I can't trust MFP caloric recommendations

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sifmole
sifmole Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I've been looking at other calculators and messing around with current weights, goal weights, and loss per week goals on MFP. I feel like I can't trust MFPs caloric intake recommendations for weight loss.

For instance -- MFP says at 243 lbs with a goal of 200, I should eat 1500 calories to lose 1.9 lbs per week. I change my weight to 150 lbs with a goal of 120 .... and it says the same thing --1500 calories-- to lose .8 lbs per week

Then I tell MFP I am 3ft tall, 150 lbs and goal weight of 100 and guess the number? 1500 calories to lose 0.4 per week.

Does MFP never supply a caloric intake recommendation of less than 1500 calories? If so, then that would mean that anybody who had their numbers put in to target a 2lb per week loss is not being told the caloric intake required to meet that goal and they may not even realize that.

Can anybody correct me on what I am seeing?

Replies

  • alcomer
    alcomer Posts: 101 Member
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    MFP set my calorie goal at 1200 to lose 1 lb a week
  • sifmole
    sifmole Posts: 10 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    If you're a man, you will never get a goal of less than 1,500. This is to prevent people from getting a goal that is too low.

    Not everyone can safely lose 2 pounds a week.

    Ok. That matches what I am seeing in behavior. But really? At 243 lbs 5' 7" and "obese" I can't safely lose 2 lbs a week? My doctor and dietician tell me I should be targeting 2 lbs a week. Guess I will have to use MFP for tracking and use a modified goal.

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    what is your goal weight? if its less than 100lbs, then no, 2lbs a week isn't really a good goal - 1-1.5 would be more appropriate

    maybe start with a small goal (say 220lbs) with a 1lb a week weight loss, and then when you hit that adjust your goal
  • Rickster1967
    Rickster1967 Posts: 485 Member
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    interesting

    I set my daily calorie intake based on my BMR and intend to increase activity levels to create the calorie deficit

    as I get lighter by BMR will drop and I'll have to lower my calorie intake to maintain weight loss

    the actual weight loss I achieve will be the outcome of my plan not the objective

    i.e I accept the weight loss I get from the process, rather than setting a desired weight loss rate
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    Also, when comparing calculators, you want to be aware that some take exercise into account, and some (like MFP) do not. So MFP intends for you to eat back at least part of any calories earned through exercise.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Must also be noted the MFP goal is BEFORE exercise.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    sifmole wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    If you're a man, you will never get a goal of less than 1,500. This is to prevent people from getting a goal that is too low.

    Not everyone can safely lose 2 pounds a week.

    Ok. That matches what I am seeing in behavior. But really? At 243 lbs 5' 7" and "obese" I can't safely lose 2 lbs a week? My doctor and dietician tell me I should be targeting 2 lbs a week. Guess I will have to use MFP for tracking and use a modified goal.

    If I toss your numbers into a BMR calc, (assuming an age of 35), I get a BMR of ~2200. Add to that a sedentary bump of 20% and I see ~2650. To get to 2 lb per week loss, you'd be at 1650 before exercise.

    Something isn't adding up with the numbers.

    Anyway, the short answer is to add exercise and only eat part of those calories back.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Trying to set a weight per week doesn't always work well. Consistency always works best, more than low calories. All you need is 300 or so under your maintenance consistently to lose body fat. If you do that and give it 30-90 days of consistency you will see results. Focus on the food scale not the body weight scale. It WILL work, in fact it works if you never again stepped on the body weight scale. The food scale is your friend along with steady slow consistency.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    sifmole wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    If you're a man, you will never get a goal of less than 1,500. This is to prevent people from getting a goal that is too low.

    Not everyone can safely lose 2 pounds a week.

    Ok. That matches what I am seeing in behavior. But really? At 243 lbs 5' 7" and "obese" I can't safely lose 2 lbs a week? My doctor and dietician tell me I should be targeting 2 lbs a week. Guess I will have to use MFP for tracking and use a modified goal.

    In that case, 1500 sounds like it probably is the 2 lb/week goal. It would mean you have a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) of 2500 calories, before exercise.
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I'm female, 5'7, starting weight 270 lb and when I had it set to 2lb a week loss my goal was 1300 when my activity level was sedentary, and I was losing the 2 lb a week as expected. So 1500 isn't unreasonable to assume for a man to lose 2lb a week. Try it for a few weeks and see :)
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    edited August 2017
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    californiagirl2012 wrote: »
    Trying to set a weight per week doesn't always work well. Consistency always works best, more than low calories. All you need is 300 or so under your maintenance consistently to lose body fat. If you do that and give it 30-90 days of consistency you will see results. Focus on the food scale not the body weight scale. It WILL work, in fact it works if you never again stepped on the body weight scale. The food scale is your friend along with steady slow consistency.

    I'm all for going slow but a 300 kcal deficit would mean 12 weeks to lose 1 lb. Only good if you don't have a lot to lose.

    ETA: Assuming you meant 300 a week. Which now I read it again is probably not what you meant. I'll shut up ;)
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    1500 seems about right to me for someone your size to lose 2 lbs a week for now. Later it will result in a slower loss.
    As you lose weight you will need less calories to lose and maintain your weight unless you increase your activity level. MFP won't give you a calorie goal less than the minimum recommended calories for your stated gender.
    With MFP you don't account for exercise in your calorie goal just your daily activity level. You are then supposed to log exercise and eat some of the extra calories.
    You can manually set a calorie goal if you think some other calculator is better or your doctor recommends a different amount for you.

    I found the calorie goal MFP gave me to lose 1 lb a week starting out resulted in losing 1 lb per week so I would say you should at least try what it recommends for a month or two before dismissing it as untrustworthy.

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