calculating question

MissMollieK

How does MFP calculate how much weight you will lose by your daily entries? What if you are like me and have plateaued and need to consume more calories, or you indulge once and still stay under your calories for the day? One day it says I'd lose 5 pounds in 5 weeks, another day 8, etc. Just looking for input.

Sunshine_Girlie

It calculates what you eat--protein, carbs, calories, etc and then it also adds in exercising. Eat less & exercise more will increase the weight-loss for the five week guestimate.

AZKristi

Its math & bioenergetics. One pound of stored fat, when metabolized, generates approximately 3500 calories. Excess calories are stored in a variety of molecules, but long term storage occurs as fat. So basically, it calculates your energy expenditure: Base metaboilic rate + Calories burned during exercise. Then, it subtracts the number of food calories consumed. For easy math...

BMR = 2000
Exercise = 500
Expenditure = 2500
Intake = 1750
Calorie deficit = 750

If you had a calorie deficit of 750 every day, you would generally lose 1.5 pounds per week.

There are some things MFP can't truly account for, but this is a good rule of thumb. As you get closer to your ideal weight, BMR decreases so you have lower calorie deficits and loose weight more slowly.

MissMollieK

thanks!