Do you use Mfp maintanance calories?

Tanie98
Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
edited November 8 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
If so, are they enough and not to low? I am at point were I am happy with the way I look and want to start maintaining my weight. However, i am planning to still track my food using mfp.So does anyone use mfp maintanance calories?
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Replies

  • r5d5
    r5d5 Posts: 219 Member
    I do! And it works!! I need the accountability of logging every day and making sure I'm sticking pretty close to the same amount of calories because otherwise, I tend to overeat and I'd really rather not get fat and out of shape again! : :p
  • Unknown
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  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    I do. Well, I'm *almost* at maintenance (trying to "float" down another 3-5 pounds slowly). But, yeah, I set MFP to "maintain my weight", and eat that plus almost every exercise calorie I earn (I use a Fitbit to count those).

    So far, the number I get seems right. I leave 100-150 calories uneaten everyday, and I'm still losing at a snail's pace (as a 100-150 deficit would indicate). So, I'd say the number MFP gives me is pretty spot on.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    MFP numbers are off for me if I were to use the activity numbers to indicate my total energy use (including exercise). Depending which external calculator will actually be close to my real TDEE, MFP is either over or under by about 100 calories.

    But all calculators are estimates. If you set it to maintenance and you still lose, then just manually increase the calories. If you gain, manually lower them.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    MFP says I would maintain at ~1700 but I actually maintain around 2000.
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    My TDEE & MFP calories to maintain are pretty close.
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    dunnodunno wrote: »
    My TDEE & MFP calories to maintain are pretty close.

    Same here--within 50-75 cals a day
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    MFP numbers are off for me if I were to use the activity numbers to indicate my total energy use (including exercise). Depending which external calculator will actually be close to my real TDEE, MFP is either over or under by about 100 calories.

    But all calculators are estimates. If you set it to maintenance and you still lose, then just manually increase the calories. If you gain, manually lower them.

    I would think if the calculator is within 100 calories either way,that is pretty close
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    Yes I do.

    I have found both MFP weight loss calories and now maitenance calories are pretty accurate for me.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    When I maintain, I find maintenance calories to be too high for me, but then again I have a medical condition to explain that and adjust accordingly. Experiment and see where yours fall.
  • radcas11
    radcas11 Posts: 76 Member
    Maintenance for me has been great. I eat exactly what MFP has given me, and I've maintained since July.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I freaking hope MFP maintenance calories aren't right for me. Man I want at least 2000!
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    they are about right I need to eat back excersize calories to maintain tho.. it gives me 2010 am averaging about 2500 a day ;)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Oh, right...MFP calories are not your TDEE, so you do get to eat your exercise cals back if you use it...correct?
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    I have a fitbit, but its fairly close to what MFP gives me.
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Oh, right...MFP calories are not your TDEE, so you do get to eat your exercise cals back if you use it...correct?

    I eat back at least half sometimes more and sometimes over.. Twice this week I was over 3000 calories and I was still the same weight this morning!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    edited November 2014
    arditarose wrote: »
    Oh, right...MFP calories are not your TDEE, so you do get to eat your exercise cals back if you use it...correct?

    Yes that is correct.

    Although some people say the exercise calories are over estimated so eat 1/2 or 3/4 back, not all of them.

    But eating exercise calories back is the way the MFP number works, unlike TDEE number where they are built in already.

  • crose0056
    crose0056 Posts: 105 Member
    I have a fitbit one and lost 40lbs on MFP. Kept the weight off by logging and exercising and eating every calorie. I have had 100% success, but then again I really work the program.
  • Regan45
    Regan45 Posts: 191 Member
    I raised the MFP maintenance # by about 150 calories a day. I went 10 pounds below my goal with MFPs actual #. I have been in maintenance for a little over a year. I eat back almost all exercise calories. It has worked out very well.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    They seem more or less correct but you have to understand that overestimation in exercise and adjust accordingly.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    I am at year 2 in maintenance. Yes, it is more or less correct. There is a certain amount of variability in weight that is natural but weekly weight monitoring is all that is really needed. I still log my food. I left a little deficit most days but things seem pretty close

    You probably know that exercise in MFP can overestimate calorie expenditure. So keep that in mind.

    I am resuming weight loss for running/racing purposes, but I have been satisfied with the results in maintenance.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    paperpudding wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Oh, right...MFP calories are not your TDEE, so you do get to eat your exercise cals back if you use it...correct?

    Yes that is correct.

    Although some people say the exercise calories are over estimated so eat 1/2 or 3/4 back, not all of them.

    But eating exercise calories back is the way the MFP number works, unlike TDEE number where they are built in already.

    Yeah I know, I've just been switching between the two and getting so confused lately. I completely forgot that if you use MFP maintenance you can eat back some calories from exercise. Still don't know what I'm doing at the moment ;)
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    edited November 2014
    I have a Garmin 15 activity tracker,which gives me my calories burned at days end, I use IIFYM's tdee and i use MFP. I have a Garmin 220 HRM to log my formal exercise,which than syncs with MFP. ALL of these are within 50-75 calories of each other.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Any calculator is going to be an estimate...if you use this tool properly (i.e. understand the method and why you eat back exercise calories) it should be reasonably close...but you have to make adjustments as per your real world results.
  • nicoleromine
    nicoleromine Posts: 92 Member
    My MFP maintenance and TDEE are pretty close. I, however, have set my calorie goal to TDEE and log my exercises as 1 calorie expended. My exercise routine is constant, so I just find that method way easier.
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    nicoleromine wrote: »
    My MFP maintenance and TDEE are pretty close. I, however, have set my calorie goal to TDEE and log my exercises as 1 calorie expended. My exercise routine is constant, so I just find that method way easier.

    I do this also
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    I've adjusted MFP's maintenance calories up by 100-150 calories and eat back 100% of my exercise calories. Continuing to log keeps me consistent and accountable.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    My MFP maintenance seems pretty accurate. It has me at about 1900 cals/day. My FitBit says I burn about 2100 cals/day and that seems reasonable that I would get about 200 extra calories from exercise (usually just walking or an exercise DVD).

    Right now I'm still set a little under 1700 because I had some summer time weight creep on and though I've gotten back down to my goal weight, I think I will keep the calorie goal lower through the holidays just to help keep me on track, without sweating if I go over because I know I have a buffer built in.

    I'm going to reassess my numbers (weight and calorie goals) in January just in time for the brigade of 1,200 cal resolutioners to join MFP...
  • ianthy
    ianthy Posts: 404 Member
    edited November 2014
    I am in the boat as Kruggeri - some weight creep over the summer and now staying at 1700 cals per day until the new year - again no sweat if I go over the odd dat., Xmas/New year are really dangerous times of year for me. I just don't want to blow all my hard work.

    Back to the question MFP set my maintenance around 2,100 and FBit approx 2,400. I normally ate 1,800-2,000 which allowed for some extras at the weekends. Exercise I ate back 50% max. I am still getting comfortable with maintenance and once I am back to norm will start to move up my cals to see what happens - would love to eat 2,200 daily plus eat back exercise cals and not gain weight.
  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
    I don't. MFP has me at 1350 to maintain, but I lose weight that low (without exercise). My maintenance is closer to 1600-1700 average calories at lightly active.
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