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If every day was like today.....

trudie_b
trudie_b Posts: 230 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Something seems off with my goal settings and the messages you get when you complete your diary. I've got it set to 1/2lb loss a week, but when I complete the days diary and my calorie intake matches my output, the weight it tells me I would be in 5 weeks if I ate that many calories every day is equal to a 1lb loss every week. Anyone else see that?

Replies

  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    edited January 2017
    It will change daily based on what you eat and how much you burn. Are you logging exercise? I wouldn't put too much stock into that message -- everything is an estimate. But think of it this way... your calorie goal is set to a certain number of calories below your daily energy needs (TDEE). Eat at TDEE to maintain, eat less to lose weight. Any day that you eat near your calorie goal and less than your TDEE, you will be eating in a deficit and will be burning fat (and muscle) for fuel. If you exercise, you are creating a higher deficit.
    If you eat within (i.e., slightly below) your calorie goal, you will be in a higher deficit for that day than if you ate at exactly your calorie goal and will burn a little faster than 1/2 lb per week for that day. Same goes for if you exercise.
  • rudexvirus
    rudexvirus Posts: 52 Member
    Those two things are separate. One is the amount you may actually lose and is an estimate, one is the amount you want to lose and affects the calories you can/should eat daily.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
    I come to think its more a motivational tool then a literal one.. it feels good to see a "in 5 weeks" this could be were your at.. i dunno
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 433 Member
    I don't put much faith in it but it does give me some motivation that I'm doing things correct.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,876 Member
    edited January 2017
    It depends entirely upon your current weight, what you ate that particular day, and what exercise you did that particular day. That's all.

    If you do something different tomorrow ... it will be different.

    Just consider it a mild motivational tool.

    For me, it was the reason I went on to Goal 2 after accomplishing Goal 1.
  • trudie_b
    trudie_b Posts: 230 Member
    I'm even more confused now! If I stick exactly to the amount of calories that mfp allows me to theoretically lose 1/2lb a week, then surely that's how much the calculation should add up to when I complete that days log?

    I don't pay much attention to it, I know weight loss isn't that simple or linear anyway, but it does make me wonder: is that logarithm off? Or am I in a bigger calorie deficit than I thought?

    I don't have exercise calories deducted, instead I've got myself down as lightly active. I used to deduct exercise calories but as I got close to goal and started doing more weights and less cardio my weight loss slowed right down, mainly because I think I wasn't burning as many calories as I thought I was.
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
    I don't look at it ,, it kind of bums me out seeing the numbers ,, just seems slow lol

    Good luck
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
    trudie_b wrote: »
    I'm even more confused now! If I stick exactly to the amount of calories that mfp allows me to theoretically lose 1/2lb a week, then surely that's how much the calculation should add up to when I complete that days log?

    I don't pay much attention to it, I know weight loss isn't that simple or linear anyway, but it does make me wonder: is that logarithm off? Or am I in a bigger calorie deficit than I thought?

    I don't have exercise calories deducted, instead I've got myself down as lightly active. I used to deduct exercise calories but as I got close to goal and started doing more weights and less cardio my weight loss slowed right down, mainly because I think I wasn't burning as many calories as I thought I was.

    Do you eat the exact same thing everyday? Or does it fluctuate like 100-300 or more a day? The reason they have that is to show you if you stick to exact thats your rough weight.. we take it with a grain of salt because realistically you wont eat or have the same fitness or calorie intake a day.. the number is nice to see but does not mean too much. Most of us dont pay nuch attention to it..
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
    That number fluctuates higher and lower depending on my fitness and calorie intake in a day.. 2 days ago mine was 252 i logged my calories yesterday it was 255.. yesterday i ate more. If you follow this number to a t you will drive yourself crazy lol its more of a tool then it is literal
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
    For me im 275.. i think its CRAZY mine says 255 in 5 weeks! Its a amazing thought tho!
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    The general advice is to ignore it I believe.
  • jagi410
    jagi410 Posts: 97 Member
    Click on "Finish Diary" right after breakfast, it'll give you a crazy unrealistic number. It's there for motivation only, don't focus on the number, but focus on maintaining the progress!
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    jagi410 wrote: »
    Click on "Finish Diary" right after breakfast, it'll give you a crazy unrealistic number. It's there for motivation only, don't focus on the number, but focus on maintaining the progress!

    It won't give you anything unless you eat at least 1,000 calories for breakfast and try that. It won't let you 'close' it and give you a prediction if you're below that.
  • trudie_b
    trudie_b Posts: 230 Member
    Yeah, I don't think I'm explaining myself well. Let me give you numbers. Let's say that I'm 150lbs, and for me to lose 1/2lb a week, MFP tells me to eat 1600 calories a day. And let's say that at the end of a day, I've logged 1600 calories. The number should then say, "if every day was like today, in 5 weeks you'd weigh 147.5lbs". But instead, it is saying, "if every day was like today, in 5 weeks you'd weigh 145lbs". Indicating that it's anticipating a 1lb a week weight loss. Even though I stuck to the calorie calculation that was designed to give me a 1/2lb weight loss.

    I know it's basically irrelevant, but it's bugging me, so I thought I'd ask!
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Just played with yesterday and added calories to bring me to 0 net. Has me down 10lbs in 5 weeks, which is what my loss is set at. I wonder if it doesn't like the .5 lb setting for some reason.

    Anyway, I ignore it.
  • Remoth
    Remoth Posts: 117 Member
    Maybe it changes the calorie deficit requirement of losing a 1/2 lb a week based on how active you generally are? Based on which setting you picked, sedentary, lightly active, etc?
  • 4daluvof_candice
    4daluvof_candice Posts: 483 Member
    Noel_57 wrote: »
    I entered my Domino's pepperoni pizza last night. And was told that if every day was like today - I would pop a shirt button and take out my wife's left eye. :anguished:


    LMBOOOOOOOO!!!!!! @pop a shirt button and take out my wife's left eye I hope that doesn't happen!!

  • Wendy__D
    Wendy__D Posts: 51 Member
    trudie_b wrote: »
    Yeah, I don't think I'm explaining myself well. Let me give you numbers. Let's say that I'm 150lbs, and for me to lose 1/2lb a week, MFP tells me to eat 1600 calories a day. And let's say that at the end of a day, I've logged 1600 calories. The number should then say, "if every day was like today, in 5 weeks you'd weigh 147.5lbs". But instead, it is saying, "if every day was like today, in 5 weeks you'd weigh 145lbs". Indicating that it's anticipating a 1lb a week weight loss. Even though I stuck to the calorie calculation that was designed to give me a 1/2lb weight loss.

    I know it's basically irrelevant, but it's bugging me, so I thought I'd ask!


    So using your numbers, it says 1600 Cals is your goal for -.5 lb/wk and you eat exactly 1600 Calories... you're right it should make the projected 5 week goal 2.5 lbs lost. Are you exercising and putting that in the app? Because if you eat 1600 and exercise 250 that'll net 1350 which'll project a 5 lb loss. Also, is your weight in the app current? If you are thinking in terms of real weight and your weight fluctuated up and you didn't record that it'll still go based on the last weight you entered.
  • trudie_b
    trudie_b Posts: 230 Member
    No, I don't put exercise in currently, and yes, my weight is accurate. Isn't it weird?!
  • KWlosingit
    KWlosingit Posts: 122 Member
    You are not alone. I have stopped closing out my diary because it would give such odd random numbers not at all in line with the number of calories I ate that day or my anticipated rate of loss.
  • trudie_b
    trudie_b Posts: 230 Member
    KWlosingit wrote: »
    You are not alone. I have stopped closing out my diary because it would give such odd random numbers not at all in line with the number of calories I ate that day or my anticipated rate of loss.

    And I'd been wasting time trying to see if there was a way to turn it off - duh, just don't complete the day!
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