Am I using Fitness Pal corretly?

eilanice1

My Tdee is about 2000 a day. I weight 153 pounds and I am 5.1 inches tall. My BMI says I am overweight at 28.9.

I am going to the gym 4 times a week I do weights. My garmin watch sais I am burning avout 150 cal per workout, (this number might give you an idea on intensity) I am no doing cardio at the moment, I am building up to that to start a cutting phase.

The question I have is about the app. I am eating ~1500 cal a day, every time I complete my diary, FP gives a message saying "If everyday was like today, in 5 weeks you weigh* 149.7 pounds. Your projected weigh loss is an estimate based on your total net calories for today"

This is confusing to me if I am effectively burning 2000 a day and eating only 1500 shouldn't I be loosing a pound per week?

lynn_glenmont

Well, if you told MFP that you're 5.1 inches tall, I wouldn't be surprised if you're getting bad data back.

Do you mean you're 5 feet, 1 inch? Or maybe 5 feet, 5.1 inches? Check to make sure you didn't make a mistake in the data you gave MFP, like you did in your post.

cmriverside

First, how did you determine that your TDEE is 2000? If you got it from some online calculator or even a Fitbit, the only way to know how close 2000 is to your daily calorie needs is to track your food and your body weight for a couple months. Online calculators and Fitbits are ballpark figures. As a side issue, Myfitnesspal doesn't calculate calorie needs the same way a TDEE calculator does, so depending on how and where you got those numbers, you still need to run the experiment.
Here's the explanation: https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
Did you use Myfitnesspal to estimate your calorie needs? If so, what did you tell it in the "Lose XX amount of pounds per week?"
The other thing is that those "In five weeks" estimates are lame anyway. Don't rely on them.

eilanice1

@lynn_glenmont I meant 5 feets and 1 inch. It can't find an option to edit it.

eilanice1

@cmriverside thank you for the link I'll take a look. And you are right those messages are lame for sure.

Retroguy2000

Fwiw you don't need to close your diary entry. I never do, so I never see that message.

PAV8888

You're using MFP correctly. What you're missing is enough data and time!

Everything including your Garmin is an estimate based on averages. And predicated on effectiveness of logging and you turning out to be an average type of person!

So you takes your numbers and you track consistently. Notice consistently. Accuracy MAY be a component of consistency, and it certainly is for ME; but, it is not a *necessity* for the experiment! Consistency IS!

You also track your weight daily using a weight trend app and spanning at least one menstrual cycle--if that's a thing for you as an individual.

Then you can compare your expected weight changes to your actual ones. And you can use the actual results to make adjustments.

And if your weight changes more than randomly match the five week prediction I suggest that you refrain from spending any money on lottery tickets since you'll have used up all of your lottery luck!

BartBVanBockstaele

eilanice1 wrote: »

My Tdee is about 2000 a day. I weight 153 pounds and I am 5.1 inches tall. My BMI says I am overweight at 28.9.
[...]
This is confusing to me if I am effectively burning 2000 a day and eating only 1500 shouldn't I be loosing a pound per week?

As other people have said, and as MFP says as well, these numbers are all estimates, i.e. they are guesses. Even informed guesses are still guesses. Also keep in mind that most –if not all– exercise calculators (grossly) exaggerate the calories you burn when you exercise.

If I were to follow MFP's suggestions for myself, I'd be gaining approximately as much as MFP says I am projected to lose. That is not to blame MFP, it is simply the reality of biology and medicine. We *are* all different.

However, there is one thing to keep in mind. Everybody is able to lose weight when we are talking about fat loss. There are no exceptions. You only have to find and apply the right numbers.

The wisest thing you can do, is to talk to a doctor, a real one, not some random nutritionist with questionable credentials or (self-declared) fitness "expert". Doctors have done years of studies, not merely read the back of a box of cornflakes. Despite popular claims, they learn and know a lot more about nutrition than is often claimed. Take the advice seriously and if it is not working (or working too well, that happens too) make another appointment to consider your options.

Of primary importance in this is total honesty and accuracy when logging your data. Do not think that anything is negligible. Some things might be, but only a real doctor will be able to make that determination for you, until you have really understood the processes behind weight management. MFP can help you tremendously by making sure that things are streamlined and easy to manage, but it cannot –and does not claim to– replace solid medical advice.

If you have to lose (or gain) weight, it will be effort, time and money extremely well spent.

As someone has said: free advice is worth what you paid for it, that includes online TDEE calculators.

lynn_glenmont

eilanice1 wrote: »

@lynn_glenmont I meant 5 feets and 1 inch. It can't find an option to edit it.

Thanks. If you mean edit it here in the thread, I think the time limit is one hour to edit.

If you mean edit it in your settings for MFP to use in calculations, you go to the main page then Settings, then Update Diet/Fitness Profile (that's the path in the website; not sure about the app).

I agree with cmriverside as well. The five week prediction is lame.