Does MFP underestimate caloric needs?

twentytwentythree
twentytwentythree Posts: 22 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm really confused. I've calculated my BMR with pretty much every online calculator and even used the formulas. My BMR is approx 1700. I'm 5'5 and 200 lbs right now and am working out 5 days a week, an hour each day. I'm also doing Insanity during the day (separate from my gym routine of 5x/week). When I put in my stats on MFP's goals, it estimates that on a 2000 calorie diet, I will only burn 50 calories a day and lose 0.1 lbs a week. Wtf? Does MFP typically underestimate the amount of calories needed?

I'm super confused about how many calories I should be eating. I don't know if 2000 is too much, but I'm also nervous about lowering it too much and lowering my metabolism. I don't want to eat below my BMR. I just want to lose approx 1.5 - 2 lbs per week.

Any advice? I'd appreciate any help I can get.

Replies

  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    If you use a custom goal like that, MFP's settings will be completely inaccurate. It tells me I'll gain weight each week when I'm maintaining.

    MFP assumes you're going to eat a base amount and add more calories through exercise. Doing all of that, you'd probably come close to the 2000 you're aiming for. For many of us, it's easier to aim for a fixed amount every day rather than go by MFP's math. Those of us who do that have to ignore MFP's predictions.
  • twentytwentythree
    twentytwentythree Posts: 22 Member
    That makes much more sense. However, I'm assuming when MFP suggests a 1200 calorie diet for me to reach my goal weight of 160 lbs (2lbs per week), it's also expecting me to eat back my exercise calories? Even so, I think that's still a little under isn't it? If I ate 1200 calories, plus any exercise calories, I'd still probably eat only 1700 (which is right at my BMR).

    Is anyone else only eating approx 1700 cals per day, at 200 lbs and seeing results?
  • Emilie04444
    Emilie04444 Posts: 151 Member
    That makes much more sense. However, I'm assuming when MFP suggests a 1200 calorie diet for me to reach my goal weight of 160 lbs (2lbs per week), it's also expecting me to eat back my exercise calories? Even so, I think that's still a little under isn't it? If I ate 1200 calories, plus any exercise calories, I'd still probably eat only 1700 (which is right at my BMR).

    Is anyone else only eating approx 1700 cals per day, at 200 lbs and seeing results?

    2 lbs is really aggressive. I think if you lowered it to .5 or even 1 it would give you higher calories. I'm ranging from 1500-1800, 5'2. I started out following MFP while eating back exercise calories but it's better to do your own thing and not to eat back exercise calories. The amounts they give are estimates and could be really off, so why risk it.

    Instead, I eat about 15% below my TDEE and exercise almost daily to get a good deficit
  • twentytwentythree
    twentytwentythree Posts: 22 Member
    That makes much more sense. However, I'm assuming when MFP suggests a 1200 calorie diet for me to reach my goal weight of 160 lbs (2lbs per week), it's also expecting me to eat back my exercise calories? Even so, I think that's still a little under isn't it? If I ate 1200 calories, plus any exercise calories, I'd still probably eat only 1700 (which is right at my BMR).

    Is anyone else only eating approx 1700 cals per day, at 200 lbs and seeing results?

    2 lbs is really aggressive. I think if you lowered it to .5 or even 1 it would give you higher calories. I'm ranging from 1500-1800, 5'2. I started out following MFP while eating back exercise calories but it's better to do your own thing and not to eat back exercise calories. The amounts they give are estimates and could be really off, so why risk it.

    Instead, I eat about 15% below my TDEE and exercise almost daily to get a good deficit

    Do you have the formula or a link where I can calculate my TDEE?
  • chrish228
    chrish228 Posts: 5 Member
    I haven't been doing MFP pal for very long, and I have the same concerns as you do. We have similar stats, and I'm eating around 1500-1700 cals a day (depending on exercise). I do work out every day, so I have no idea if I'm eating too little or not. I'm trying to just let my hunger guide me, and eat high protein, nutritious foods so that the cals I do eat are not wasted. If I need to eat more, I do, and I don't really sweat it if I'm over/under my goal. I am still losing though!, so I'm not going to change anything until I stop =)
  • lannasster
    lannasster Posts: 49
    MFP had adjusted my calorie intake to 1200 about 2 months ago. I was fine with doing that and eating back exercise calories, but when I started Insanity I was eating about 1700 calories (exercise calories included) and I hit a plateau of no weight or inches lost. After the 3rd week of no change, my boyfriend (who is my trainer) told me to input my own caloric and macro nutrient goals, so I did. My calories are now around 2,000-2,500 and I have lost 10 pounds in the past 2 weeks. When I figured out my BMR and everything, 2,000 was about what I should have been eating, but I was intimidated by such a large amount and thought there was NO way I was going to lose weight eating that much. Turns out I was maintaining my weight by not eating enough. I definitely recommend either following Insanity's recommendations of caloric intake or talking to a trainer/nutritionist. Especially since you go to the gym in addition to Insanity.

    EDITED: At 2,000 calories, MFP estimates my weight loss of .5 pounds a week as well. Don't worry about that, everyone is different. It just doesn't realize that you're burning 500+ calories.
  • Emilie04444
    Emilie04444 Posts: 151 Member
    That makes much more sense. However, I'm assuming when MFP suggests a 1200 calorie diet for me to reach my goal weight of 160 lbs (2lbs per week), it's also expecting me to eat back my exercise calories? Even so, I think that's still a little under isn't it? If I ate 1200 calories, plus any exercise calories, I'd still probably eat only 1700 (which is right at my BMR).

    Is anyone else only eating approx 1700 cals per day, at 200 lbs and seeing results?

    2 lbs is really aggressive. I think if you lowered it to .5 or even 1 it would give you higher calories. I'm ranging from 1500-1800, 5'2. I started out following MFP while eating back exercise calories but it's better to do your own thing and not to eat back exercise calories. The amounts they give are estimates and could be really off, so why risk it.

    Instead, I eat about 15% below my TDEE and exercise almost daily to get a good deficit

    Do you have the formula or a link where I can calculate my TDEE?

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

    Here you go. They start you at 20% calorie reduction, but that put me under my BMR so I had to lower how much calories I cut from my diet t 15% and am now committed to make up the difference with exercise. You aren't supposed to eat below your BMR
  • Wooly_I_am
    Wooly_I_am Posts: 109
    You are probably better off reading the link and working these things out yourself. Then you can change all of your goals in the custom field and follow those. The link has in depth info on working out macros and such...

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981
  • red_road
    red_road Posts: 761 Member
    losing 1lb a week gives much more reasonable calories. Right now for me to lose 2lbs a week(27lbs from goal) i would actually have to eat less than 1200 a day. So i agree about 2lbs a week being aggressive.
  • twentytwentythree
    twentytwentythree Posts: 22 Member
    MFP had adjusted my calorie intake to 1200 about 2 months ago. I was fine with doing that and eating back exercise calories, but when I started Insanity I was eating about 1700 calories (exercise calories included) and I hit a plateau of no weight or inches lost. After the 3rd week of no change, my boyfriend (who is my trainer) told me to input my own caloric and macro nutrient goals, so I did. My calories are now around 2,000-2,500 and I have lost 10 pounds in the past 2 weeks. When I figured out my BMR and everything, 2,000 was about what I should have been eating, but I was intimidated by such a large amount and thought there was NO way I was going to lose weight eating that much. Turns out I was maintaining my weight by not eating enough. I definitely recommend either following Insanity's recommendations of caloric intake or talking to a trainer/nutritionist. Especially since you go to the gym in addition to Insanity.

    EDITED: At 2,000 calories, MFP estimates my weight loss of .5 pounds a week as well. Don't worry about that, everyone is different. It just doesn't realize that you're burning 500+ calories.

    Awesome! Do you mind if I ask your stats?
  • twentytwentythree
    twentytwentythree Posts: 22 Member
    You are probably better off reading the link and working these things out yourself. Then you can change all of your goals in the custom field and follow those. The link has in depth info on working out macros and such...

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981

    Thanks! This is the one I was looking for. I used it awhile back and forgot to bookmark it,
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
    I eat based on TDEE - 20% (roughly) and I eat between 1800-2200 average daily. Sometimes more but usually not less. I have been successful losing at this calorie setting. ???? I have my goals in MFP set as lose 2 pounds/week and very active, but I don't really pay attention to the MFP calories. I get my TDEE from my Jawbone UP activity monitor. I'm 182 and 5'10".
  • Wooly_I_am
    Wooly_I_am Posts: 109
    Thanks! This is the one I was looking for. I used it awhile back and forgot to bookmark it,
    [/quote]

    No Probs!

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