Is your MFP projected weight loss accurate?

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  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    no. I've been maintaining my weight for a long time, in spite of MFP regularly telling me I'm going to gain several pounds in 5 weeks or whatever
  • Alison12121
    Alison12121 Posts: 198 Member
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    I've only been doing this for a few weeks, and so far I've lost weight faster than the projection. It would be great if that lasts, but I don't expect it to. :smile: (My calories are set for losing 1 pound/week.)

    When I see the projection, I just think that would be nice, but I don't really believe it.
  • ericalaneharris
    ericalaneharris Posts: 3 Member
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    I find that it depends on the type of foods I eat. If I eat clean, (no processed foods, white protein, tons of veggies,) it is pretty close. If I simply count calories and eat whatever I want in moderation, not so much.
  • aillie
    aillie Posts: 8 Member
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    Not even close. I actually stopped for a while, because I had gotten so discouraged. I felt I was somehow “messing” up. I am back and really working hard loosing the wait and completely ignoring the projected calories.
  • iamspdd
    iamspdd Posts: 134 Member
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    I guess that depends on your definition of accurate. If you expect it to predict the exact pound you will be in 5 weeks, then no it's not accurate. But if you expect it to predict within a couple of pounds, I find it accurate. However, it's hard to say exactly because I eat differently every day. Sometimes it tells me I'll weight 170 in 5 weeks, sometimes it says 172. I would have to add all those different numbers up and get the average to see how accurate it is. And as Sweet Brown say's, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"
    So long story short. I ignore it and look for a pound and a half loss weekly. Sometimes I make it. Sometimes I don't.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I suspect that for most women here (based on a survey of my friends who do MFP) the projected weight loss is greater than what actually takes place. Some men here claim that they lose faster. This is probably a reflection of the fact that men lose body fat much faster than women do (for a variety of reasons). I recently saw an article that looked at research that showed women needing AT LEAST a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose a pound and that men probably only need about a 2,500 deficit to lose a pound. Not fair at all---but there it is. :frown:
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
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    A girl can dream...

    It's all an average and everyone is different.
    Find what works for you :smile:

    Edit: I think mfp overestimates calorie burn for me.
    To be on the safe side, I lower the numbers so I don't think I have more calories to eat.
    If I do happen to have that many calories, then it's a bonus.
  • Patcolombo
    Patcolombo Posts: 21
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    Per the Biggest Looser to calculate how many calories to loose weight you should:
    Your present weight x 7 = your calories need for weight loss.
  • karlalband
    karlalband Posts: 196 Member
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    I could only hope that in 5 weeks I will be 10lbs lighter per MFP. I think their exercise burned calories is out of wack. I've had good luck logging food calories. They seem to be accurate calorie amounts, but it's time consuming looking at labels and comparing them with MFP. It has worked fair for me. I started in Oct 2012 as of today lost 40lbs in 26 wks that averages a little over 1.5 per wk. Yes I want 2 lbs wk gone if I'm lucky!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Per the Biggest Looser to calculate how many calories to loose weight you should:
    Your present weight x 7 = your calories need for weight loss.

    As a rough estimate that might work reasonably well (although it seems to be on the low side) but there would obviously be a lot of different factors that would come into play. Activity level, the degree of musculature, age, and gender. Most men would probably drop scads of weight by that criteria and a smallish woman might lose very slowly by the same criteria (if she managed to stay on it without wrecking things with a frantic binge every week). Using the 7 X your weight, a 200-pound man would be eating 1,400 calories and lose a lot very quickly--probably faster than is desirable. A 140-pound woman would likely not even be able to maintain a 980 calorie diet. A minimum level of nourishment is necessary to even be healthy.
  • Patcolombo
    Patcolombo Posts: 21
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    My fitness pal has me at 1200 calories at 224 pounds
    Biggest looser would be my weight 224 x 7 = 1568 calories so that is a big difference with each one.
    Leaves me confused
  • Patcolombo
    Patcolombo Posts: 21
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    My fitness pal has me at 1200 calories at 224 pounds
    Biggest looser would be my weight 224 x 7 = 1568 calories so that is a big difference with each one.
    Leaves me confused
  • stmcfred
    stmcfred Posts: 78 Member
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    Per the Biggest Looser to calculate how many calories to loose weight you should:
    Your present weight x 7 = your calories need for weight loss.


    That can't be accurate. In order for me to lose weight by that method I'd have to have only 980 calories.
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    It's not accurate for me because I don't eat the exact same thing every day. Which is what it says "if everyday were like today"
  • mrswine
    mrswine Posts: 263 Member
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    I've actually been tempted to record daily what MFP says I will weigh in five weeks, average it, and then compare that to my actual weight in five weeks. I guess you have to allow for some inaccuracy in logging and in exercise calories as well. Somebody do the experiment (I'm too uncommitted to remember to record that for a whole five weeks).

    ^^^ this. I have considered doing this. For a long time MFP said I would weigh 170 in 5 weeks. Now I weigh 170 and it made me think - I don't think it only took me 5 weeks to get here!
  • mrswine
    mrswine Posts: 263 Member
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    Per the Biggest Looser to calculate how many calories to loose weight you should:
    Your present weight x 7 = your calories need for weight loss.

    A nutrition class I took said weight x10 which is basically what I eat a week to lose. It's also more accurate based on TDEE and BMI.
  • mrswine
    mrswine Posts: 263 Member
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    My fitness pal has me at 1200 calories at 224 pounds
    Biggest looser would be my weight 224 x 7 = 1568 calories so that is a big difference with each one.
    Leaves me confused

    I weigh 171, eat 1600 calories a day and lose 1.5-2 pounds per week. You should calculate your TDEE to get a more accurate calorie count. Only because, if your cals are too low, you will lose Initially and then plateau quickly as your body will be in starvation mode.
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    For what's based upon (variables used), its very accurate in that it can calculate all that with just what you have had...
    But the limiting factor of these calculators is that it assumes your metabolic rate is the same everyday etc. that is why is may not be accurate for some!
  • bwinsell77
    bwinsell77 Posts: 2
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    That would mean, at my current weight of 110, I should eat 770 calories a day to lose weight. That doesn't seem healthy, or accurate.
  • Kestrel45
    Kestrel45 Posts: 133
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    For me it's been mainly accurate, but I've only been logging for a couple of weeks now so I can't say if it'll continue as such or not.

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