If every day were like today. You'd weigh X lbs in 5 weeks

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Project9
Project9 Posts: 135
in Food and Nutrition
When you finish your food intake for the day, you push the "complete this entry" button at the bottom of your food list and then you get:

"If every day were like today... You'd weigh ___ lbs in 5 weeks".....From your experience, how close is this prediction?





Extra credit bonus points for answering this question: why 5 weeks? :huh:
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Replies

  • jjay23
    jjay23 Posts: 160 Member
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    never close with me, I am baffled as to how they predict it as we are all different. interested to know the five week question though!
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
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    Hah I've found that it's rarely ever correct.
  • Cazzyxo
    Cazzyxo Posts: 104 Member
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    I wish.
  • ced1389
    ced1389 Posts: 96 Member
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    that's one reason i stopped completing my entries. i found that unsettling.
  • Lynn_babcock
    Lynn_babcock Posts: 220 Member
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    Not so correct.. but I don't know that its the applications fault. I then eat more calories. It's incentive though, or discipline, and it works for me. It inspires me to keep doing good "that wasn't so hard and I'm doing great".. or I get to think "oh my gosh I cannot eat like that or I will be fat again in no time." I LOVE that they have it everyday.. if you are diligent about doing your diary.
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
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    It has been pretty much always correct so long as I am honest with my entries.

    The reason it gives 5 weeks as the time is because that is a reasonable amount of time to see an actual weight loss.
  • NadineSabbagh
    NadineSabbagh Posts: 142 Member
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    Surprisingly, it's been spot on for me - but only when I've been spot on with my calorie intake for those 5 week periods. If I happen to go over or under my calories one day it amuses me how drastically the predicted weight loss changes :P I don't really pay much attention to it, but it is quite motivating to see the numbers gradually going down as time goes by :)
  • MercedesV
    MercedesV Posts: 70 Member
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    I agree, though it's not accurate, it's my own fault because i'm regularly inconsistent.

    It does motivate me though. When I eat good and work out, I get excited at the prospect of being so close to my goal in about a month. When I eat past my calorie goal, I look at how much weight I could gain and it motivates me to eat better
  • babyj0
    babyj0 Posts: 531 Member
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    Don't think it's completely accurate, but it motivates me, that's for sure.
  • katherinedelamater
    katherinedelamater Posts: 10
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    I assume it is fairly correct (calculating your weight and intake) but many people don't see those exact results because within those 5 weeks... each day varies. If you were to average each days presumed 5 weeks results, I'd think it would be close. I've never had the discipline to actually do this myself, so this is just my guessing. :)
  • Project9
    Project9 Posts: 135
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    It has been pretty much always correct so long as I am honest with my entries.

    The reason it gives 5 weeks as the time is because that is a reasonable amount of time to see an actual weight loss.

    This is good to hear, because I am waiting a month to weigh in. Sometimes more frequent weight checks can be disappointing and I don't need any disappointments hurting my motivavation right off.
  • QueenofScott
    QueenofScott Posts: 305 Member
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    The problem I see is the condition, "if every day were like today". I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have five weeks worth of days that are exactly the same. I notice what it says when I close my diary for the day, but I don't keep track of it.
  • Project9
    Project9 Posts: 135
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    I assume it is fairly correct (calculating your weight and intake) but many people don't see those exact results because within those 5 weeks... each day varies. If you were to average each days presumed 5 weeks results, I'd think it would be close. I've never had the discipline to actually do this myself, so this is just my guessing. :)

    Even when i jack-up for the day, the 5 weeks predictor has me down a few pounds, that what made me wonder if it wasn't correct.
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
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    never been right , wish it were though...
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
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    Well it will be off for everyone because how many of us eat the exact same thing every day for five weeks?
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
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    I assume it is fairly correct (calculating your weight and intake) but many people don't see those exact results because within those 5 weeks... each day varies. If you were to average each days presumed 5 weeks results, I'd think it would be close. I've never had the discipline to actually do this myself, so this is just my guessing. :)

    Even when i jack-up for the day, the 5 weeks predictor has me down a few pounds, that what made me wonder if it wasn't correct.

    Are you sure you're eating at a surplus? You could be over your calorie limit, but still at a deficit, depending on how big your deficit was to begin with. Example: you're trying to lose 2pounds/week- you're at a 1000 calorie deficit... so even if you go above your calorie limit by 500... you are still at a 500 calorie deficit and will still lose weight...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I assume it is fairly correct (calculating your weight and intake) but many people don't see those exact results because within those 5 weeks... each day varies. If you were to average each days presumed 5 weeks results, I'd think it would be close. I've never had the discipline to actually do this myself, so this is just my guessing. :)

    Even when i jack-up for the day, the 5 weeks predictor has me down a few pounds, that what made me wonder if it wasn't correct.

    Because you're still at a deficit of calories from maintenance. Your MFP calorie goal isn't maintenance...it has a substantial deficit built in already. This is why it is absolutely absurd when people cry about going over by 100 calories or whatever. Whaaaa...boohoo...instead of being at 1,000 (2 Lb per wk) or 500 (1 Lb per week) deficit they're at 900 or 400 or whatever.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    MFP thinks I should eat way fewer calories than I actually need, so it's always wrong for me. I don't even click the button.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    all it does is take your calorie defecit, assume you will eat at that deficet everyday for 5 weeks. 3500 calorie is a pound, so if you eat at a 500 caloire defiecent every 7 days you will lose a pound.. viola.. you will weigh 5 pounds less in 5 weeks. Easy caculation.

    They probably say 5 weeks because it's give us an idea of where we will be next month if we continue to eat the way we did on this day. the effects our food choices wil have on weight.

    Of course it's only right if you are eating the correct number of caloreis to start with.
  • stephiemo
    stephiemo Posts: 4 Member
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    Well considering they said I'd lose 9 lbs in the 5 weeks and I'm already down 3.2 in less than 3 days I'm not sure how accurate it is. lol

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