App Confusion: Differences in pounds loss per week with same calorie count?

lexydale

For some reason, even though I am logging the same amount of calories every day, the app keeps telling me a different amount of weight I will lose in 5 weeks, does anyone know why? I want to lose a pound a week and it has my goal calories at 1200 but some days it says I will lose 3 pound in 5 weeks and other days it says I will lose 5 pounds in 5 weeks. Can someone help me figure out what I am missing?

Running2Fit

Do you update your weight? Log exercise? You log exactly the same number of calories every day? Even a small difference make change the numbers a lot since it’s looking at a 5 week span.

Also, if it has you set at 1200 calories it may be that it’s not safe/healthy for you to lose 1 lb a week based on your current stats. It will never give you a calorie goal under 1200 so if you set your weight loss goal to be too aggressive it just sets you at 1200.

concordancia

Are you logging your exercise? The calorie goal that MFP gives you is without exercise, you are expected to eat back your exercise calories. If you log exercise, but don't eat those calories the weight loss predictions will be different.

kimny72

The 5 week prediction is a gimmick, honestly I wouldn't pay much attention to it. It's not a scientific calculation or anything. Weight loss isn't linear and doesn't happen on a schedule, so all you can do is estimate anyway.

Spend your time figuring out how to create healthy habits around your logging, don't waste more than a second or so on the prediction :drinker:

lexydale

Thanks for the ideas. I guess I was just wondering what was causing the deviation in the estimate every day. I assumed that if I ate the same amount of calories per day, I would have the same 5 week estimate every day but it changes everyday which makes me think the app is broken. I am not too focused on the goal as I can't eat less than 1200 calories per day.

Danp

I haven't 'completed' my diary for 11 months. I did it for the first month or so but got so irritated by the terrible 'in 5 weeks' thing that I just stopped.

Completing your diary for the day doesn't really do anything helpful.

AnnPT77

Do you have a fitness tracker synched to MFP?