myPlate vs MFP vs IIFYM

laurenz2501
laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
Hmmm....just checked out Livestrong's myPlate for the heck of it. Says my calorie goal is 1233 and MFP says 1220. Fine...but then I did an IIFYM calculator and it says 1575...??? "Sedentary" exercise level used in each calculation.
HALP!

Replies

  • prettigirl01
    prettigirl01 Posts: 548 Member
    sorry i cant answer your question but what does IIFYM stand for?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    MFP will give you more calories when you exercise.

    Some plans ask how much you exercise and then figure that in.

    Either way is fine, but if you are doing something that already counts your reported exercise and then you don't do it, you'll be overeating.

    All these plans are based on the average person, too. You may be able to eat more (or may have to eat less.) They're just guides, not personalized plans just for you.

    Pick the one you like, stick with it for a while, see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, you can always switch. :)
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    prettigirl01 wrote: »
    sorry i cant answer your question but what does IIFYM stand for?

    If It Fits In Your Macros
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Well MFP estimates low and is not the tool you should use to estimate your caloric needs, so I would say look through a few websites that ask similar questions. I've also used myplate and it also estimates low. IIFYM also estimates low in my experience and in others' I've spoken with. I personally prefer exrx.net, health-calc.com,, and scooby's for better accuracy. If you exercise regularly you can include that in and then not eat back exercise calories. If you don't exercise regularly you can leave them out and then eat back exercise calories.
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
    edited November 2014
    MFP way underestimates, told me to eat like 1400 cals to lose weight I nearly punched my screen when I saw it
  • ayalowich
    ayalowich Posts: 242 Member
    I just looked at health-calc.com and it suggests I could eat 3,000 calories a day exercising 5 hrs per week intensely. They are insane.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    MFP will give you more calories when you exercise.

    Some plans ask how much you exercise and then figure that in.

    Either way is fine, but if you are doing something that already counts your reported exercise and then you don't do it, you'll be overeating.

    All these plans are based on the average person, too. You may be able to eat more (or may have to eat less.) They're just guides, not personalized plans just for you.

    Pick the one you like, stick with it for a while, see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, you can always switch. :)


    I did calculate "Sedentary" exercise level for each one...so the end result on these websites should include exercise as it is...that's why I'm confused about the big difference...
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    Hmmm....just checked out Livestrong's myPlate for the heck of it. Says my calorie goal is 1233 and MFP says 1220. Fine...but then I did an IIFYM calculator and it says 1575...??? "Sedentary" exercise level used in each calculation.
    HALP!

    You are probably asking for different weekly loss goals, so not comparable.

    If you asked Livestrong and MFP for 2 lbs/week, they are calculating your TDEE (at sedentary) at about 2220-2233. (Technically they don't calculate TDEE, but NEAT, but it appears from what you said that you are assuming no exercise, so they'd end up about the same.)

    IIFYM.com or the like usually does a percentage cut, so 20% off 2220 would be about 1776.

    If you asked them for -1.5 lb/week, they are estimating your TDEE (at sedentary) at about 1970-1983, and a 20% cut would be about 1576.

    Assuming it's the latter (since the numbers work out), a 20% cut adds up to a bit under a lb/week if you are sedentary, since your TDEE isn't very high. That's where the difference comes from.
  • gamesandgains
    gamesandgains Posts: 640 Member
    edited November 2014
    No macro or calorie calculator will ever be 100% to you. It takes times a lot of trial and error to find your maintenance calories. If you want a general starting point, they're ok. Otherwise, experiment. No one knows how your body burns, responds, gains and cuts like you will.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited November 2014
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    Hmmm....just checked out Livestrong's myPlate for the heck of it. Says my calorie goal is 1233 and MFP says 1220. Fine...but then I did an IIFYM calculator and it says 1575...??? "Sedentary" exercise level used in each calculation.
    HALP!
    I just did the MyPlate thing and it says my calorie goal to maintain is 1578 per day. What it does not take into account is activity level. So, based on the fact that I have been maintaining my weight for almost a year now, if I ate 1578 plus the exercise calories I burn per day (200 to 350 average), I could maintain my weight at 1778 to 1878 per day?

    Nope. I would surely lose weight. I eat 1960 to 2200 per day with my current activity level, sometimes go over, and I maintain.

    The proof is in the pudding :smiley:, so to speak, so MFP has certainly been more accurate for me.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited November 2014
    ayalowich wrote: »
    I just looked at health-calc.com and it suggests I could eat 3,000 calories a day exercising 5 hrs per week intensely. They are insane.

    You said you put 5hrs of intense (i.e. vigorous - are you honestly exercising vigorously in terms of the effort you exert?) exercise. That means you put in 5hrs for a single day. If you work out 5hrs per week, thajt's 42 minutes on average per day.


    Otherwise, if you entered it correctly, then it's possible that you could maintain on that many calories. You'd have to eat that to find out. Otherwise the other calculators, exrx.net and scooby's, give lower numbers if health-calc does not line up with the maintenance numbers you know work for you.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    I just did the MyPlate thing and it says my calorie goal to maintain is 1578 per day. What it does not take into account is activity level.

    How does myPlate not account for your activity level? There is an option for that. I have mine set to Sedentary. IIFYM.com on the other hand uses the percentage, (I picked 20%=aggressive), and you can't choose how many lbs per week on IIFYM like you can with myPlate and MFP...
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    edited November 2014
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    Hmmm....just checked out Livestrong's myPlate for the heck of it. Says my calorie goal is 1233 and MFP says 1220. Fine...but then I did an IIFYM calculator and it says 1575...??? "Sedentary" exercise level used in each calculation.
    HALP!

    You are probably asking for different weekly loss goals, so not comparable.

    If you asked Livestrong and MFP for 2 lbs/week, they are calculating your TDEE (at sedentary) at about 2220-2233. (Technically they don't calculate TDEE, but NEAT, but it appears from what you said that you are assuming no exercise, so they'd end up about the same.)

    IIFYM.com or the like usually does a percentage cut, so 20% off 2220 would be about 1776.

    If you asked them for -1.5 lb/week, they are estimating your TDEE (at sedentary) at about 1970-1983, and a 20% cut would be about 1576.

    Assuming it's the latter (since the numbers work out), a 20% cut adds up to a bit under a lb/week if you are sedentary, since your TDEE isn't very high. That's where the difference comes from.

    I think I understand now LOL you're saying because IIFYM uses the 20% and MFP and myPlate use the "lose 1.5/week"??

    ETA: I chose 1.5/week for both MFP and myPlate. And again I chose 20% "aggressive" for IIFYM.com. So now the difference makes sense since they're (MFP & myPlate) going by lb/week and IIFYM is going by percentage...

    Right? lol
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    Hmmm....just checked out Livestrong's myPlate for the heck of it. Says my calorie goal is 1233 and MFP says 1220. Fine...but then I did an IIFYM calculator and it says 1575...??? "Sedentary" exercise level used in each calculation.
    HALP!

    You are probably asking for different weekly loss goals, so not comparable.

    If you asked Livestrong and MFP for 2 lbs/week, they are calculating your TDEE (at sedentary) at about 2220-2233. (Technically they don't calculate TDEE, but NEAT, but it appears from what you said that you are assuming no exercise, so they'd end up about the same.)

    IIFYM.com or the like usually does a percentage cut, so 20% off 2220 would be about 1776.

    If you asked them for -1.5 lb/week, they are estimating your TDEE (at sedentary) at about 1970-1983, and a 20% cut would be about 1576.

    Assuming it's the latter (since the numbers work out), a 20% cut adds up to a bit under a lb/week if you are sedentary, since your TDEE isn't very high. That's where the difference comes from.

    I think I understand now LOL you're saying because IIFYM uses the 20% and MFP and myPlate use the "lose 1.5/week"??

    ETA: I chose 1.5/week for both MFP and myPlate. And again I chose 20% "aggressive" for IIFYM.com. So now the difference makes sense since they're (MFP & myPlate) going by lb/week and IIFYM is going by percentage...

    Right? lol

    Exactly!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited November 2014
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    I just did the MyPlate thing and it says my calorie goal to maintain is 1578 per day. What it does not take into account is activity level.

    How does myPlate not account for your activity level? There is an option for that. I have mine set to Sedentary. IIFYM.com on the other hand uses the percentage, (I picked 20%=aggressive), and you can't choose how many lbs per week on IIFYM like you can with myPlate and MFP...

    Sedentary = not exercising.
    If you choose sedentary on both calculators, you are accounting for no exercise.

    20% = ~1lb/week of loss. 25 or 30% will get you the 1.5lb/week rate. Which is only advisable if you have a lot of weight to lose (i.e. you are overweight or obese)

  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    BUTTTTT (::hides::) if sedentary level of exercise is included in all 3 then that's still a big difference...So I guess trial and error like someone else suggested? AND since they all include exercise figured into the result, to eat back or not to eat back exercise calories? Do I eat them back at 1220 but not if I'm going by 1578? ::sigh::
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    There's no such thing as sedentary level of exercise. Sedentary means that you are calculating your energy maintenance needs for when you do no exercise at all.

    so if you chose sedentary... none of them have included exercise in the equation. If you choose sedentary and you exericse, then log the exercise and eat back calories. If you chose e.g. lightly/moderately/4x a week/etc then you would not log exercise because you've already accounted for it.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    Ooookkkayyy I get it now! Thanks everyone!!

    ana and lemurcat thank you for explaining the percentage thing!

    p.s. I know sedentary is not exercising at all. I said "level of exercise" because the sedentary option is listed under "exercise level". Just a wording thing. :smile:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited November 2014
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    I just did the MyPlate thing and it says my calorie goal to maintain is 1578 per day. What it does not take into account is activity level.

    How does myPlate not account for your activity level? There is an option for that. I have mine set to Sedentary. IIFYM.com on the other hand uses the percentage, (I picked 20%=aggressive), and you can't choose how many lbs per week on IIFYM like you can with myPlate and MFP...

    I did not actually sign up for it, I used the calculator you can use before you are led to the sign up page.

    ETA: I just signed up and found where you do enter your activity level. It's off a bit, but closer to what I normally eat.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    Ahh gotcha!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    Ooookkkayyy I get it now! Thanks everyone!!

    ana and lemurcat thank you for explaining the percentage thing!

    p.s. I know sedentary is not exercising at all. I said "level of exercise" because the sedentary option is listed under "exercise level". Just a wording thing. :smile:

    Ah, okay. Semantics haha.

    Basically at this point you need to figure out 2 things: 1) do you want to calculate your caloric intake with or without including exercise into the equation? If you exclude it, then eat back exercise calories. and 2) what weight loss rate are you aiming for, and is it appropriate for how much you have left to lose? 20% is standard (~1lb/week), but if you have less than, say, 20lbs to lose you might want to opt for 15% as a maximum. Which is around .7lbs/week. It's usually not advisable to go above 20%, I'd say only do it if you are obese or overweight by quite a bit.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited November 2014
    laurenz1017 wrote: »
    BUTTTTT (::hides::) if sedentary level of exercise is included in all 3 then that's still a big difference...So I guess trial and error like someone else suggested? AND since they all include exercise figured into the result, to eat back or not to eat back exercise calories? Do I eat them back at 1220 but not if I'm going by 1578? ::sigh::

    There's no difference. If you don't plan to exercise, eat about 1225 to aim for a 1.5 lb loss and adjust depending on results. If you are okay with a slower loss (perhaps more reasonable if you don't include exercise as part of it, depending on how much you have to lose), do 1575 and adjust depending on results.

    Or do MFP (1225) and try to exercise and eat back exercise calories (or whatever portion of them you think is reasonable).

    Or do MFP but set it for a 1 lb loss, which would give you 1470 or so.

    (If you do plan to exercise and want to do the TDEE approach--which is what you are doing with IIFYM.com and the other calculators--you'd add exercise into them upfront and get a higher number and then take off the percentage or, say, 500 calories for 1 lb.)
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    :) Now I see the light!! lol thank you so much lemurcat12 and ana3067! It's all clear now!

  • Poofersgrl
    Poofersgrl Posts: 161 Member
    I just did my plate for the fun of it, and it's giving me 1800 calories, whereas MFP gives me 1510.
  • LoftyVagary
    LoftyVagary Posts: 3 Member
    edited March 2015
    http://iifym.com/forum/threads/7450-Best-App-to-Track-IIFYM

    teaches you how to change your browser to let you edit your macronutrient goals by 1% increments and grams instead just of 5% increments. immensely helpful.

    above link leads to:

    http://karoshiethos.com/2013/08/13/javascript-bookmarklet-for-enhanced-macro-goals-in-myfitnesspal/

    just in case the top one expires before the bottom one
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I just put my stats into health calc as sedentary and it told me my tdee is 2240 :open_mouth::open_mouth: That's like 600 calories more than all the other calculators I've tried. I'd cry for joy if this were actually true.....
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