How is metabolism accounted for on MFP?

VoodooAborisha

In my experience, just meeting some predetermined caloric deficit does not automatically lead to weight loss. I used to eat several thousand calories when I was younger, and was rail thin; I exercise much more now and eat about 1/3 of what I used to eat, and I am *ahem* NOT rail thin. lol

People always talk about calories in and calories out however at different times in my life a diet/exercise plan has worked, and the identical plan has also disastrously failed at other times. Most of the medical books I read says that a person experiencing extreme stress and cortisol production will find it almost impossible to lose weight, and I know there are other medical issues, and aging etc. Just wondering how MFP accounts for people's differing rates of weight loss/gain independent of caloric intake/expenditure. In January, and 4 years ago one spring, I tried exactly the same plan I am doing now, and no results whatsoever. Now that my stress level is down, this plan is working great. I am actually exercising less now than I was in my previous 2 attempts, and I have the same caloric goal each day for food.

Is metabolism and other such issues accounted for when we choose our activity level and age etc.? Kind of like they are able to "guesstimate" an approximate metabolism for an otherwise healthy person based on our activity level? Just wondering.

WalkingAlong

It just uses averages of people your gender, age, size and reported activity level.