If every day were like today... You'd weigh 10 st 8 lbs in 5 weeks

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How does it work it out?
My weight is currently set as 10 st 7 lbs and today I ate:

Totals 1,855 55 69 21 3 76
Your Daily Goal 1,307 163 43 65 25 50
Remaining -548 108 -26 44 22 -26

*You've earned 67 extra calories from exercise today

1,855

So pretty much my maintenance calories, or maybe less. So how does it work out that I will put on a pound in 5 weeks?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Are you set to lose a pound a week? If so, you went almost 50 calories above maintenance. Which would equal about a half-pound gain over that time.

    The 5-week projection is pretty useless anyway. That's showing if you eat like that every single day.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    I see the five week projection as useful feedback on my day, not as a hard and fast prediction of what will be:
    • If it's higher than my current weight, then I need to pay attention to what I'm eating, that's not the direction I want to be going.
    • If it's a bit lower, that's good, that's what I'm aiming for.
    • If it's a lot lower that means I haven't eaten much today, which is not sustainable so that also means I need to pay attention to what I'm eating.
  • Shawn_in_OKC
    Shawn_in_OKC Posts: 56 Member
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    I'm not too sure about that 5 week projection... It always tells me I'll be 40lbs lighter. :|
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    I'm not too sure about that 5 week projection... It always tells me I'll be 40lbs lighter. :|

    And that tells me that you are eating well below the calories that MFP recommends. Whether this is healthy for you is going to depend on your stats but if you keep this up it might be worth clearing this with your doctor if you haven't already.
  • Shawn_in_OKC
    Shawn_in_OKC Posts: 56 Member
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    pebble4321 wrote: »
    I'm not too sure about that 5 week projection... It always tells me I'll be 40lbs lighter. :|

    And that tells me that you are eating well below the calories that MFP recommends. Whether this is healthy for you is going to depend on your stats but if you keep this up it might be worth clearing this with your doctor if you haven't already.

    I'm pretty fluffy. It could be right for my size.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    pebble4321 wrote: »
    I'm not too sure about that 5 week projection... It always tells me I'll be 40lbs lighter. :|

    And that tells me that you are eating well below the calories that MFP recommends. Whether this is healthy for you is going to depend on your stats but if you keep this up it might be worth clearing this with your doctor if you haven't already.

    I'm pretty fluffy. It could be right for my size.

    Maybe so, but that's suggesting you will lose 8lb a week. That's very significant weight loss and it would be wise to run this by your doctor so you stay healthy while you are at it. Of course, it also assumes that your food and exercise calories are being logged accurately, as this will directly impact the numbers you are getting.
  • 30kgin2017
    30kgin2017 Posts: 228 Member
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    I set my goal on MFP to lose 1kg a week, it wont go below 1200 cal so says I'll lose 0.7kgs per week and then says I'll lose 1.6kg by Feb 20.

    Once I went to the trouble of of recording all the 5 week predictions, averaging them out for a predicted weekly loss and checking back in 5 weeks time (I was also weighing food at the time) and it was always out.

    What its basically telling you is that your eating 100 cal over maintenance that day and if you continue that surplus every day for 5 weeks you'll put on a pound over that time.
  • kjarvo
    kjarvo Posts: 235 Member
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    I think it shouldn't be that exact for 50 calories, maybe if you ate 300 over. No one eats that exactly everyday and I think it can cause people to obsess over small amounts. But like I said it is pretty much my maintenance calories, or maybe less as 1800 is on the low side for maintenance. I just don't think it should scare people to think they will put 1 pound on if I ate 50 calories over a low maintenance value.

    Normally I do just ignore it though, but if I am on the low side I like to see that if I keep this up I WILL lose weight, it does happen.
  • NewGemini130
    NewGemini130 Posts: 219 Member
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    It's not to "scare people"- it's a mathematical calculation: if you eat more than mfp has calculated you to need, you'll gain; eat less and you'll lose. It's all estimation and should be interpreted w/a grain of salt.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Actually you can eat over what MFP says and still lose, if your intake is less than TDEE. Such as if you are set for a 750 deficit, and eat 250 over that. MFP will show you ate 250 over goal, but still show you on course for a 5 pound loss in 5 weeks 'if every day were like today'.

    Small deficit or large, depending on what you're capable of, will lead to a loss. As to the OP, eating 'about at maintenance' but mathematically at 48 over TDEE would result in a gradual increase. Of course, this assumes that MFP's projected TDEE is 100% accurate and that's not really possible. Its an estimate based on each user's stated activity level or tracker if one is synced.
    It's not to "scare people"- it's a mathematical calculation: if you eat more than mfp has calculated you to need, you'll gain; eat less and you'll lose. It's all estimation and should be interpreted w/a grain of salt.