How accurate is MFP estimates for weight loss?

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Bubblywendy
Bubblywendy Posts: 32 Member
in Getting Started
Hi, new user here
.
I'm curious about MFP estimates. I logged in that I wanted to lose 0.5kg a week and I was estimated to lose 2.5kg in about a month if I eat my target calories of 1200.

I know its different for everyone but has these estimates been accurate for anyone?

Replies

  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    Well a lot of people have lost a lot of weight using this website, so it can't be that far off.
  • zombielatte
    zombielatte Posts: 2
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    .... Um, how tall are you?
  • Mandie0312
    Mandie0312 Posts: 1
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    4"6
  • 8happy8
    8happy8 Posts: 2
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    It was very accurate for me - I was amazed how accurate. Not so much on a weekly basis but on say a 3-4 weekly basis, spot on.
  • Brainless64
    Brainless64 Posts: 27 Member
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    It takes 3500 calories deficit to loose a pound, so the variable is how many calories YOUR body uses, which is the difficult bit as I suppose they have to go on average metabolism and activity levels.

    I believe that BMR the calories used just to keep a woman alive (say lying in bed doing nothing) are around 1500 a day. I suppose they have worked this out in hospitals with patients that are on life support/comas.

    So even doing nothing you should be able to loose a pound in 10 days, then all activity, the way your own metabolism works etc should increase that amount.
  • phoenixgirl81
    phoenixgirl81 Posts: 309 Member
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    I've lost 66 kg (145 lbs-ish). MFP has been spot on, almost to the day, for me. Every time I change my goals (e.g. when I lose 5 kg, I reset my goals so I get a lower calorie count), I note the date that it says at the bottom of the screen and how many kg it estimates I would have lost and I enter it in my diary. Sometimes I hit that weight early, sometimes I hit is on or around the date specified. Of course, it works only if you are 100% honest with yourself and log EVERYTHING you put in your mouth.
  • jimshine
    jimshine Posts: 199 Member
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    At first I was losing faster, lately I have been losing slower. But if you look at it overall, not broken down into weeks, it has been fairly accurate. I am in a slow loss mode right now (in my last 25 to goal), so it may be a month or so longer if I stay at this pace, but the loss may pick up and surprise me. It is hard to say. Just keep an eye on the long term to stay motivated.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Not accurate for me at all. MFP had me set too low for cals (1200 because it couldn't go any lower, and I'm eating between 1400 and 1600). I adjusted it manually to suit my TDEE - 20% so now it tells me I'm not going to lose weight or am going to gain every day I'm near my calorie goal. I don't care. I've been losing steadily, so I just ignore it.
  • Wefita
    Wefita Posts: 91 Member
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    ^^^^agreed
  • SkyJames95
    SkyJames95 Posts: 1
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    Thank you, I wasnt sure why it always tell me to eat 1200 calories to lose weight. Where everything else tells me to eat 1000 because or my height, metabolism and weight goals, safely talked with my doctor about this too.

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