False hopes !
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zutshihora
Posts: 30 Member
Have tried MFP before now too. My question is that weight loss that is projected at the end of each day after one finishes logging out has never really happened with me. Does anyone else has the same query??
So,even if one stays well witgin the caloric limit and walks by way of exercising,the weight loss that popa up "after 5 weeks..." never happened !!
I use MFP,as a way of counting calories and nothing else !
This is the first time that I have joined a group,searching for answers and motivation.
It just ain't an easy ride !
So,even if one stays well witgin the caloric limit and walks by way of exercising,the weight loss that popa up "after 5 weeks..." never happened !!
I use MFP,as a way of counting calories and nothing else !
This is the first time that I have joined a group,searching for answers and motivation.
It just ain't an easy ride !
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At first, I thought it was rather motivational, but agree it would be more beneficial if it were accurate. I'm not sure the developers could come up with an accurate algorithm as there are so many variables. MFP has the same problem with calories burned.
With that in mind, I use MFP to track what I'm eating (which was a real eye opener), to track exercises, and for the interaction with others.0 -
It tells me pretty much the same thing every day and 5 weeks have passed. I figure it's at best a funky little algorithm that is programmed to be a slightly cockeyed optimist. I use it as a bit of a carrot on a stick but don't lose hope if it doesn't come to pass.0
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Won't losd hope. Gotta keep going, one day at a time.
Think if I step up the exercising component and keep within the caloric limits, that woulf fetch better and faster results?0 -
Don't lose hope. It really doesn't mean much. Too many variables, sodium, energy expenditure, personal metabolism, water retention from hard workouts. Losing weight is not a straight line, there will be ups and downs. Hang in there. It works!0
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You too ! Thanks
Yup,too many variables,an uphill task. But feeling pumped up,having joined a group finally !
Gotta keep plodding on.0 -
If ONLY that 5 week optimism ever really happened. Maybe if you're in your 20's with a fast metabolism.0
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At least we have more information with mfp. It really helps me to track what I'm eating. Just ordered a good scale0
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It seems pretty accurate to me. It is based on your calorie deficit for that day and based on you maintaining that same deficit every day for the next five weeks. If you are honest and log accurately it should be fairly accurate.
It appears that the five week projection uses the same algorithm that set your calorie goal in the first place but is based on your logged deficit for that one day only.
The biggest issue is logging all food and exercise honestly and accurately. You can lie to the log but you cannot lie to your body.0 -
The algorithm also depends on you incurring basically the same caloric deficit for each of the next 35 days as you did today ("If every day was like today...."). If you have some days that are under and some days that are over -- and the amount that you are over/under varies from day to day, the algorithm can't factor that in. It is only taking your activity based on a tiny snapshot of one day (today) into account in projecting your weight a month from now. So don't let that number mess with your head. It's a fairly meaningless number, in the big picture of things.0
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Thank you guys for explaining it. Makes sense,finally ! An "aha" moment :-)
The road is uphill but gotta keep plodding on. Get in the "zone"? Unheeding of everything else?0 -
I think there have been a few people who tried eating exactly the same thing for five weeks to see if it worked but it wasn't totally accurate for them either! I don't generally even look at it, I just keep track of what I'm doing and log my scale weight every so often. As someone said above, just too many variables for it to be able to be accurate. I wonder if you ate exactly the same thing for five weeks and stayed in bed the whole time(because calorie expenditure is a factor too) if it would make a difference, however, I certainly don't intend to test that! LOL!
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Yeah, I'm not tempted to test it either, @lynnstacey2 :-)0
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Yep! I think the MAIN thing you want to do is keep track of everything you eat, don't worry about trying to eat back exercise calories at this point and give it two or three weeks and see if over that time period you have lost weight. If no, check your tracking and make sure you are measuring your intake correctly. As in get out the scale and weigh portion sizes, etc. Plus be very careful about trying to eat back exercise calories. It's hard to accurately determine exactly how many we've really burned so certainly don't eat back all of them, I think many on MFP recommend half. But again, if you want to try eating some of those exercise calories, you MUST be very accurate in your tracking! I think this is particularly important to remember at our age(BOO!) since the older we get the more our metabolisms slow down so those calorie burned averages are not going to be correct for us.zutshihora wrote: »Thank you guys for explaining it. Makes sense,finally ! An "aha" moment :-)
The road is uphill but gotta keep plodding on. Get in the "zone"? Unheeding of everything else?
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I agree with lynnstacey2 with regards to using a scale, not eating back all exercise calories and careful burn tracking. For myself, I found it best not to eat back exercise calories. There may have been a few times in the last year I ate some of those calories back, but never anything close to all the calories.
As for the getting older and our metabolism…sad but true. LOL
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Funny, but I ate back about 80% of my exercise calories. Did I mention I love food? I did pick sedentary though and I think I am more active than that. You have to find what works for you.0
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Funny, but I ate back about 80% of my exercise calories. Did I mention I love food? I did pick sedentary though and I think I am more active than that. You have to find what works for you.
Yup -- I try to always include some comment like "for me" or "everyone is different" - because that is true - what works for one might not work for someone else.0
