Huge differences between calorie calculators

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Drdmike
Drdmike Posts: 66
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to lose 16 pounds and reviewed several calculators that tell you how many calories you should consume in order to lose weight by a certain date. The suggestions are all over the map. For example, myfitness says that I should consume about 1800 per day but other websites say that I should go as high as 2400 or even 2900 calories per day. I did input the same weight, height, goal dates and activity level. What gives?

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  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Don't know about the other calculators you used, but the goal MFP has given you does NOT include any exercise in that number. So if you did a workout and burned off 500 cals or so, those would be added into your daily goal, bringing you up to 2300. Many other sites/calculators include the exercise in the goal, so that could be the difference.

    MFP works great - with only 16lbs to lose, make sure you've set your weekly loss goal to 1/2 lb a week, then log calories in & out as accurately as possible. Eat your cals, drink water, exercise, take rest days, get good sleep.

    Good luck! :smile:
  • Drdmike
    Drdmike Posts: 66
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    Don't know about the other calculators you used, but the goal MFP has given you does NOT include any exercise in that number. So if you did a workout and burned off 500 cals or so, those would be added into your daily goal, bringing you up to 2300. Many other sites/calculators include the exercise in the goal, so that could be the difference.

    MFP works great - with only 16lbs to lose, make sure you've set your weekly loss goal to 1/2 lb a week, then log calories in & out as accurately as possible. Eat your cals, drink water, exercise, take rest days, get good sleep.

    Good luck! :smile:

    Why would I want to lose 1/2 a week?I originally has it set at 1.5 pounds but didn't feel like I could manage that so I went down to 1 pound a week. It suggested that I consume 2020 but I set it at 1900.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Because with so little to lose, going for 2 or even 1.2lbs a week is too aggressive a goal, and leaves you with too few cals. You may still lose 1lb a week or more, some weeks, you might lose less. It's not always linear.

    And if the app suggested 2020, why override it to a lower number? I'm a 46 year old woman, and I lose on 1800-2000 cals a day. I'm guessing that as a 33 year old dude, you should probably be eating more than me. :tongue:

    Food is fuel - don't sell yourself short by cutting cals too low in hopes of a quick loss. Yeah, you'll probably lose some weight, but say goodbye to lean muscle right along with any fat that comes off. Eating too low often leads to yoyo dieting because it's not sustainable over the long term.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Different formulas, different definitions of activity level and in MFP's case a completely different way of handling exercise calories.
    So MFP 1800 + exercise calories may well work out very similar to a TDEE calculator giving you 2400.

    Decide if you want to follow the MFP way of adding in exercise calories afterwards or the TDEE way of estimating an average amount in advance.

    Whatever you do, log completely and accurately and then reassess after a few weeks. If you are getting the results you expect and it feels sustainable then carry on, if not then change your goal.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Different formulas, different definitions of activity level and in MFP's case a completely different way of handling exercise calories.
    So MFP 1800 + exercise calories may well work out very similar to a TDEE calculator giving you 2400.

    Decide if you want to follow the MFP way of adding in exercise calories afterwards or the TDEE way of estimating an average amount in advance.

    Whatever you do, log completely and accurately and then reassess after a few weeks. If you are getting the results you expect and it feels sustainable then carry on, if not then change your goal.

    This ^^^^
    MFP Calculates requirements based on NEAT, the vast majority of other sites calculate your TDEE less a %
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    The best 'calculator' is to just pick a calorie level, eat that for a week, and see what the scale says. Good luck!
  • Drdmike
    Drdmike Posts: 66
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    What I will do is follow MFP's suggestion and consume 2000 calories per day.

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