What formula does MFP use?

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AwesomeGuy37
AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
in Getting Started
What formula does MFP use for our total calorie burn? It differs from Harris-Benedict and Mifflin - Jeor. Can't find it in my searches.

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  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    I know that the calorie goals are based on the NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) method.
    Estimated BMR is based on Mifflin - St. Jeor equations.
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
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    Isn't NEAT just a multiplier? I am hoping for a formula.
    I'm not sure how MFP is coming up about 100 less than my Mifflin calculations.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    What have you used the Mifflin calculations to calculate, BMR, TDEE or TDEE minus a multiplier for weight loss?

    Not sure what the multiplier is but not something I have ever worried about. I use MFP numbers and if I lose to much I manually increase my calorie goal and if I don't lose my target I manually adjust them down.

    I base these changes on monthly trends rather than weekly changes
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    No - it uses Mifflin BMR as foundation.

    There may be a few calories difference to other calcs depending on how accurate the conversions to KG which the formula use.

    At to total calorie burn, it is different than any other BMR multiplier, because every other TDEE table includes exercise.

    MFP includes NO exercise in the daily maintenance figure, hence the reason you log it separately when actually done.
    So their non-exercise activity levels are slower ramping you might say.

    Sedentary - 1.25
    Lightly Active - 1.4
    Active - 1.6
    Very Active - 1.8

    Those multipliers are based on more recent studies from WHO and Dunmin Passmoore, and another recent one examining non-exercise daily activity levels.
    http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

    And yes, those are very different than the Harris study from 1919 (yes, 1919) that the rough 5 TDEE levels table are based on.
    Sedentary - 1.2
    Lightly Active - 1.375
    Moderately Active - 1.55
    Very Active - 1.725
    Extremely Active - 1.9
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
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    It makes sense now thanks. I was using the old 1.2 multiplier. Perhaps my kilograms are estimated differently, or MFP uses another form of Mifflin but 1.252 comes to the 2740 calories MFP suggests I maintain with. Close enuf.

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