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I don't understand how MFP comes up with estimates

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skatardrummer
skatardrummer Posts: 60 Member
in Social Groups
I'm not real great at logging every day since I literally eat almost the same thing every day. I buy and make the same thing. I realize it's boring, but I'm finding that my health conditions there are certain foods I can't eat. But at any rate, how is MFP coming up with numbers when it says "if every day were like this, you'd weight XXX in X weeks." I'm not losing as fast as it says. Probably about half as fast or less. I'm even making sure to log diet pop because of sodium (and yes, trying to get away from drinking that!)

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    It's taking the estimate of daily burn based on your selected Activity Level, and any workouts you log, less the calories you eat.

    The difference is multiplied by 7 days x 4 weeks, divided by 3500 assuming all weight lost is fat, and there's your pounds lost.

    Say burn 2000 - eat 1500 = 500
    500 x 7 x 4 = 14000 / 3500 = 4 lbs if fat was all you lost.

    If your food logging isn't accurate by weight (not volume which is really bad) and product accuracy - that side is bad.
    If you don't burn exactly what was estimated (and how could you know, or what if guessed wrong level) - that side is bad.
    If weight changes have any water weight involved, that's 0 calorie so your reading to compare to is bad.

    And rarely will every day be exactly the same for 4 weeks - first few words should be huge red flag that this can't be realistic going forward.

    Considering as a woman your metabolism literally changes through the month - everyday for the next 4 weeks being the same is impossible even on paper.

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