Is MFP Calories intake estimating accurate? !
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batoolnabulsi
Posts: 35 Member
Currently I'm trying to maintain my weight, I'm 5'3, weigh 121 lbs.
I don't wanna end up gaining weight
I'm pmsing so I'm craving so bad that it hurts, I decided to eat in my maintaining intake, myfitnesspal tells me I should eat 1640cal to maintain.
I don't wanna end up gaining weight
I'm pmsing so I'm craving so bad that it hurts, I decided to eat in my maintaining intake, myfitnesspal tells me I should eat 1640cal to maintain.
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Replies
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Thats seems quite low ! I don't think you would need any less than 1900 except if you were lying in bed all day. And more if you are exercising. Definitely eat more if you are hungrier during PMS (you burn more anyway, about 200kcal)0
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batoolnabulsi wrote: »Currently I'm trying to maintain my weight, I'm 5'3, weigh 121 lbs.
I don't wanna end up gaining weight
I'm pmsing so I'm craving so bad that it hurts, I decided to eat in my maintaining intake, myfitnesspal tells me I should eat 1640cal to maintain.
MFP for weight loss calculations are before exercise. I'm assuming maintenance is the same.
It's a good idea to check a few calculators to give you a range of numbers. Look for a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator. Most will include exercise up front, so you wouldn't log exercise separately.
There are lots of variables....activity level is a range not just 1 value, a high lean muscle mass % burns more, etc. It will take some work to pin your number down.1 -
Thats seems quite low ! I don't think you would need any less than 1900 except if you were lying in bed all day. And more if you are exercising. Definitely eat more if you are hungrier during PMS (you burn more anyway, about 200kcal)
B.S., MFP estimates that my maintenance cals are 1680 a day, and I weigh more than her. And from my experience I actually burn less than that, and have to shoot for around 1500 at my activity level to maintain. People's metabolisms don't come in cookie cutter shapes.
At her height and weight, 1900 a day would probably make her gain unless she was plowing away on an elliptical for an hour a day.4 -
I'm 5'7" and weigh about 120 lbs. I can maintain that on 1630 calories/day while being fairly sedentary (driving to work where I sit at a desk for 8 hours and not doing any cardio). I don't know about the burning about 200 calories extra during PMS. All the peer-reviewed literature I've seen says it's closer to an extra 50 calories. I'm sorry I can't link anything right now, but you may be able to find info on pubmed.
Another thing to keep in mind is you likely will gain weight while on your period/PMSing. Don't worry. It's not "real." It's just retained water or wacky hormone stuff. Don't sweat it. I gain as much as 5 lbs right before and during shark week, but it always falls right back off about 2 days after I stop.3 -
MFP for weight loss calculations are before exercise. I'm assuming maintenance is the same.
It's a good idea to check a few calculators to give you a range of numbers. Look for a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator. Most will include exercise up front, so you wouldn't log exercise separately.
There are lots of variables....activity level is a range not just 1 value, a high lean muscle mass % burns more, etc. It will take some work to pin your number down.[/quote]
Most TDEE calculators give me numbers between 1500-1600,but not less than 1550, maybe I'll stick to this number.0 -
Most TDEE calculators give me numbers between 1500-1600,but not less than 1550, maybe I'll stick to this number.0
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Hey, you know, if you have cravings, just swap out some of your usual food calories for the caloric equivalent in a chocolate bar or whatever. Eat a vitamin to make up the loss of nutrients.2
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TitaniaEcks wrote: »Hey, you know, if you have cravings, just swap out some of your usual food calories for the caloric equivalent in a chocolate bar or whatever. Eat a vitamin to make up the loss of nutrients.
This is what I tend to do. Or, you know what, sometimes I eat over my calories for the day. An extra 200 calories a day for 2 or 3 days is super negligible in the long run.1 -
TitaniaEcks wrote: »Hey, you know, if you have cravings, just swap out some of your usual food calories for the caloric equivalent in a chocolate bar or whatever. Eat a vitamin to make up the loss of nutrients.
I do this, but today I ate 300 calories over my limit, ugh.. I'll work out tomorrow, and try to eat in deficit again.. Hopefully I'll be able to stay on track, because if I don't feel satisfied I'll be anxious, I feel a physical hunger lol0 -
TitaniaEcks wrote: »Thats seems quite low ! I don't think you would need any less than 1900 except if you were lying in bed all day. And more if you are exercising. Definitely eat more if you are hungrier during PMS (you burn more anyway, about 200kcal)
B.S., MFP estimates that my maintenance cals are 1680 a day, and I weigh more than her. And from my experience I actually burn less than that, and have to shoot for around 1500 at my activity level to maintain. People's metabolisms don't come in cookie cutter shapes.
At her height and weight, 1900 a day would probably make her gain unless she was plowing away on an elliptical for an hour a day.
It depends on your metabolism, age and what calories you were losing on. Im 1 inch taller and at 1640 i would lose easily and would feel very hungry. If you are feeling very hungry at your maintenance calories you do need to increase0 -
What were you eating before and how fast were you losing weight?
No need to start poring over various calculators when you have your own data.
Any inaccuracy in your logging negates any calculator estimate but using your own data automatically corrects for that if you are consistent.0 -
batoolnabulsi wrote: »Currently I'm trying to maintain my weight, I'm 5'3, weigh 121 lbs.
I don't wanna end up gaining weight
I'm pmsing so I'm craving so bad that it hurts, I decided to eat in my maintaining intake, myfitnesspal tells me I should eat 1640cal to maintain.
You need to provide more info, age & activity matter. What are your settings? If you use a tracker, do you have negative calories on? How accurately do you log? Do you vary how much you eat back exercise calories?
I don't have one set number for calories. I have a baseline number and eat back what I get back from my tracker.
If your activity varies this might work better for you.0 -
OP, I find the numbers MFP gives me, while synced with my Fitbit, are very accurate.
Your numbers will be different from other women your height and weight because your age and activity level are also taken into consideration. 1640 isn't all that high though, I am a little taller/heavier than you, and older and only lightly active, and I maintain at @ 1800.0 -
TitaniaEcks wrote: »Thats seems quite low ! I don't think you would need any less than 1900 except if you were lying in bed all day. And more if you are exercising. Definitely eat more if you are hungrier during PMS (you burn more anyway, about 200kcal)
B.S., MFP estimates that my maintenance cals are 1680 a day, and I weigh more than her. And from my experience I actually burn less than that, and have to shoot for around 1500 at my activity level to maintain. People's metabolisms don't come in cookie cutter shapes.
At her height and weight, 1900 a day would probably make her gain unless she was plowing away on an elliptical for an hour a day.
Me too. I'm 5'4 and 116lbs and my maintenance calories are 1620. Granted that's before exercise, but since I primarily lift weights I don't get much additional. I would definitely be gaining on 1900.
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TitaniaEcks wrote: »Thats seems quite low ! I don't think you would need any less than 1900 except if you were lying in bed all day. And more if you are exercising. Definitely eat more if you are hungrier during PMS (you burn more anyway, about 200kcal)
B.S., MFP estimates that my maintenance cals are 1680 a day, and I weigh more than her. And from my experience I actually burn less than that, and have to shoot for around 1500 at my activity level to maintain. People's metabolisms don't come in cookie cutter shapes.
At her height and weight, 1900 a day would probably make her gain unless she was plowing away on an elliptical for an hour a day.
It depends on your metabolism, age and what calories you were losing on. Im 1 inch taller and at 1640 i would lose easily and would feel very hungry. If you are feeling very hungry at your maintenance calories you do need to increase
I used to eat around 1600, and lost 2 pounds. But I used to work out 3-4 days a week, high intensity exercise, walk 2-3 miles.
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What were you eating before and how fast were you losing weight?
No need to start poring over various calculators when you have your own data.
Any inaccuracy in your logging negates any calculator estimate but using your own data automatically corrects for that if you are consistent.
I used to eat 1600, I didn't eat the exercise calories back,sometimes I'd have 400 calories left or more.
lost 1.3 kg in 3 months, there were days when I cheated though.
Maybe I'll try eating 1500 calories and see what happens.
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