Is your MFP projected weight loss accurate?

mrswine
mrswine Posts: 263 Member
in Motivation and Support
Wondering if you find that MFP correctly projects your weight loss at the end of your day. My "if every day were like today you would weigh...." Seems to be exaggerated. Also, I never lose as much as MFP says I should based on calorie consumption. This week I am almost 7,000 calories under goal ( or 2 pounds) because of exercise but I gained this week. How closely do you pay attention to the info MFP gives you?
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Replies

  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Wondering if you find that MFP correctly projects your weight loss at the end of your day. My "if every day were like today you would weigh...." Seems to be exaggerated. Also, I never lose as much as MFP says I should based on calorie consumption. This week I am almost 7,000 calories under goal ( or 2 pounds) because of exercise but I gained this week. How closely do you pay attention to the info MFP gives you?

    It is not acurate for me at all because I eat at a deficit from my TDEE and MFP thinks I will gain weight.
  • Kate1368
    Kate1368 Posts: 10 Member
    It would never be accurate for me, because it starts out "If every day were like today...." I NEVER have the exact same calories/exercise every day.
  • meechi53
    meechi53 Posts: 195 Member
    Worked for me about the first month or so...then it slowed and I plateaued..and got discouraged :-(
  • theblondetrick
    theblondetrick Posts: 192 Member
    I once noticed that I lost more than MFP predicted,I lost 3 kg in 1 week and MFP said I'd lose about 1 kg. However,I think that only happened because I made a really big change,I actually started eating a lot less than I was used to,so that's probably why I lost that much.
    After that I never really paid much attention to it,because my calorie intake varies from day to day.
    I don't think you should rely on MFP's predictions because nobody really loses the same amount of weight every week and nobody really eats exactly the same all the time. The prediction could be a guide line,just to keep you motivated,but you shouldn't take it too seriously.
  • acidosaur
    acidosaur Posts: 295 Member
    It's not accurate for me at all. My rate of weight loss is far slower sadly!
  • Spokez70
    Spokez70 Posts: 548 Member
    It's about as perfect as I am...which is to say not very
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    I realized long ago that it isn't. I don't even look at it anymore.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    It's about as perfect as I am...which is to say not very

    This^^^^, All we can do is keep on keeping on and taking what results we get, some weeks good some weeks not so much.
  • mattschwartz01
    mattschwartz01 Posts: 566 Member
    I'm actually losing a little faster than the projection.
  • Rikki007s
    Rikki007s Posts: 102 Member
    Not accurate. My weight loss is much slower than they predict.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Not at all for me. I never even come close to what it says. :sad:
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    Mine was never accurate. This is why I think there is more to the equation than calories in vs. calories out. There are lots of hormones that make up our metabolisms, not to mention water weight.
  • stmcfred
    stmcfred Posts: 78 Member
    I like seeing it because it's motivation, but I know it's completely wrong. It's also a great kick in the butt when I have bad days and it says if I eat like this everyday I will weigh (more than I do now!)
  • honey_bee_keysha
    honey_bee_keysha Posts: 773 Member
    I think it's inaccurate.
  • julie2407
    julie2407 Posts: 44 Member
    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).
  • kjadkins428
    kjadkins428 Posts: 6
    Mine is set to lose 1/2 lb per week, and my first week I lost 1.4. But I know this trend will probably not continue. I don't need to lose 1/2 lb a week to be happy, I just want to see a consistent downward trend.
  • pienthesky32
    pienthesky32 Posts: 142 Member
    Mine is laughable most days. Only in my dreams am I losing that fast.
  • NikinCilla
    NikinCilla Posts: 129 Member
    Inaccurate.....
  • kholcomb51
    kholcomb51 Posts: 54 Member
    I read it and say "Hah. Yeah, right. I wish." And go on. And I am pretty close to the same cals in/burned most days.
  • pronetocrash91
    pronetocrash91 Posts: 125 Member
    Definitely doesn't seem accurate, unfortunately.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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.

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