How accurate if you think MFP's maintenance calories are?

Cc215

I'm a weightloss person - I have a long way to go there. But I've been struggling the last week. I think I've been trying to train too hard on too big a deficit.

So I've decided to do eating at maintenance for a couple of weeks - training the way I have been - then slowly reduce calories from there, until I find a goal that results in weigh loss - but doesn't leave me feeling like a zombie!

The easiest way to do this seems to be to use MFP's calculations for maintenance calories - and go from there - but I just want to make sure they aren't over inflated - I've worked hard to lose the weight I have so far - I don't want it back!!

shadow2soul

It will vary person to person. My calories are adjusted by my fitbit and I have found my fitbit to underestimate. That being said, MFP without adjustments gives me like an additional 3-400 calories extra sedentary calorie burn so for me it is probably about accurate to my maintenance.

Cc215

Thanks for the reply - fingers crossed it's not too badly out then.

I'll try it out and see - and keep an eye on the scales / measurements - if they start creeping back up I'll have to start cutting a few calories out again sooner than planned. But in the meantime I'll enjoy feeling less like a washed out zombie!!

mymodernbabylon

Have you tried out the TDEE method? Check out the Scooby workshop calculator and see if that helps.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Cc215

I've looked at TDEE - but had been using the MFP goals and eating back exercise calories. I'd been doing fine with this till the end of last week - but then my body just decided it was going into meltdown on me!

To be honest the numbers were pretty close either way - so I'm not sure it would make much difference. But I may decide to give TDEE a go when I start to reintroduce a deficit.

To be honest after eating at a higher calorie intake for even one day i feel better - so I think a smaller deficit is on the cards, and I think I'd been cutting carbs too much - not intentionally - but because of the lifting I was focusing on getting the protein in, and on a strict defict that didn't leave much room for the carbs. Again a smaller deficit will help with that!