cat getting after a house fly. Swat as I may I never actually get it. How does one determine how much fat and protein to consume? The carbs I just adjust to suit my body. Too many affect me poorly, too little for too long also affect me poorly. So I just tweaked that until It felt right. Fat and protein aren't really the same for me. I was thinking maybe I should adjust those depending on my carb intake....(Though I really could just do with out those and never really care. Yeah, my body would care but I think you know what I mean.).... I do carb cycling and carb back loading (if my terms are correct) so I should figure this thing out. What say you knowledgeable folk? Share your wisdom! Please and thank you!

cwolfman13

Any and all of these calculators are just reasonably good estimations based on population averages and algorithms as per your stats and activity level. None of them are gospel and you have to make adjustments as per your real world results.

You also have to understand how these various calculators are designed to work...MFP works differently than most calculators...MFP utilizes the NEAT method while most other calculators utilize the TDEE method. What this means in layman's terms is that your activity level in MFP is only supposed to include your day to day stuff...you NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) while other calculators include an estimate of your exercise activity in you activity level thus deducting the required calories from your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)...so MFP will typically give you a lower calorie target for the same desired rate of loss goal than TDEE calculators will...this is because with MFP and the NEAT method, you log your exercise after the fact and you earn additional calories to properly account for that particular activity that was previously unaccounted for in your activity level.

But again, like I said...it's all an estimate...you watch trends over time and make adjustments as necessary. If you're losing, say 1 Lb per week as an average (won't be exact every week) then you know you're running roughly 500 calories below your maintenance level of calories.

extra_medium

All this, plus get the app for your phone. It's a lot easier than coming on to the website to log everything. And there is a handy barcode scanner.

Also the calculator is only as accurate as your entries - weigh all your food and log everything you eat. Keep in mind when you log extra calorie burn from exercise it is an estimate, and deciding how much of that to eat back can be tricky. You'll have to experiment with this as there's no way for the app to get it exactly right. Many people eat back about half of what the app says they burn just to be on the safe side.

rsclause

The way I do it is with the phone app, I like the scanner for packaged foods. I never weigh food but when estimating I always use the higher calorie estimate if there is more than one. It also places the food or meal in your library for easy finding. I would log everything and eat back most exercise. I don't use machines and my running app syncs to MFP. If I am in deficit and losing weight than I feel like it is accurate enough for me.

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Any and all of these calculators are just reasonably good estimations based on population averages and algorithms as per your stats and activity level. None of them are gospel and you have to make adjustments as per your real world results.

You also have to understand how these various calculators are designed to work...MFP works differently than most calculators...MFP utilizes the NEAT method while most other calculators utilize the TDEE method. What this means in layman's terms is that your activity level in MFP is only supposed to include your day to day stuff...you NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) while other calculators include an estimate of your exercise activity in you activity level thus deducting the required calories from your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)...so MFP will typically give you a lower calorie target for the same desired rate of loss goal than TDEE calculators will...this is because with MFP and the NEAT method, you log your exercise after the fact and you earn additional calories to properly account for that particular activity that was previously unaccounted for in your activity level.

But again, like I said...it's all an estimate...you watch trends over time and make adjustments as necessary. If you're losing, say 1 Lb per week as an average (won't be exact every week) then you know you're running roughly 500 calories below your maintenance level of calories.

Thank you for that. I appreciate the clarity!

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

extra_medium wrote: »

All this, plus get the app for your phone. It's a lot easier than coming on to the website to log everything. And there is a handy barcode scanner.

Also the calculator is only as accurate as your entries - weigh all your food and log everything you eat. Keep in mind when you log extra calorie burn from exercise it is an estimate, and deciding how much of that to eat back can be tricky. You'll have to experiment with this as there's no way for the app to get it exactly right. Many people eat back about half of what the app says they burn just to be on the safe side.

Yeah, I don't do the "phone thing". I know apps and phone "stuff" works well for a lot of folks, but I admit to being a low tech gal. I use my phone minimally. Call me a dinosaur!

eluvscats

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

So I just tweaked that until It felt right.

This. This is it right here. I think you discovered the secret without realizing it!

To the original question, I do use the MFP calorie recommendations based on sedentary activity level for my height/weight etc. It's been pretty close and accurate when I set it to 1/2 lb loss, 1 lb loss, and even 1.5 lb loss per week. If I do any dedicated exercise over just walking to the subway, etc, I'll log it and eat some of that back if I'm hungry.

I suppose the calorie estimates by MFP might not work for everyone, and I resisted it at first. I thought, "my metabolism is probably so messed up, they can't possible be right," but I actually think it's pretty darn close. I hope that helps!

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

eluvscats wrote: »

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

So I just tweaked that until It felt right.

This. This is it right here. I think you discovered the secret without realizing it!

To the original question, I do use the MFP calorie recommendations based on sedentary activity level for my height/weight etc. It's been pretty close and accurate when I set it to 1/2 lb loss, 1 lb loss, and even 1.5 lb loss per week. If I do any dedicated exercise over just walking to the subway, etc, I'll log it and eat some of that back if I'm hungry.

I suppose the calorie estimates by MFP might not work for everyone, and I resisted it at first. I thought, "my metabolism is probably so messed up, they can't possible be right," but I actually think it's pretty darn close. I hope that helps!

I believe you misunderstand me. I tweaked CARBS
This does not apply to protein and fat because as I stated if I tweak those until they feel right I would be leaving them off completely. I could care less about either. But thanks for the input anyway.

eluvscats

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

eluvscats wrote: »

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

So I just tweaked that until It felt right.

This. This is it right here. I think you discovered the secret without realizing it!

To the original question, I do use the MFP calorie recommendations based on sedentary activity level for my height/weight etc. It's been pretty close and accurate when I set it to 1/2 lb loss, 1 lb loss, and even 1.5 lb loss per week. If I do any dedicated exercise over just walking to the subway, etc, I'll log it and eat some of that back if I'm hungry.

I suppose the calorie estimates by MFP might not work for everyone, and I resisted it at first. I thought, "my metabolism is probably so messed up, they can't possible be right," but I actually think it's pretty darn close. I hope that helps!

I believe you misunderstand me. I tweaked CARBS
This does not apply to protein and fat because as I stated if I tweak those until they feel right I would be leaving them off completely. I could care less about either. But thanks for the input anyway.

It sounds like you're a bit frustrated, and I apologize because you're right, I didn't understand your meaning and question. I thought you were asking about our experience with the accuracy of the MFP calorie recommendations, which might better explain my reply above. I don't have much in the way of recommendation on macros because the ratios that work for me so I feel good emotionally and physically, am not hungry, and lose/maintain the level I want, might not work for anyone else. I do not use the default ratios of carbs/protein/fat that MFP sets automatically, however.

Again, I apologize for misunderstanding your question, and I hope this helps somewhat.

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

eluvscats wrote: »

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

eluvscats wrote: »

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

So I just tweaked that until It felt right.

This. This is it right here. I think you discovered the secret without realizing it!

To the original question, I do use the MFP calorie recommendations based on sedentary activity level for my height/weight etc. It's been pretty close and accurate when I set it to 1/2 lb loss, 1 lb loss, and even 1.5 lb loss per week. If I do any dedicated exercise over just walking to the subway, etc, I'll log it and eat some of that back if I'm hungry.

I suppose the calorie estimates by MFP might not work for everyone, and I resisted it at first. I thought, "my metabolism is probably so messed up, they can't possible be right," but I actually think it's pretty darn close. I hope that helps!

I believe you misunderstand me. I tweaked CARBS
This does not apply to protein and fat because as I stated if I tweak those until they feel right I would be leaving them off completely. I could care less about either. But thanks for the input anyway.

It sounds like you're a bit frustrated, and I apologize because you're right, I didn't understand your meaning and question. I thought you were asking about our experience with the accuracy of the MFP calorie recommendations, which might better explain my reply above. I don't have much in the way of recommendation on macros because the ratios that work for me so I feel good emotionally and physically, am not hungry, and lose/maintain the level I want, might not work for anyone else. I do not use the default ratios of carbs/protein/fat that MFP sets automatically, however.

Again, I apologize for misunderstanding your question, and I hope this helps somewhat.

I see now! I realize I wasn't as clear as I should have been! Well, I think I was just wondering overall? I do want to ask you though, how did you come to your ratios for your macros? Did you say, just eat what your body seemed to "want" then write that down and go from there, or did you set an amount to try out and change it based on what you felt?

And yeah, I totally admit to frustration! I feel like everything I do feels wrong somehow. I find myself either getting what has to be a totally ridiculous amount of either fat or protein, or it goes the total opposite. I feel lost in the MFP forest. LOL!

xvolution

Everyone uses their own methods to calculate their overall macro distribution. Mine was to find how much protein I need per day and work around that [using the 0.8xlean body weight formula]. For me that put my protein needs around 25%, so I adjusted my carbs and fats to fit that [50% carbs/25% fat].

The carbs and fats numbers for me are not set in stone, and sometimes I have more fat-heavy foods on a splurge, to which I take from my carb total a bit [1g fat = around 2.5g carb] and vice versa.

eluvscats

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

eluvscats wrote: »

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

eluvscats wrote: »

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

So I just tweaked that until It felt right.

This. This is it right here. I think you discovered the secret without realizing it!

To the original question, I do use the MFP calorie recommendations based on sedentary activity level for my height/weight etc. It's been pretty close and accurate when I set it to 1/2 lb loss, 1 lb loss, and even 1.5 lb loss per week. If I do any dedicated exercise over just walking to the subway, etc, I'll log it and eat some of that back if I'm hungry.

I suppose the calorie estimates by MFP might not work for everyone, and I resisted it at first. I thought, "my metabolism is probably so messed up, they can't possible be right," but I actually think it's pretty darn close. I hope that helps!

I believe you misunderstand me. I tweaked CARBS
This does not apply to protein and fat because as I stated if I tweak those until they feel right I would be leaving them off completely. I could care less about either. But thanks for the input anyway.

It sounds like you're a bit frustrated, and I apologize because you're right, I didn't understand your meaning and question. I thought you were asking about our experience with the accuracy of the MFP calorie recommendations, which might better explain my reply above. I don't have much in the way of recommendation on macros because the ratios that work for me so I feel good emotionally and physically, am not hungry, and lose/maintain the level I want, might not work for anyone else. I do not use the default ratios of carbs/protein/fat that MFP sets automatically, however.

Again, I apologize for misunderstanding your question, and I hope this helps somewhat.

I see now! I realize I wasn't as clear as I should have been! Well, I think I was just wondering overall? I do want to ask you though, how did you come to your ratios for your macros? Did you say, just eat what your body seemed to "want" then write that down and go from there, or did you set an amount to try out and change it based on what you felt?

And yeah, I totally admit to frustration! I feel like everything I do feels wrong somehow. I find myself either getting what has to be a totally ridiculous amount of either fat or protein, or it goes the total opposite. I feel lost in the MFP forest. LOL!

It IS frustrating to figure out what really works; I empathize!

For calories: I use the recommendations straight from MFP based on my goal rate of loss etc.

For my macros (YMMV): I tried out the MFP default ratios and found that when I ate a lot of carbs and low fat I got really hungry (ok, hangry) all the time. Then I tried low-carbing (keto/paleo/primal), lowering carbs, increasing fat, but found it too restrictive and hard to maintain. For dialing in protein, I tried high protein with lower carb high fat, and found that perplexingly I lost less fat when I ate a lot (120+ grams) of protein, and felt kinda crummy and grumpy most of the time. However just increased fat helped keep me full and not hungry, so that was good to know. Now I aim for something in the mid range, lower carbs than MFP recommends but not low carb, 60-80 grams of protein, and fill in the rest with the healthier fats (avocado, olive oil, grass fed meat, whole eggs etc) and real butter (because it's delicious) in preparations. I usually end up with an average ratio that looks like: 40% carbs, 40% fat, 20% protein. However, some days, like today when I had frosted mini-wheats for breakfast, carbs are much higher, and days when I eat eggs and bacon for breakfast, carbs are lower and fat ends up much higher. But it averages out.

This took a few years to really experiment with all the different ways of eating, but I'm satisfied with this average ratio now because: I feel good emotionally and can handle stress reasonably well, I can eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full and legitimately satisfied, I get enough protein to maintain muscle while losing, and I get the benefits of my hair, skin and nails (yes, vanity is real) being nourished by luxurious healthy fats, as well as the steady accessible energy from the carbs.

In the end though, I don't obsess too much about the macros because I have habits and routines that support the average ratios that work for me, though I certainly have obsessed about them during the process of experimenting on myself (I am my own lab rat!). If I feel good and am losing what I am aiming to lose, I feel good about it at the end of the day. I could eat this way forever and be very happy.

Try not to feel shame in eating more fat, fewer carbs, less fat, more protein, less protein, or whatever. I know that's hard sometimes. I really feel like you have to do what works best for you. There is so much [often] conflicting information out there regarding "healthy" diets and weight loss, it can become paralyzing with the plethora of choice and "advice" available. Try not to feel guilty because of what other people say you should eat or not eat. Experiment. Try different ratios and see what feels good to you.

And here's my favorite quote ever by my favorite American President for inspiration to keep trying/experimenting/moving:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the stronger man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

You're IN the arena. That's something to be insanely proud of.