MFP says 1300 something but TDEE says 1719? WHO is right?

WinstonH123
WinstonH123 Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
I recently started MFP and have seen no results. I then read a post about not eating enough calories but actually needing more to lose weight. I calculated my TDEE then took away 20% of it for a cal defecit. Is this what I'm supposed to be eating, calorie wise- to lose weight? Or do I need to do the 1300 something MFP calorie count?

Replies

  • ascotton80
    ascotton80 Posts: 56 Member
    How long have you been on MFP before "seeing no results"?
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    MFP simply calculates your TDEE and then subtracts the appropriate calories per day to meet the weight loss per week goal you set.

    Really depends how long you've been following MFP to really know if you have results or not.
  • WinstonH123
    WinstonH123 Posts: 19
    Well after the first week, i had to give up my laptop for a while to have it worked on but ive been back on MFP for like 2 weeks. All along I have been following 1200 cals but wasnt able to really log them. Then I recently moved my weight thing so i lose half a lb a week instead of thinking i could lose 2 a week. I am at 1300 something cals now
  • Paigepres
    Paigepres Posts: 34 Member
    Give it some time.

    I used to follow the recommended 1lb per week loss by eating 1200 calories that MFP gave me for about 8 months (Oct 2011-May 2012). I worked out 3x a week and ate my exercise calories back during this time. I was able to go from 165 lbs to 145lbs that way. Keep in mind that this was very slow weight loss. I was a university student, I would go out with friends who were not dieting and lived my life with the best intention of moderation. I learned what portions were and didn't deny myself of much as long as I stayed within a normal serving size. For 3 months (June 2012-August 2012) I took a break. It was summer and I WAS tired of weighing myself, and being on the internet day after day logging onto MFP. I still worked out 3x a week but didn't log my food. I knew what I was supposed to eat and what I wasn't. I maintained my weight for 3 months with no change. Last month (September 2012) I started logging again. This time I changed my settings to my TDEE which is 1500 calories per day. I have noticed a change and have been able to move past my plateau of 145lbs to 139lbs. My goal is 130lbs so I am pretty close, I will probably have to increase my exercise to 4-5x a week to get to this weight now.

    Point is, I believe that upping your calorie intake is a good idea when you are in your "last 10-12 lbs" stage. At this point your body needs a change. So, 2 weeks is just stratching the surface of any journey. Patience is key! Goodluck girl.
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    If you're not far from your goal weight (20-30 pounds to lose) then all the calculations you do are going to come out close to the same. So pick either the TDEE minus 20% or the MFP stated goal (as long as it isn't WAY uinder your BMR b/c that's not really sustainable) and stick with it a good 4 weeks.

    Personally I was pretty close to my goal. My sedentary TDEE is just under 1600 subtracting 20% from that is just under 1300 MFP wanted me to eat 1200, but my BMR is around 1350 so I set mey goal at 1300 and I eat back most of my exercise calories and try to stick to a higher protein macro set up instead of the one MFP sets by default. I lose about .70 pounds a week that's 1 pound every 10 days or so.
  • WinstonH123
    WinstonH123 Posts: 19
    Give it some time.

    I used to follow the recommended 1lb per week loss by eating 1200 calories that MFP gave me for about 8 months (Oct 2011-May 2012). I worked out 3x a week and ate my exercise calories back during this time. I was able to go from 165 lbs to 145lbs that way. Keep in mind that this was very slow weight loss. I was a university student, I would go out with friends who were not dieting and lived my life with the best intention of moderation. I learned what portions were and didn't deny myself of much as long as I stayed within a normal serving size. For 3 months (June 2012-August 2012) I took a break. It was summer and I WAS tired of weighing myself, and being on the internet day after day logging onto MFP. I still worked out 3x a week but didn't log my food. I knew what I was supposed to eat and what I wasn't. I maintained my weight for 3 months with no change. Last month (September 2012) I started logging again. This time I changed my settings to my TDEE which is 1500 calories per day. I have noticed a change and have been able to move past my plateau of 145lbs to 139lbs. My goal is 130lbs so I am pretty close, I will probably have to increase my exercise to 4-5x a week to get to this weight now.

    Point is, I believe that upping your calorie intake is a good idea when you are in your "last 10-12 lbs" stage. At this point your body needs a change. So, 2 weeks is just stratching the surface of any journey. Patience is key! Goodluck girl.

    SO you are saying I should eat my TDEE? My tdee without a 20% takeaway for a defecit is like 2100 and with the defecit is 1712. Which should I be eating? the 1300 MFP is telling me to eat to lose, my TDEE, or my tdee with the defecit making it 1712? This is all so confusing! Also, how do I change my MFP to my tdee like you did?
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    Mfp uses tdee in its calculation.
    Just eat 1300 calories NET (so eat your exercise cals).
    Don't overestimate your exercise, don't underestimate your food intake.
    Give it 3 weeks.

    Also, do lots of reading... There's a few links on my profile that I found useful.
  • ascotton80
    ascotton80 Posts: 56 Member
    two weeks is not enough time to gauge if it is working.

    the first week i GAINED 3 lbs.

    the next week i lost 2 of those lbs.

    But after six weeks total so far, i am down 11 lbs from the start.
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Give it some time.

    I used to follow the recommended 1lb per week loss by eating 1200 calories that MFP gave me for about 8 months (Oct 2011-May 2012). I worked out 3x a week and ate my exercise calories back during this time. I was able to go from 165 lbs to 145lbs that way. Keep in mind that this was very slow weight loss. I was a university student, I would go out with friends who were not dieting and lived my life with the best intention of moderation. I learned what portions were and didn't deny myself of much as long as I stayed within a normal serving size. For 3 months (June 2012-August 2012) I took a break. It was summer and I WAS tired of weighing myself, and being on the internet day after day logging onto MFP. I still worked out 3x a week but didn't log my food. I knew what I was supposed to eat and what I wasn't. I maintained my weight for 3 months with no change. Last month (September 2012) I started logging again. This time I changed my settings to my TDEE which is 1500 calories per day. I have noticed a change and have been able to move past my plateau of 145lbs to 139lbs. My goal is 130lbs so I am pretty close, I will probably have to increase my exercise to 4-5x a week to get to this weight now.

    Point is, I believe that upping your calorie intake is a good idea when you are in your "last 10-12 lbs" stage. At this point your body needs a change. So, 2 weeks is just stratching the surface of any journey. Patience is key! Goodluck girl.

    SO you are saying I should eat my TDEE? My tdee without a 20% takeaway for a defecit is like 2100 and with the defecit is 1712. Which should I be eating? the 1300 MFP is telling me to eat to lose, my TDEE, or my tdee with the defecit making it 1712? This is all so confusing! Also, how do I change my MFP to my tdee like you did?

    It looks like you have about 20 pounds to lose. If that is correct and your TDEE is 2100 (and that does not include your workouts just daily life (active job walking to the bus/train etc) then eating 1300 would give a you a deficit before any exercise of 800 day and you should safely lose 1.5 pounds a week. However if your BMR is over 1300 it may not work forever. If you're not starving at 1300 and it's now way under your BMR I say stick with it and if you do extra workouts (not counted in your TDEE activity calculation) log those too and eat back those calories. If it's way under your BMR up your calories closer to that number.

    Along that vein if you haven't been measuring your food you should start even if just with measuring cups. I use mine for EVERYTHING it's not perfect but after you try it you realize how far off you were before. Also invest in a HRM or BodyMediaFit so you know how many calories you actualy burn. A lot of people overestimate calories burned and underestmate calories eaten and that = no weight loss.
  • Miche11e5
    Miche11e5 Posts: 114 Member
    After using the MFP way for a LONG time last week I switched to TDEE. I still tracked my calories burned, so I could compare the two.

    Last week I had a 13,300 calorie allowance (80% of my TDEE) and ate 13,215 - an 85 calorie deficit.

    The regular MFP way, at 1,500 calories/day (10,550/wk) and adding in my exercise calories (2,980) would have given me a total weekly allowance of 13,480 and I would have had a 180 calorie deficit for the week.

    Now, if I would have been using MFP's 1200 calorie/day amount, I would have had a larger deficit for the week, but I would have been miserable!
  • DonnaLeeCattes
    DonnaLeeCattes Posts: 492 Member
    MFP gave me 1200 and when I started stay at 1200 or a little lower I started losing,
    my first week I lose 7lb
    2nd week 3lb
    3rd week 3lb
    4th week 2lb
    5th week 3lb
    6th week 2lb
    7th week 2lb
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
    It's one of those things you have to play with. My weight stayed the same for a month. I was eating 1600 calories a day. I followed Dan's Roadmap and started eating 1,800 a day and the weight is starting to come off again. I'm trying to lose "those last 10 pounds" so I'm eating closer to maintenance.

    Here's the Roadmap, it really helped me out!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • wllibera
    wllibera Posts: 3
    What is TDEE?
  • Paigepres
    Paigepres Posts: 34 Member
    I started eating at what MFP says. Then switch to TDEE with the 20% cut to switch things up. Experiment with what you body feels is right.

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