Question about MFP calories

pierinifitness
pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Since joining MFP last late October, I set my weight loss goal at 1.5 lbs. per week with a, then BW of 200.0 lbs. Activity level selected was "not very active" because I sit for a living. MFP calculated daily calories at 1,560 and I went about life with that in mind, generally eating back most of my exercise calories.

Just reset goal to 0.5 lbs. a week since I've arrived at my initial goal weight of 177.0 lbs. I made no change to activity level. I do wear my Garmin and it's synced to MFP so I often get extra calories because my activities are greater than the "not very active" selection. MFP now tells me my daily calories goal is 1,770.

It seems to me that with a weekly weight loss goal of 1.0 less or 3,500 calories a week, I should have an extra 500 calories a day in my new calories goal. Yet, the difference between the 1,560 calories (1.5 lbs. a week) and the 1,770 calories (0.5 lbs. a week) is only 210 calories. This doesn't make sense.

What am I failing to see in MFP's math?

Replies

  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
    Thanks for comment and I considered what you said.

    I just now went to an online calculator and punched in my previous age (63), height (5'11") and 200 lbs. To lose 1 lb. a week calculates 1,569 calories. At BW of 177 lbs. to lose 0.5 lbs. a week calculates 1,688 calories. Both assume sedentary lifestyle.

    In this case, that's a spread of 119 daily calories x 7 days = 833 calories deficit a week or 0.24 lbs. a week, less than 0.5 lbs. a week.

    No big deal but it just made me wonder.

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