Accuracy of MFP numbers put to the test...

jcearth

So I started using My Fitness Pal on May 26th of this year as a tool to help with the lifestyle change (not a diet) that I began on March 9th. At that point, I had already lost 67 pounds but I was becoming very uncomfortable with my eating. Not that I was eating too much, but that I was scared to be put in a situation where I didn't know exactly what I was consuming, and not eat anything at all. I had started an excel spreadsheet in March at work and had kept it up for a few weeks, but found it too difficult to keep up (especially after a weekend). So I just gave myself calorie goals to stay under for each meal, and kept as good as a running tab as I could for each day. However, I still felt that if I had a bad meal or a bad day, that I would begin to sabotage my efforts. And then I got the MFP mobile app. It took a couple of days to get used to it, but now I don't know how I managed without it. Being able to record everything I was eating with great ease boosted my confidence in my fat shedding abilities into the stratosphere. Coupled with the new heart rate monitor I received as a gift from my wife, I was not as sure as one could be of the work I was doing. So over the past 47 days, I have recorded every morsel of food entering my body, and entering the calorie counts from my HRM for every drop of sweat I efforted. So how do the numbers stack up? Did I lose what MFP said I would. Let's find out:

I began my journey at 471 pounds. When I started MFP, I weighed in at 404 pounds. Over the past 47 days MFP says that I should have lost 28.73 pounds (about 4.28 pounds per week - even though they say 2 is the maximun that you should lose per week, on some days that would have me eating 4500 calories, which I will not do). And what did I weigh this morning:

375. For a 29 pound loss since beginning on MFP, and a 96 pound loss overall (I'm coming for you, 100 pounds). So in my case, it has been a pretty accurate register of my weight loss. I have been stressing to everyone I know that the best way to lose weight is to write down EVERYTHING that you eat and be HONEST about it (a steak as big as the plate is not 5 ounces).

So there you have it, and this is one man who will be using MFP for another 125 pounds.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

RainyDayKelli

Right on!!! Keep up the good work! I just started a month ago, and MFP (and my new heart rate monitor) have been huge blessings in my life.

TinaS88

Congratulations! Keep up the great work!!

rileamoyer

THUMBS UP TO YOU!!!! I found MFP to be 'generally' accurate as well.

PBmaria

Get that 100 lbs!!

You're doing great!

KyleGA

WAY TO GO!!! Excellent report and incredible transformation thus far. Keep doing what you do!

blueillusion3

that's awesome! almost at the 100 lb mark, congrats!!!

and like you, MFP is pretty accurate for me too (when i'm doing things correctly)..

staceyseeger

CONGRATS TO YOU! And thank you for taking the time to put this into perspective. Keep up the good work!

cjpblue

That is awsome. I have wondered myself how accurate it is, but I wouldn't have taken the time to check it. Thank you for doing that. And congratulations on your success. Keep strong! We all deserve the best that life can offer.

hroush

Congrats on your loss.

Something I read in an article this morning is the "general consensus" is that it is safe to lose 1% of your weight a week, so in your case it's okay, and I would almost say expected, for you to lose more.

mindy14456

That is fantastic, and so inspiring!! You will get that 100 in no time!!

giammarcor

Inspiring story! Keep up the great work!!! And thanks for sharing with us!

paulmg1234

Good job! Tracking everything that I eat seems to be the only way to lose weight for me. I eat every single exercise calorie back and use a HR monitor too. MFP has been really accurate for me too.

j_courter

Wow! You so totally rock! Way to go and keep up the good work. Thanks for supporting my confidnece in MFP!

thedreamhazer

Congratulations on your success! It can be hardwork (especially the being honest with yourself about logging your food... a difficult mental hurdle for most of us), but you are well on your way!

I trust MFP's numbers too. This status of mine, from a few days ago, says it all:

"So, I just prepared this long, venting statement about how the numbers I'm seeing on the scale don't make sense, and everything sucks, and blahblahblahblah. Well. True, the scale hasn't moved in a couple weeks. True, I was expecting a 1 pound loss over the last two weeks and that hasn't happened. But as I was preparing to vent that the number don't make sense, I did the math to "prove my point". Which I ended up disproving entirely. Over the past 30 days, I have not eaten over a net of 1800 calories. My TDEE is 1872. Most days in the past 30 I've eaten net around 1500-1600. That means I have a debt of about 300 calories per day. 300*30 = 9000. Divided by the 3500 needed to make a pound? Brings me to about 2.5 lbs that should have been lost over the last 30 days. I just accessed my MFP Report on weight loss over the past 30 days. Guess how much I've lost? Lol. "

brittbergh

Great story! That is so amazing of you to start taking care of yourself even at such a high weight. Most people up there think that its too late for them but it never too late!
I also have the mobile app and I love it! It is a little harder when Im adding my own homemade meals to figure out the calories in them but normally hits right about right. I love being accountable for every single bit of food I eat and it has helped so much for me!
I would like a heart rate monitor..may I ask what one do you have?

tammykoon

Wonderful! Get that 100!!!!!!!!