We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Correct amount of calories

Abdullah786
Posts: 1
I'm 5'9" 200 and myfitness pal calculated I can only eat 1370 calories for a loss of 2lbs/week. That seems awfully low, I tried the Lose It! app on the iPhone and it calculated that I need 1738 calories for the same weight loss. I'm not sure which one to follow. Lose It! shows how they calculate their numbers here: http://loseit.com/faq.jsp#calculations
I put sedentary for myfitness pal, I walk a good 45 minutes a day put I'm not sure that qualifies as more than sedentary.
So does anyone know why there is a 400 calorie discrepancy b/w the two websites and which one is a more realistic estimate?
I put sedentary for myfitness pal, I walk a good 45 minutes a day put I'm not sure that qualifies as more than sedentary.
So does anyone know why there is a 400 calorie discrepancy b/w the two websites and which one is a more realistic estimate?
0
Replies
-
The 400 difference comes from what your body actually needs during the day, however MFP drops that, as you have the excess stored in your body. There's roughly a 300 calorie difference for myself, as well. I'd prefer to go with the lower one, and am averaging 2 lbs lost with about 1300 calories a day, and working off whatever I eat above that.0
-
Hi. I can't explain the discrepancy and I'm not sure how MFP calculates recommended calories, but I used to meet regularly with a nutritionist who told me that I should be eating roughly the same amount of calories (1300) that MFP has suggested for me to loose 1.5/lbs per week. On days that I get to the gym I end up eating back some (definitely not all) of the calories that I burn. 8 years ago when I saw a nutritionist regularly, I maintained weight at 1300 calories and only lost if I added exercise to my routine. Everyone's body/metabolism is different so you need to figure out what the right calorie range/exercise balance is for you. Good luck!0
-
I cannot explain it but hey I would eat like 1500-1600 ca and see how that works for you....I am not hard core about getting exactly x calories....I usually try eat in a range....not less then 1200 but more then half of the calories after exercise that MFP says....I have lost 40 ibls doing this....I was 185 to start and now i am 145......Eat good and lots of exercise.....I never was the athletic type but I really enjoy exercise now.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 388 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 918 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.7K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions