MFP gives me 1200 cals but Scoobies workshop gives me 1390 cals

suziecue20
suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I input the same criteria as I did into MFP and Scoobies workshop gives me more daily calories to enable me to lose at the same rate as MFP i.e. 0.9lb per week. I have been on 1200 cals with MFP and over the last 2 weeks have lost 4lbs. Either half of that weight loss has been water or I am under eating quite considerably - I don't know which. Any ideas?

Replies

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Have you been doing any exercise? Do you eat back your exercise calories, or do you just eat 1200 and ignore your exercise calories?
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    If you just started losing weight, that could be water. Also the scooby calculator takes exercise into consideration. MFP fools you because it asks about exercise goals but doesn't include the calories burned from exercise in your daily count until you log the exercise on your diary.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I know that MFP gives you calories based on no exercise - what does Scooby assume about exercise?
  • ibnfaqir
    ibnfaqir Posts: 139 Member
    what does Scooby assume about exercise?

    How many times a week you exercise and intensity.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    Also, scoobys takes into account activity level in setting your target, while MFP assumes you will eat back exercise calories, so the 2 targets are probably pretty close when accounted for correctly.
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
    I use an exercise bike 4 or 5 times a week and am building up from 10 mins at a time. I don't eat any of the calories I earn. I am also working 5 days a week at the moment in a garden centre which involves being on my feet all day and walking and lifting a lot - I am 67.
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
    Have you been doing any exercise? Do you eat back your exercise calories, or do you just eat 1200 and ignore your exercise calories?

    This is the difference. Scooby takes into account activity and adds the "appropriate" amount of calories back, 80% I think.

    Be careful with 1200 calories. That is the the BMR for most which is what you burn laying in bed all day. Just getting out of bed puts you at a higher need than 1200. I don't your stats, but I spoke to a woman on the forum the other day that is 4'11", 150-ish lbs and eats 14-1600 calories a day and still loses weight.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Were it me, I would eat what MFP gave me plus about 1/2 to 2/3 of my exercise calories if you are going to sporadically exercise. If you are going to exercise regularly and would prefer to eat the same amount every day regardless of exercise you can set your calories to what the scooby calculator gives you.

    I tried that but I'm inconsistent when it comes to exercise. So sometimes I'd be eating assuming I was going to exercise 5 days that week and then not get any exercise at all.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    What did you set your activity level at in MFP? Sounds like you should be at Lightly Active at a minimum.
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I know that MFP gives you calories based on no exercise - what does Scooby assume about exercise?

    Scooby just asks about your general weekly activity like - 3 to 5 hours a week moderate exercise
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    What did you set your activity level at in MFP? Sounds like you should be at Lightly Active at a minimum.

    I set it at lightly active as I'm 67 and work part time in a garden centre doing a 'manual job'

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I know that MFP gives you calories based on no exercise - what does Scooby assume about exercise?

    Scooby is intended to include exercise.
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    enterdanger wrote: »
    Were it me, I would eat what MFP gave me plus about 1/2 to 2/3 of my exercise calories if you are going to sporadically exercise. If you are going to exercise regularly and would prefer to eat the same amount every day regardless of exercise you can set your calories to what the scooby calculator gives you.

    I tried that but I'm inconsistent when it comes to exercise. So sometimes I'd be eating assuming I was going to exercise 5 days that week and then not get any exercise at all.

    This is a great explanation!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2015
    suziecue20 wrote: »
    I use an exercise bike 4 or 5 times a week and am building up from 10 mins at a time. I don't eat any of the calories I earn. I am also working 5 days a week at the moment in a garden centre which involves being on my feet all day and walking and lifting a lot - I am 67.

    This is the difference. Scooby is including your exercise upfront. MFP expects you to eat back the exercise calories and the 1200 assumes that you are not doing exercise (and that you will add it when you do).

    I agree with ksharma that if you are on sedentary you might want to try lightly active.
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    Let's not forget this, a good thread to check out.

    Be careful eating back MFP exercise calories!

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10240050/beware-eating-your-exercise-calories/p1
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
    I did a couple of hours gardening in my own garden yesterday and MFP gave me 570 cals, which I think is ridiculous and no way was I going to eat them back.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2015
    Yeah, I wouldn't eat them all. The lightly active vs. sedentary option is good for stuff like that. (Or just use Scooby.)
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Another good indicator that you aren't eating enough is the simple one. Are you hungry all the time? If so, you should probably eat more especially knowing that 1200 calories is low.

    MFP keeps wanting to set me there, but I can't do it. So I have mine set at 1440 which is very doable. Especially if I eat back half my exercise calories on top of that if I'm hungry. I do feel hungry in between meals sometimes and that's ok. It just makes me look forward to dinner even more.
  • EmmaFitzwilliam
    EmmaFitzwilliam Posts: 482 Member
    So eat the 1400 and see if that works. Different programs use different calculations. If you don't like MFP's calculations, or if 1400 calories works for you, go with that. I'm pretty sure MFP won't be heartbroken.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    It should come out to more or less the same thing, if you log your exercise on MFP.

    I believe that MFP pegging the target to 1200 really confuses things for people and encourages them to JUST eat 1200. Or much less than they really should, given advice to not log all the exercise back, bc of lack of confidence in the database entries. I guess most people's tendency to overestimate amounts or not use a scale + just regular error means many wind up getting close to what they should, but I think it's a dangerous game to be playing. And it is completely a usability issue.
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