Is mfp overestimating how much I should eat

7Colors
7Colors Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I like myfitnesspal and it has already helped me lose 31 lbs. But I think I've run into a problem. Once I hit the 25-28 lb mark, my weight loss completely stopped. At first I assumed it was temporary but it lasted for more than a month. I was measuring all my food correctly, I double and triple checked. Still no loss, but no gain either. So after about 4 weeks I set mfp to help me lose 2 lbs a week rather than the 1.5 it was originally set to.
So I went from eating 2,100 a day to 1,750. It's only been a week since I changed and I'm already down 2 lbs like it calculated.
So I said all that to say, I think mfp had been telling me to eat too much. Is that even possible? I feel like I wasted a month of potential loss because I was unwittingly stuck in maintanence mode.
For reference I'm a 24 year old female. I'm 6'0" and 286 lbs.

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Are you weighing solid foods or using measuring cups?

    Anyway all online calculators for calorie needs are estimates and will need to be adjusted based on actual results.
  • 7Colors
    7Colors Posts: 12 Member
    edited April 2016
    I was weighing. And since I immediately started losing again after I manually adjusted my calories, that leads me to believe I'm weighing properly.

    Edited to add: I figured I'd have to recalibrate my calories at some point in my weight loss journey, I just never expected it to be so soon. Especially since I'm still so overweight. But live and learn I guess.
  • Cynsonya
    Cynsonya Posts: 668 Member
    Do you readjust your goals every 10 pounds lost? Add your new weight and let it calculate the new lower calorie goal? If not, you probably should.
  • RA60172
    RA60172 Posts: 137 Member
    edited April 2016
    Cynsonya wrote: »
    Do you readjust your goals every 10 pounds lost? Add your new weight and let it calculate the new lower calorie goal? If not, you probably should.

    I second this advice. I recalibrate my calorie goals every ten pounds.
  • 7Colors
    7Colors Posts: 12 Member
    Yeah I had not been recalibrating every 10 lbs. I only recently sorted out the problem with my weight loss ticker on here. I used mfp a few years ago and then quit. So when I started using it again, all my old info was still in there. So up until a couple weeks ago, it was only showing that I lost 7 lbs, instead of the actual 30 I had lost.
    Anyway thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm back on track now.
  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
    How do you recalibrate? I weigh in and add that new weight every week.
  • 7Colors
    7Colors Posts: 12 Member
    The mfp app wasn't giving me a recalibrate option before. I think it's because my old weight loss info from years ago was throwing things off. When I used mfp for the first time approximately 4 years ago I was smaller than now.
    So the old weight log ins from those years ago was messing up mfp's calculation of my progress, I think. I don't know yet, but I'm assuming once I lose 10lbs again, it'll give me that option. I had to manually drop my calories without it telling me to, to start my weight loss again. According to what others have said, mfp should have suggested that I recalibrate a while ago. I'm hoping it will now that I've fixed my stats.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    jandsstevenson887 wrote: »
    How do you recalibrate? I weigh in and add that new weight every week.

    change your goal from what ever it is to something else, then back again. so say your goal is 2lb, change it to 1lb, it will recalculate your calorie goal. then change it back to 2lb per week, again it will recalculate and hopefully show you a lower number than you had originally.

    Warning, it resets your macros too I believe.

    sounds like this might be the issue, or just normal weight loss fluctuations, pauses etc.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    I agree it doesn't add up correctly. Reduce to 1500. :)
  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
    Merkavar wrote: »
    jandsstevenson887 wrote: »
    How do you recalibrate? I weigh in and add that new weight every week.

    change your goal from what ever it is to something else, then back again. so say your goal is 2lb, change it to 1lb, it will recalculate your calorie goal. then change it back to 2lb per week, again it will recalculate and hopefully show you a lower number than you had originally.

    Warning, it resets your macros too I believe.

    sounds like this might be the issue, or just normal weight loss fluctuations, pauses etc.

    Gotcha, I just recently changed my goal to 1.5lbs/week so I think I'm in there right. I don't pay much attention to my macros but good to know.
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
    if you're losing at 1750 u found your answer. go on and eat up!
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    Yi5hedr3 wrote: »
    I agree it doesn't add up correctly. Reduce to 1500. :)

    1500 is way too low she's 6ft 284lbs aged 24
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    edited April 2016
    Yi5hedr3 wrote: »
    I agree it doesn't add up correctly. Reduce to 1500. :)

    Horrible advice.

    OP, you just hit a stall. You'd still be losing at 2100. It's just that with hormones it's very common to stall for a couple weeks... You would probably have lost anyway if you had stuck to 2100. 1750 seems very low for your stats, frankly... Do you eat exercise calories back at least?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Yi5hedr3 wrote: »
    I agree it doesn't add up correctly. Reduce to 1500. :)

    @Yi5hedr3 - Why should she reduce to 1500? She said she dropped to 1750 and lost weight.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    You have to re-adjust calories periodically. Your TDEE at +30 lbs is not the same as -30 lbs, if that makes sense.

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