MFP thinks if I eat like today I will gain 1lb every month!

NYCNika
NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Seriously?

How does MFP come up with that?

It is depressing to think that if I eat 1,700 calories on a day I don't exercise, I'll be gaining weight.

Just does not sound right to me.

I'm 5'3, 131lb.

Replies

  • jvbrooks
    jvbrooks Posts: 82 Member
    That would be because you're 200 calories over your goal.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    So the obvious response here is "don't eat like that every day if you are trying not to gain weight",

    This is a calorie counting website. That's how it works.
  • JStarnes
    JStarnes Posts: 5,576 Member
    If you ate like that *every* day you'd gain over the course of 5 weeks ... not just in one day. :drinker:
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    My "goal" assumes weight loss.

    But MFP thinks it is my maintenance? Why?
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    Well, I am going to go against what everyone has posted. I am 5'4", 137 pounds, and I can eat 1700 calories without gaining. That is not to say everyone can, but MFP tends to set things on the low side. Unless you are entirely sedentary, old, or have some type of metabolic disorder, chances are you will lose on 1700 calories (or at least maintain).
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    My "goal" assumes weight loss.

    But MFP thinks it is my maintenance? Why?

    Well, first of all, you are actually at maintenance now...with three pounds left to lose. 1700 sounds like maintenance if you are Sedentary, and don't exercise.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    MFP really underestimates maintenance for me. I have to tell it I'm very active for it to get it right, and I'm not very active.
  • Angie80281
    Angie80281 Posts: 444 Member
    Well, I am going to go against what everyone has posted. I am 5'4", 137 pounds, and I can eat 1700 calories without gaining. That is not to say everyone can, but MFP tends to set things on the low side. Unless you are entirely sedentary, old, or have some type of metabolic disorder, chances are you will lose on 1700 calories (or at least maintain).

    Same here. 5'0", 112 lbs and I eat between 1800 and 2000 calories a day (with a workout at least 5 days a week). I recently had gone up to 118 (eating way more than 2000 and not logging) and was able to get back down to 112 in 6 weeks eating 1600-1700 a day. MFP does indeed underestimate in a lot of cases. You can manually set your goal if you prefer and ignore that silly "5 week" message.
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    How old are you? those base rates go down the older you get, as well as the lighter you get. Some people's maintenance levels ARE that low. Terrifying but true.

    Try it and see. Better to be warned and err on the side of caution.
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    I'm 35. I am fairly active. Most weeks I strength train with a personal trainer twice a week and run 3 times a week (5K minimum run, 10K max). BUT, I eat back every single exercise calorie. That's a rule I have for myself.

    For the last month and a half I only lost 1.5lb, but that can be attributed to a 17 day vacation in New Orleans and SF (eating out 3 times a day, and having drinks, so most of them cheat days), and a birthday weekend.

    As for the thought that I am in maintenance because I only have 3lb to lose... That's an number I arbitrary set.
    I could have set the number to 110lb, like I've seen some people do. Than I would be considered not at maintenance, while at the same number of calories?
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    It's just a guide. You can figure out your real maintenance through trial and error over the course of a couple months.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I'm 35. I am fairly active. Most weeks I strength train with a personal trainer twice a week and run 3 times a week (5K minimum run, 10K max). BUT, I eat back every single exercise calorie. That's a rule I have for myself.

    For the last month and a half I only lost 1.5lb, but that can be attributed to a 17 day vacation in New Orleans and SF (eating out 3 times a day, and having drinks, so most of them cheat days), and a birthday weekend.

    As for the thought that I am in maintenance because I only have 3lb to lose... That's an number I arbitrary set.
    I could have set the number to 110lb, like I've seen some people do. Than I would be considered not at maintenance, while at the same number of calories?

    MFP is a "dumb" tool. It takes what you input and runs an algorithm and then gives you an output. It sounds like you've used another site to calculate your calorie goals (such as scooby or something similar), meet your goals, but then when you close your diary, it tells you something stupid. Likely, it is guessing low AND you might not be logging exercise or have your activity set right (if you're doing TDEE method, you're not supposed to log exercise or log it as 1 calorie).

    My suggestion is either stop closing your diary or ignore what it tells you. And if you are using MFP to calculate your goals, make sure you are logging both food and exercise accurately, you have the settings properly set, and you try to meet your intake goals.
  • valnoxious
    valnoxious Posts: 5
    What's the TDEE method? I've seen people that log their exercise as "1" but didn't understand why. I manually set all of my percentages based on what my trainer and nutritionist have recommended and stick to that and the log my exercise at the end of the day. I see that by entering your exercise it does "up" your daily allowances and that I'm assuming is detrimental to weight loss???
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    What's the TDEE method? I've seen people that log their exercise as "1" but didn't understand why. I manually set all of my percentages based on what my trainer and nutritionist have recommended and stick to that and the log my exercise at the end of the day. I see that by entering your exercise it does "up" your daily allowances and that I'm assuming is detrimental to weight loss???

    This website is set up to calculate based on your stats and how much you want to lose how much you should be eating. It takes into account your activity level, age, weight, etc. How much it tells you to eat has a deficit calculated to give you the amount of weight loss you say you want each week. If you said you were sedentary on your activity level but then you decide to do some exercise, you need to log your exercise with an accurate guess of how many calories you burned. You then eat those back because MFP already gives you a deficit.

    Some people don't like eating different amounts every day. They use other calculators or tools to help them figure out how many calories they burn on average each day over the course of a week. That is how many calories they would need to maintain their weight at their current activity level. To lose weight they then subtract a percentage off of that (10-20% usually depending on how much they have left to lose). Because this method already "counts" your exercise you can either log it as 1 calorie or not log it at all.

    There's a far better explanation of this here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    I don't use TDEE method.

    My method was to eat 1,500 calories NET. It has been very successful so far.

    So I log all my exercise and eat all the calories back always (Though I reduce the number of calories burned exercise equipment gives me by 20%, just for margin of error).

    My intent is to only produce a modest deficit, I believe that's the strategy best suited for overall health and the least stressful for my body weight loss. I also am building muscle mass, so no, I don't believe eating back calories is detrimental to a healthy and balanced way of losing weight.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I don't use the TDEE method either even though I know all the "cool kids" do. My exercise schedule is just too sporadic, but I like the feeling of "earning" extra calories. If I burn 1000 extra calories with a 2 hour mountain bike ride, you bet I'm going to have extra beers that day. I don't want those extra calories spread over the week or whatever.
  • bubaluboo
    bubaluboo Posts: 2,098 Member
    To gain a 1lb in 5 weeks, you'll have to eat on average 100 calories over your TDEE. If you're losing at 1500 net a day and are very accurate with your calorie counting/exercise expenditure, you can work out from your average weekly loss (lbs lost x 3500 / 7) how many calories less than your actual TDEE you're eating. If you add that number of net calories that you eat on average, you'll get the amount you'll need to eat for maintenance.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Mine always tells me I'll weigh more....but I've been eating at this level for over a year, and have pretty much maintained the scale weight while still losing fat. :tongue:
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    This is just a tool, it doesn't mean it's fact. This is why most of us change our macro's and goals manually.

    I'm 5'4" and unsure of my exact weight, somewhere at 145-147 I would suspect (scale's been broken for a while now, buying a new one at end of the month), and if sedentary, my maintenance is about 1700-1800. I only worked this out when I stopped working out as much due to being ill (only walking my dog) and carried on eating 1800+ a day and started gaining.

    Now that I've started to workout again, I will gradually build up my calories again from my current 1500 goal. I currently eat back exercise calories.

    I think my maintenance will be like 1800-2000 with continuing to workout 2-3 x strength + HIIT at gym, plus dog walks every day.

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