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MFP method to burn body fat

bitterbrownie
bitterbrownie Posts: 369
edited January 25 in Motivation and Support
does anyone use the MFP method of "eating back calories" to lower body fat/lose the last 5-10lbs? I prefer the MFP method to TDEE because it makes me workout and put more effort into it, even if i don't eat all the calories back

secondly, if you DO use this method, what is a good way to calculate your calorie goal + exercise calories without using MFP since MFP always gives me too low numbers...

thanks for any help

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'd say most people on MFP are doing the MFP method....many aren't doing it correctly, but I think the TDEE community is in the minority...but very vocal. I'd be one of them.

    I lost most of my weight using the MFP (NEAT) method and eating back most of my exercise calories (about 70-80% to account for estimation error). For just 5-10 Lbs, you should have a deficit no larger than 0.5 Lbs per week and eat back your exercise calories. The reason MFP is giving you a big deficit is most likely because you're inputting an aggressive weight loss goal and/or your activity level setting is incorrect.
  • bitterbrownie
    bitterbrownie Posts: 369
    I'd say most people on MFP are doing the MFP method....many aren't doing it correctly, but I think the TDEE community is in the minority...but very vocal. I'd be one of them.

    I lost most of my weight using the MFP (NEAT) method and eating back most of my exercise calories (about 70-80% to account for estimation error). For just 5-10 Lbs, you should have a deficit no larger than 0.5 Lbs per week and eat back your exercise calories. The reason MFP is giving you a big deficit is most likely because you're inputting an aggressive weight loss goal and/or your activity level setting is incorrect.

    OK thanks for that :) MFP gives me 1260 for 1 pound loss or 1510 for 1/2 lb loss and I've been using 1360-1400 at the moment so maybe I'll keep going and see how that goes....or is that just too low?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I do. MFP is dead on for me.

    If you know MFP is too low for you (curious how you figured that out), then just manually set your calorie needs.
  • bitterbrownie
    bitterbrownie Posts: 369
    I do. MFP is dead on for me.

    If you know MFP is too low for you (curious how you figured that out), then just manually set your calorie needs.

    i have no scientific reason i'm afraid!! but i know that 1200 makes me tend to veer off more often because I feel I am underfueled :( could just be me!
  • Canuck_Fit
    Canuck_Fit Posts: 41 Member
    In my case MFP was very much too low in the allowed calories, I went through metabolic testing to determine my correct level and that worked like a charm. Using the MFP method I could barely lose 5 lbs and using the numbers I received from testing I lost over 45 lbs. This is my personal experience you'll have to discover what works best for you, it's all trial and error.
  • edack72
    edack72 Posts: 173 Member
    I really try to not eat back calories burned or at least all of them somedays I definately do but I have really started to notice the scale changing once I stopped eating my calories back
  • omgoozles
    omgoozles Posts: 23 Member
    I eat about 600 more calories than MFP suggests. As a 180lb man, 1300-1400 calories just isn't enough. I've been eating about 1900.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I did the MFP method until I went on maintenance. I exercise very regularly, so it simplified to do more of a TDEE thing now.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I'd say most people on MFP are doing the MFP method....many aren't doing it correctly, but I think the TDEE community is in the minority...but very vocal. I'd be one of them.

    I lost most of my weight using the MFP (NEAT) method and eating back most of my exercise calories (about 70-80% to account for estimation error). For just 5-10 Lbs, you should have a deficit no larger than 0.5 Lbs per week and eat back your exercise calories. The reason MFP is giving you a big deficit is most likely because you're inputting an aggressive weight loss goal and/or your activity level setting is incorrect.

    OK thanks for that :) MFP gives me 1260 for 1 pound loss or 1510 for 1/2 lb loss and I've been using 1360-1400 at the moment so maybe I'll keep going and see how that goes....or is that just too low?

    So why not try net 1510 for 6 weeks?
  • bitterbrownie
    bitterbrownie Posts: 369
    I'd say most people on MFP are doing the MFP method....many aren't doing it correctly, but I think the TDEE community is in the minority...but very vocal. I'd be one of them.

    I lost most of my weight using the MFP (NEAT) method and eating back most of my exercise calories (about 70-80% to account for estimation error). For just 5-10 Lbs, you should have a deficit no larger than 0.5 Lbs per week and eat back your exercise calories. The reason MFP is giving you a big deficit is most likely because you're inputting an aggressive weight loss goal and/or your activity level setting is incorrect.

    OK thanks for that :) MFP gives me 1260 for 1 pound loss or 1510 for 1/2 lb loss and I've been using 1360-1400 at the moment so maybe I'll keep going and see how that goes....or is that just too low?

    So why not try net 1510 for 6 weeks?

    it's scary! ;p i figured in between the two (nearer 1500) would give me a little more than 0.5lb loss
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I'd say most people on MFP are doing the MFP method....many aren't doing it correctly, but I think the TDEE community is in the minority...but very vocal. I'd be one of them.

    I lost most of my weight using the MFP (NEAT) method and eating back most of my exercise calories (about 70-80% to account for estimation error). For just 5-10 Lbs, you should have a deficit no larger than 0.5 Lbs per week and eat back your exercise calories. The reason MFP is giving you a big deficit is most likely because you're inputting an aggressive weight loss goal and/or your activity level setting is incorrect.

    OK thanks for that :) MFP gives me 1260 for 1 pound loss or 1510 for 1/2 lb loss and I've been using 1360-1400 at the moment so maybe I'll keep going and see how that goes....or is that just too low?

    So why not try net 1510 for 6 weeks?

    it's scary! ;p i figured in between the two (nearer 1500) would give me a little more than 0.5lb loss

    What does scary mean?

    With fat loss less is more, its a slow process.
  • bitterbrownie
    bitterbrownie Posts: 369
    What does scary mean?

    With fat loss less is more, its a slow process.

    i've never really eaten that much before! and it's scary for me to put it on, silly i know
  • omgoozles
    omgoozles Posts: 23 Member
    I eat about 600 more calories than MFP suggests. As a 180lb man, 1300-1400 calories just isn't enough. I've been eating about 1900.
    Also, I exercise about 600 calories a day. About 300-400 minimum. So technically you could say I'm eating 1400 or so, but eating back my exercise calories.
This discussion has been closed.

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