MFP vs IPOARM vs Level Obstacles

Vailara

I think they probably all work, so it's a case of finding what suits.

I started with MFP, aiming to lose 1/2 lb to 1 lb a week and that worked. I changed over to IPOARM with a 20% cut and that worked. I don't worry too much about macros, but aim for healthy eating with a good amount of veg and oily fish and try to eat more protein than I would normally eat. There isn't much difference in the calories between the two methods. If I did MFP at 1/2 lb a week, I'd be eating more than on IPOARM.

I prefer not having to log exercise calories (to be honest, I rarely time exercise, and I'm not clear about exactly how much I burn because some of my exercise involves low activity periods). I'd rather make an estimate and stick to it.

Incidentally, not everybody chooses to lose 2lb a week on MFP. I didn't. However, MFP would set me to 1200 whether I chose 2lb or 1lb. And that's important when it comes to stalls. Obviously if I DID set 2lb a week and stuck to it religiously, I would only lose 1lb (actually less than 1lb, because 1200 wouldn't give me a 500 cal deficit). I think 1lb a week or less is quite difficult to notice over short periods, because of daily fluctuations of (for me) 1 - 2 lb. It can easily look as if somebody is stalling, especially if MFP had told them they were going to lose more.

jonnythan

hmmmmm... so watch should I weigh? 5'2 , 100 pounds. Healthy. I really don't care for formulas and predictions. I go my my ability to move my body. Why are all of you fighting over formulas?


*i'm so over pop up docs.

You've never been fat. Most of us have. Have some empathy instead of gloating.

bluelena

I still follow basic TDEE guidelines, macros 40/30/30

This. I'm a simpleton. If there are too many things to factor in/worry about, I get confused and lose interest.

TDEE - 20%, macros 40/30/30. My focus right now is maintaining lean mass while I lose body fat. This works for me.

ETA - If it weren't for all the work that HelloitsDan, Heybales, and everyone else has put in to help people for free, I'd still be doing it the MFP way, using food as a reward ("earning" food/bev through exercise, which NO), and worrying about "going over" on rest days.

The way I do things now is the closest I think you can get to "real life", while still being tremendously effective. It's easy to follow, sustainable, and there is no deprivation involved.

AllonsYtotheTardis

And nobody comes on here and sets themselves on 1 lb per week loss.

Believe it or not, I actually *did* set my goals as 1lb per week the day I set up my MFP account. I realized later that I was one of the very few that actually read the word "recommended" next to that option.

quirkytizzy

While I generally use MFP with a few tweaks, Level was MUCH easier for me to understand. Waaaay fewer numbers and intimidating walls of text.

A lot of people are very confused by the jargon and need something simpler or else they'll get scared off.

That's not what we want to happen here.

BinaryPulsar

I started on MFP settings - got 1200 cals (of course, female 5'2) starved for a week.

Read IPOARM (several times) upped my cals felt happier lost 10lbs.

Started NROL4W and used their calculations upped cals again - lost 8".

Read Level Obstacles and saw that this was a much simplified explanation for noobs and wished I'd had this when I started.

I now recommend Level Obstacles to noobs as I think it is easier to understand when you are starting out, IPOARM has just become far too complicated - most people don't know their body fat starting out and the wall of text can be so intimidating, plus there are how many versions and spin offs?

Yeah, I mentioned above, that for me, I needed to do trial and error with maintenance calories to find what worked for me. Like you, everything was setting me too low because I am small. I was actually at the point of trying to set my calories in order to prevent weight loss. So, I just wanted to add that also the NROLFW settings were also too low for me (even if I ate the exercise calories everyday, including rest days, I would still lose weight).

Calliope610

When I got here in December 2012, I used the MFP method and the standard 1200 cals/day. Then I ran across IPOARM (Level wasn't "released" yet) and used that. Yes, it was a bit verbose, but it made sense to me and I adopted that plan with success. I still follow IPOARM and recalculate my number after each 10lb loss.

Then Level came out, the cut to the chase version, much simpler, and I think appeals to the newbie.

Vailara

To be honest, I think the easiest thing is the calculators at Scooby's Workshop.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Just put your stats in, use Katch-McArdle if you know your body fat %, and Mifflin St-Jeor if you don't. Activity level descriptions are simple. Choose your deficit, and it does the calculation for you.

Of course, it doesn't give all the background information, doesn't give precise calorie burns, doesn't tell you what deficit to go for, etc., but it's great to use alongside IPOARM, or for trying things out. I think it would be fine to use it and just go into more detail if it's not working.

jonnythan

In my opinion, all of these really overcomplicate things. It's a little crazy.

migueltavares

You have to look for the Net calories.

And youhave the coice to eat the exercise calories or not.

DavPul

In my opinion, all of these really overcomplicate things. It's a little crazy.

We all want a plan though, with something behind it that we can believe in. That's all it's about.

If you're an extreme pragmatic, this is all silly. But, many folks need something to believe in and need to feel that it's harder than it really is.

People are strange. Lol

I concur with both of these posts. But people have always sought a higher power in all things. If you don't give them something they get anxious.

jonnythan

In my opinion, all of these really overcomplicate things. It's a little crazy.

We all want a plan though, with something behind it that we can believe in. That's all it's about.

If you're an extreme pragmatic, this is all silly. But, many folks need something to believe in and need to feel that it's harder than it really is.

People are strange. Lol

I mean if it's really that simple, we should all eat 500 calories a day, you know? What's the problem, it's a deficit and it's simple... Obviously things are a bit more complex.

"Eat 500 calories a day" would be dumb, not simple.

There's a vast gulf between that and the 5,000-word essay full of charts and graphs that is IPOARM.

WinnerVictorious

i think we need a new name for IPOARM so that we can make a distinction between the version created by Dan and the one edited by Pu.

i suggest... Dan's Edited Roadmap by Pu

in this way, we can more easily tell which version we are referring to.

ihad

Bump to follow.

I think Sara's point is critical. These models are a good place to start - they provide some context, structure, and a beginning. Then you need to tweak with experience and continued learning.

WinnerVictorious

In my opinion, all of these really overcomplicate things. It's a little crazy.

We all want a plan though, with something behind it that we can believe in. That's all it's about.

If you're an extreme pragmatic, this is all silly. But, many folks need something to believe in and need to feel that it's harder than it really is.

People are strange. Lol

I mean if it's really that simple, we should all eat 500 calories a day, you know? What's the problem, it's a deficit and it's simple... Obviously things are a bit more complex.

"Eat 500 calories a day" would be dumb, not simple.

There's a vast gulf between that and the 5,000-word essay full of charts and graphs that is IPOARM.

The "Essay" explains "why" simple things are sometimes dumb. It is a dumb, Why not just eat 1,000 calories a day? not as dumb, but still dumb. You where in the topic of the formula i made. Some of you where criticizing because i didn't "explain" where i got the data from. Now you're saying, explaining is too much to read. IPOARM is meant to be through.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

umm. no.

we were pointing out that you made it up. there's a big distinction between not disclosing the source of your data and not having any data at all.

Crankstr

In my opinion, all of these really overcomplicate things. It's a little crazy.

We all want a plan though, with something behind it that we can believe in. That's all it's about.

If you're an extreme pragmatic, this is all silly. But, many folks need something to believe in and need to feel that it's harder than it really is.

People are strange. Lol

when you're strange,
faces come out in the rain.

NaBroski

In my opinion, all of these really overcomplicate things. It's a little crazy.

We all want a plan though, with something behind it that we can believe in. That's all it's about.

If you're an extreme pragmatic, this is all silly. But, many folks need something to believe in and need to feel that it's harder than it really is.

People are strange. Lol

I mean if it's really that simple, we should all eat 500 calories a day, you know? What's the problem, it's a deficit and it's simple... Obviously things are a bit more complex.

"Eat 500 calories a day" would be dumb, not simple.

There's a vast gulf between that and the 5,000-word essay full of charts and graphs that is IPOARM.

The "Essay" explains "why" simple things are sometimes dumb. It is a dumb, Why not just eat 1,000 calories a day? not as dumb, but still dumb. You where in the topic of the formula i made. Some of you where criticizing because i didn't "explain" where i got the data from. Now you're saying, explaining is too much to read. IPOARM is meant to be through.

You made up data and presented it as if it were science. And you got called on it.