Following MFP daily food log, has it been accurate for u?

new_blossom
new_blossom Posts: 111 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just curious for those that have been on MFP for awhile and actually following the healthy guidelines-

are your results in line with what MFP is suggesting? Are you eating within your calorie ranges MFP suggests for you?

Also, at the end of the day when you submit your diary, and it shows this is how much you will weigh in 5 weeks, is this pretty accurate?

Thanks for your replies in advance! :happy:

Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Yes.
    Yes.
    And yes.

    I lost nearly 50 pounds last year eating at around what MFP suggested for 1/2 - 1 pound/week loss. Usually somewhere in-between these two numbers, I'm not interested in depriving myself, anything under 1400 net calories a day and I'm seriously grumpy!

    I found that if I consistently ate around these numbers (not too far above or below) then the 5 week prediction was fairly close.

    I put a few kg back on because i started eating too much junk (ie. chocolate) again but now I'm back to eating well and I'm staying around the same weight/losing slowly eating at a very small deficit. Just as you would expect.

    There is nothing magic to it - just a moderate deficit sustained over a long time. In my opinion persistence is the key to success.
  • new_blossom
    new_blossom Posts: 111 Member
    Thanks for replying. That helps me a lot. I know exercise is good as well, but just wanted feedback on this program. I have been following MFP for 10 days now and I am doing great with the food, I am actually having trouble eating all the calories and wondering if I should be worried about that. Especially the days I am exercising.

    Would love to hear from others experience with MFP
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Mine's not.

    I set my goal to .5 lbs/week loss. I eat those calories plus all my exercise calories and lose about 1.5 lbs/week at that level... for at least 5 consecutive weeks.
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
    I was questioning it also, because to be really honest.. its too easy so far? I never reach my 1200 calories (i do use shakes for two meals, but i wouldnt even eat otherwise, because i have never had anything but my supper.) and ive been on it 4 days now. Im REALLY excited for this! this was a great post!

    Want a friend? I have 8 so far. (and i have no idea how to add people yet!) lol!
  • new_blossom
    new_blossom Posts: 111 Member
    Ms. Big Mack, So am I understanding correctly? You are losing 1 lb more each week than anticipated?

    Evilone, I added you as a friend, thanks for the invite. I am not too familiar with the protein shakes. I saw on Dr. Oz, that one in the morning may be ok. I am not too sure about 2 a day and not eating anything until dinner time. I would think you are depleted from vitamins your body will need to keep you moving. I have been following the guidelines, and not going over calories, carbs, fat, chlorestrol and I have been feeling really good.
  • Rosa1213
    Rosa1213 Posts: 456 Member
    I'm losing more weight than MFP tells me I should be losing, but this is because I have trouble getting an accurate count of calories burned without a heart rate monitor, so I just log zero exercise, and eat about 1500 calories per day. The days that I work out, I may eat a little bit more, up to 1600, if I'm still hungry, but usually I stay around 1500.

    I suppose the short answer is : Yes, the estimates are fairly accurate as far as food goes, but I wouldn't place all my hopes and dreams on the scale, since some weeks you lose more than others.
  • Lukasmum1
    Lukasmum1 Posts: 33 Member
    I have been on MFP since February, and yes... have lost the weight steadily, and reflecting in the quidelines.

    I eat within my calorie level, and within my carb/fat/sugar etc settings. I increased my fibre setting in the custom goal area, as it now reflects a better daily amount as recommended by nutritionists - 30g/day.
    I am especially aware of the carb/fat amount I eat balanced with the protein.

    The thing MFP has taught me is the ability to eat a healthy balanced diet, and recognise that my portion sizes were totally out of whack.
    The other thing I have been doing is eating my main meal at lunch (approx 500 cal max), as I know that I burn it off during the day steadily, and don't feel overfull or bloated in the evenings anymore.
    I enjoy being able to balance and maintain eating the foods I love - including the 'treats'

    I do not eat into my exercise calories as I see those as 'bonus' loss, and often don't feel that hungry to fill up any more.
  • Orient_Charm
    Orient_Charm Posts: 385 Member
    When I joined MFP, I set my first goal to lost 16 Kg ( about 35 lbs ).
    MFP suggested for me 1200 calories to lose 2 lbs per week.....I followed MFP suggestion as it was, I used to eat 1200 calories ( Not less mostly ) and mostly I didn't use to eat back my burned calories......
    I reached my goal mostly as MFP told, The average of 2 lbs per week was 95 % correct…….

    Now I set new goal ( I am happy where I am now, but I set new goal just to avoid re-gain again )……I am not following 100% MFP suggestions and I am eating back my burned calories, so I am losing weight very slowly, but still losing.
    I believe that MFP have their specialists with very wide experience, so I don’t advise any one to modify the suggested values, otherwise the results are not guaranteed.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    MFP was fairly accurate for me. My key thing was making sure I logged every last morsel.

    It's worth trusting in and it does work, even the calorie burned estimates aren't way off the mark. I would still be a porker if it wasn't for this site. xx
  • Orient_Charm
    Orient_Charm Posts: 385 Member
    I believe that most of unexpected results ( Not losing as per MFP guide line ) is because of a lot of estimated value in the food diary.

    I have kitchen scale ( of 1g accuracy) and I weight everything ( 99% ) before I eat and logging it as per the scale, and I try as much as I can to avoid using of the food information which was added by MFP users ( I mean food with *)………I think a lot of estimation in food diary is bad idea for both side ( I mean may your meter tell you that you had 900 calories for today and you are only 700 , and may be the opposite )
  • super_monty
    super_monty Posts: 419 Member
    I don't expect it to be accurate but it helps immensely.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Everything on here is an estimate. BMR, calories burned, calories in food. So, yes, for most people, for a good chunk of the time, it works, though it can never be 100% accurate.
  • JulesAtkinson1
    JulesAtkinson1 Posts: 219 Member
    I have found for the most part, it is accurate. I think the exercise estimations are off; I go to a gym and log in my weight and other personal information; the calories burned that I log in are from my gym and not MFP, because the same exercise at the same amount of time was way higher on MFP than at my gym. For exercises that aren't gym related (i.e. cleaning, moving, etc.) I will use MFP estimates, but keep in mind they are probably too high, and try to leave a little room for error.
    I do know I would not have lost the weight I have lost if not for this site, so I give it an A. :bigsmile:
  • dorothytd
    dorothytd Posts: 1,138 Member
    Hi Blossom! When I go back and look through my logs from when I started, I find it was pretty darned accurate!! I lost the weight I wanted to lose within the time frame I set for myself. And now that I am maintaining, I find it to be fairly accurate as well. I would like to get a heart-rate monitor to see exactly what my exercise calories are, but then I think if things are working, why spend the money? So I can eat more? Yep, that would be the only reason, and I truly eat plenty (1500-2000 a day, depending on exercise).
  • mom2enlp
    mom2enlp Posts: 38 Member
    Hey, girl!

    With the exception of the last month or so (end of the school year is incredibly hectic), I've been on MFP consistently for about a year. I've found it to be an excellent tool. Sometimes, you have to look at several entries in the food log because some aren't accurate, but you pick it up pretty quickly. I also find it helpful to take the time to enter certain recipes that I make all the time and save them in My Recipes. I've lost a little over 100 lbs., and I've got about 50 lbs. to go. My best friend/cousin has been on MFP since September, and she's nearing 100 lb. lost as well.

    One of the most valuable things about this site - for me anyway - is the support I receive from the friends I have made here. They lift you up when you're down and encourage you like nobody's business. I'm so proud of you for your progress so far.

    Remember two things:

    #1 - Each day is a new beginning, so don't worry about it if you have a rough day nutritionally speaking or if you can't complete the exercise goal you set for yourself that day. Try again tomorrow.

    #2 - Love yourself enough to do it, and you WILL succeed. It's about time we gave as much love to ourselves as we do to others.

    Talk to you soon!
  • geordiegirl27
    geordiegirl27 Posts: 307 Member
    great post :-)

    I registed on here week or so before my hols & lost 2.5lb put 1.5lb back on over the holidays which is low for me and got straight back to it when I returned.

    I particularly like that not only how many calories food contains it gives the breakdown of other nutrients so you can see if you're eating too many carbs, protien etc.

    I struggle some days to eat the 1250 basic calories let alone any for additional exercise but I'm working on increasing to make sure I am having enough to make my body work efficiently.

    I love that I can plan in advance so know what calories I need, I'm out for a meal on Saturday so I can log in advance and at least know where I'm at and it will probably ensure I get out for a decent run on the morning to give me some spare cals to play with.
  • JulesAtkinson1
    JulesAtkinson1 Posts: 219 Member

    I love that I can plan in advance so know what calories I need, I'm out for a meal on Saturday so I can log in advance and at least know where I'm at and it will probably ensure I get out for a decent run on the morning to give me some spare cals to play with.

    I think that's probably what I like best, too. :smile:
  • Rosa1213
    Rosa1213 Posts: 456 Member
    ^^^ Oh, yes. I love that too! I love logging my lunch for days in advance when I make something in bulk, or knowing that I'm going out to dinner on Friday and logging what I'm going to get at the restaurant :)
  • new_blossom
    new_blossom Posts: 111 Member
    Thanks so much guys for giving feedback. I am sure a lot of newbies wonder those same questions. I do already feel the support from this site. It is wonderful.

    I have a lot to lose and my first 9lbs came off very quickly, now it is sluggish, so I was wondering. I will be patient and see how it pans out by July 22nd- my fifth week from when starting MFP. Anything is better than what I was doing prior - No exercise at all and not realizing what I was eating. I now see that we have food left over at the end of the night, or for days. I also did not realize how much sugar I was getting from certain foods and it tally's up quickly.
  • HisShadow
    HisShadow Posts: 59 Member
    Yes
    Yes
    I've lost weight much faster than it has suggested.

    It's working like gangbusters for me, so I'm pretty pleased with it.
  • 889ronaldo
    889ronaldo Posts: 1
    I use the phone app and scan products, this MFP is the best easy system available right now. If you have issues purchase the $99 clip on thingy to sort even more data. Short of wearing BP, HR and GPS monitors I think you'll get results from this easy system.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    It is fairly accurate, some weeks i have lost more then it says I should and some weeks less but it averages out . But it does work if you stick with it and log every morsel of food that passes your lips. And the you will weigh this in 5 weeks is fairly accurate also, provided you do the exact same thing daily which most of us dont
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
    I've found it to be reasonably accurate except for two things: 1) user entered foods in the data base are sometimes not accurate. Sometimes the calories will be right and I won't catch the other mistakes until later when my macros don't add up right. 2) the number of calories it says I burn doing exercise is INSANE! Sometimes I will check it with other sites or if I use the #s on the machines at the gym and a few of the calorie burns MFP reports are TWICE what I think is accurate. I always use the #s from the gym when I exercise there. I don't know if that's correct, but it seems to be closer. I have my MFP set for 2 pounds a week and if I eat 1/2 my exercise calories and stay near goal, I lose about 2 to 2.5 a week. What I don't understand at all though is that if I eat close to what MFP says would be maintenance, or even 500 under, I often plateau or gain. The math doesn't add up. However, if I follow the guide for losing 2 a week and put in my own calorie burn on exercise, it comes out just about right.
  • Mindarin
    Mindarin Posts: 93 Member
    It hasn't worked perfectly for me, in that, it has underestimated the amount of food I can eat. I stick to the calories my fitnesspal gives me, then I lose two pounds every other week, instead of just one pound every week that I have it set to.

    But I'm not complaining. XD

    MFP is wonderful. :D
  • kristinL16
    kristinL16 Posts: 401 Member
    I have been losing very slowly (about 1/2 lb per week). I adjusted my calorie goal to account for breastfeeding so at the end of the day when I complete my food diary for the day, the estimated weight it gives me is actually more than what I currently weigh. If you ever increase your calorie goal for whatever reason, keep that in mind. I don't even pay attention to what that number is anymore.
  • Casey45
    Casey45 Posts: 160 Member
    bump
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Ms. Big Mack, So am I understanding correctly? You are losing 1 lb more each week than anticipated?

    That is correct.

    And I am as meticulous as they get. If I eat it, it goes in my diary... and the exact brand when possible, and by weight... I use a food scale for everything. I also log every exercise calorie with my Garmin Forerunner 410, which has one of the best HRMs on the market.

    The difference, I think, is that at my height, weight and age (5'7", 168 lbs and 36 years old) I have more lean muscle mass than MFP assumes I do (I have more than the average for my height and age: 120 lbs) so I burn more calories than MFP thinks I do.
  • new_blossom
    new_blossom Posts: 111 Member
    Thanks everyone, your answers have been great help. I am glad I asked this question.

    I now wonder if men tend to lose more each week than women following the MFP program. I will post that ? I have a curious mind.
  • melb2003
    melb2003 Posts: 198

    Remember two things:

    #1 - Each day is a new beginning, so don't worry about it if you have a rough day nutritionally speaking or if you can't complete the exercise goal you set for yourself that day. Try again tomorrow.

    #2 - Love yourself enough to do it, and you WILL succeed. It's about time we gave as much love to ourselves as we do to others.

    Talk to you soon!

    ^^This. I've been doing MFP since February and it seems pretty accurate. The one thing I try to catch is that I underestimate the calories burned by 10 calories, and I shoot to net 1100 calories to make sure I'm not overestimating anything.

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