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MFP calorie goal. Is it legit?

AnneCharlotte828
AnneCharlotte828 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I was just wondering if anyone knows if the calorie goal that MFP gives is accurate for weight loss purposes. Do you all find it too high? Low? Or spot on? The goal they gave me seems high (1600) and I’ve been coming in under it for the last week (1350ish) without much problem. I’m a little hungry but I’m always hungry anyway so I don’t know if I’d feel differently if I ate up to the 1600 calorie goal MFP gave me. I guess I’m afraid I’ll not lose weight if I go as high as they recommend.

Thought?

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    What is your height and starting weight?
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Assuming all of the information you put into MFP is accurate, you'll lose weight eating the number of calories it recommends. This means making sure that your calories are logged as accurately as possible, such as weighing all your food and using the most accurate methods available for calculating your exercise calories. Almost everyone finds that if they aren't weighing their food, they are actually eating more than they think they are.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    I count myself as one of the thousands of people who have been able to lose weight with the MFP goal.

    What are your stats and what information did you enter for your activity level and rate of loss goal?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Why do you think it's too high? For me 1600 is about as little as I can eat without getting hangry.
  • AnneCharlotte828
    AnneCharlotte828 Posts: 4 Member
    I’m not criticizing MFP or saying that I’m not losing weight. My clothes are definitely looser than they were a week ago when I began. I guess I’m thinking that maybe I’ll plateau early if I go up to 1600. I know a lot about food and nutrition as part of my job but I’ve never actually kept a food diary before. I really like it! It’s motivating me to stay on track!

    For my goals, I entered a 2 pounds weight loss per week and that I have a moderately active lifestyle. I’m 5’10 and weigh more than I should. Nuff said ;)

    I really just wanted to know what other people’s experience with the app are. I’m new to this app so I just wanted to know if most people found the calorie goal accurate.

    Thanks :)
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    It is legit.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    At 5'2" I can lose on 1700. I'm also one who found the MFP goal too low. But then I also weigh my food for increased accuracy.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    At 5'2" I can lose on 1700. I'm also one who found the MFP goal too low. But then I also weigh my food for increased accuracy.

    Are you 5'2"? Short stuff! November is looming. https://youtu.be/bW7Op86ox9g
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    At 5'2" I can lose on 1700. I'm also one who found the MFP goal too low. But then I also weigh my food for increased accuracy.

    Are you 5'2"? Short stuff! November is looming. https://youtu.be/bW7Op86ox9g

    I better get off my butt and do some prep walking. :bigsmile:
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    At 5'2" I can lose on 1700. I'm also one who found the MFP goal too low. But then I also weigh my food for increased accuracy.

    Are you 5'2"? Short stuff! November is looming. https://youtu.be/bW7Op86ox9g

    I better get off my butt and do some prep walking. :bigsmile:

    Judgment free zone.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,666 Member
    If one uses accurate data in setting up the MFP profile, MFP's estimates will be close to accurate for most, high for a few, and low for a few. That's the nature of estimates based on statistical formulas.

    For me, MFP's estimate was way too low, which is unusual.

    At your height, and overweight, 1600 seems like it would result in weight loss. (It would result in weight loss for me, and I'm only 5'5" and not overweight anymore). It might even be too low for you: It's generally a risky plan to lose more than 1% of your body weight weekly, less as you get close to goal (within 50 pounds, say).

    Keep in mind that you're supposed to eat back more calories to cover any exercise you do, on top of the basic calorie goal.

    Too many people, and way too many women, think they need to eat tiny numbers of calories in order to lose weight, and that it's good to lose weight fast. Both of those things are dangerous myths, and part of the reason so many people end up bailing out of diets quickly, yo-yo-ing, and other unhelpful results.

    Try the MFP estimate for 4-6 weeks, and see what your average weight loss rate is over that time period. If you get weak or fatigued before that much time passes, eat a little more. Otherwise, stick to it, and see what happens. What's the down side?
  • loveisapineapple
    loveisapineapple Posts: 38 Member
    I found it a bit low. I lose between 1800-2000 calories a day (averaged over a week). MFP gives me 1560 calories.
  • AnneCharlotte828
    AnneCharlotte828 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks everyone for your input and insights! I lost 5 pounds this first week so I guess I can go up to MFP calorie goal without worries. I suppose I can expect a 1 to 2 pound weight loss per week on average from this point on.
  • AwesomeOpossum74
    AwesomeOpossum74 Posts: 106 Member
    My setup is to lose 1 lb a week, Google Fit auto-imports my steps into MFP. I over-estimate my CI (calories in), and after nearly 40 days using MFP, yesterday was the first day my CI was over my goal; I'm usually within 1-200 under goal. I've lost nearly 2 lbs a week without even really trying.

    Yes, I'd say it's about on target for me.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    When I followed the calories MFP gave me I lost at the expected rate.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,055 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    I found it too low.
    And someone who is 5'10" and overweight should lose easily on 1600 kcal.

    I'm 5'6.5" and would lose easily on 1600 calories if I could stick to that without getting hangry. I need about 400 more exercise calories to make it through the day.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    AnneCharlotte828 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for your input and insights! I lost 5 pounds this first week so I guess I can go up to MFP calorie goal without worries. I suppose I can expect a 1 to 2 pound weight loss per week on average from this point on.

    Don't change anything too much until you see the results for a couple weeks. It is not unusual to loose a lot during the first week or two. That is mostly water and things will even out eventually. Give it some time.

    Good luck.
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