To those with Success, was MFP right?

Options
2»

Replies

  • ladybugfrenzy
    ladybugfrenzy Posts: 30 Member
    Options
    I'm glad I read your post because I have only seen my number drop slightly but i'm getting smaller! I've already lost a pant size. Why doesn't the number change? UGH! At least I'm still getting smaller.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Options
    ha ha well if I rode everyday like I rode last Saturday I would be 15 lbs. lighter, but if I ate everyday like I ate on Friday I'd weigh more than I do now.

    I'd be surprised if anyone does the exact same thing every day.

    edit: btw, do you write down these daily predictions, or is there another way to see what it said weeks ago?

    blessings.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Options
    What I did was I created a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel: See Link Below:

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22527300/Weight Loss Program Template.xls

    On the first tab titled "detail" you can input your goal calories to consume each day, the number of calories you burn daily (this would be what MFP tells you or maybe an average across several websites that have calculators for this), the calories required to burn one lb (3500ish) and your beginning weight.

    Then in the following chart you can input your actual calories consumed (first column in grey), and your calories burned from fitness (second column in grey) each day.

    Quant!

    It will perform the rest of the calculations for you..

    On the second tab titled "summary" it will summarize each week for you as they pass. you can log your actual weigh in for that week (first column in grey), and you can also input your personal goal weight for each week.

    It will then calculate your actual weight loss each week and compare to your goal weight loss as well as what I call "the mathematical weight loss"; the weight that you should have realized based on your caloric intake, calories burned daily and calories burned from fitness.

    The very last column on the this sheet gives you what I call a "Mathematical Variance" or the difference as a percentage, from what you should have lost mathematically and what you actually lost.

    So what do you do with this number?

    Because this number is directly linked to your "Calories Burned Daily Average" on the first tab "Detail" (this would be the calories you burn not including fitness, but just from normal every day activities that you calculated earlier), you can then adjust this number on the "Detail tab" until your mathematical variance shows as 0% for the week.

    Basically what you are doing is adjusting the amount of calories you think you burn on average per day to what you are actually burning, based on your caloric intake and actual weight loss. By changing this number until your "mathematical variance" is 0%, you are essentially truing up the math and your actual daily caloric expenditure.

    You may want to "true up" these numbers weekly or every other week as your "calories burned daily average" will change as you get skinnier and it will help keep your calculations accurate on the spreadsheet through out your tracking.

    quant! excellent.
  • livesthere
    livesthere Posts: 71
    Options
    I haven't kept track accurately of what it "predicts" (plus it's different every day depending on how much you consumed that day), but it has been pretty darn close for me. Which is extremely motivating to continue on with this! But I think it's probably different for everyone and of course depends on if you're not "cheating" on your food diary. I add pretty much everything I eat, including condiments and all of that. BEST of luck to you! :happy:
  • cree_d
    cree_d Posts: 22
    Options
    At first I was losing a lot more than it said I would, but I have a lot to lose. I now enter my weight, calories eaten and exercise in a spreadsheet and use a formula to calculate my metabolic rate. Using that information I switched my activity level from sedentary to active and it is much more accurate now. Strange, because I really am sedentary!
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
    Options
    I dont eat the same every day depending on how hard I work out or not so that # is always different. I would say though in answer to your question YES MFP was the answer for me. I already was working out and needed to focus on my diet to drop weight and it has worked.
  • Queen_Christine
    Queen_Christine Posts: 342 Member
    Options
    bump
  • BrittaneyHG
    BrittaneyHG Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    MFP told me i would weight 155 in 5 weeks i laughed because it HAD to be a joke.
    So I wrote on my calender on the 5 week mark (155?).

    I weighed in at 155 a week early!!

    Unlike a lot of people a lot of my weight didn't come off the first week or two. After a long month of the loosing a pound here and there i started loosing inches and then the scale would drop 2 pounds by the end of a weekend.

    Stay motivated, and don't let the scale make you lose your confidence.
  • kristen11joy
    kristen11joy Posts: 114 Member
    Options
    I'm not really organized enough to keep track of this, but it seems about right. I've only been at this since the beginning of summer -- I've lost 10 pounds in about 7 weeks. MFP usually seems to guess I'll lose 5-7 pounds in 5 weeks, which is in the ballpark, anyway. Like other people have mentioned, I've had a couple of times when I got stuck for a week or so at the same weight, or went up -- it's always evened out in another week or so, though, so don't be too hooked on the scale!
  • greatdragon
    greatdragon Posts: 64
    Options
    FTP seams to be way over in its estimations, but I think it only looks at some very basic stats for that day, it is in no way a trending tool :( it would work alot better and be more accurate if it used your calorie intake vs known weightloss and some other funky math and after about 2-3 weeks of interactions it would be very accurate for that person. but as it would take a kick *kitten* programmer to do it ( not that the staff of MFP are not kick *kitten* programmers ).
  • sbdriver1
    sbdriver1 Posts: 7
    Options
    Quote

    "btw, do you write down these daily predictions, or is there another way to see what it said weeks ago?"


    If you go to your food diary, right beside the date at the top, is a little calendar. Click on it, count back 5 weeks. Then you can open up the diary for that day, and see the prediction. I find I am just too unpredictable in my diet and exercise for it to be accurate. One day it will say I'll weight 153 in 5 weeks, the next day it says I'll weigh 156. The prediction is fine, it's my inconsistency that's the problem! lol.
  • jisabelle
    jisabelle Posts: 156 Member
    Options
    I seem to lose only half of what it twlls me It tells me you will lose 10lbs in the next five weeks and then I lose 5 so it's ok with me.
    As long as I'm lossing :) MFP has been a great tool in wmy weight loss.
  • lazatin
    lazatin Posts: 452 Member
    Options
    I have a spread sheet that has everything on it, inches, weight, workouts and "5 weeks weight"...alot of times it is very close and a few times it has been even right on...i have beene stuck for amost a week but I hope that chnges soon..It's a little motivator for me.
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
    Options
    when I stick to it, I think it's fairly accurate for me. :)
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Options
    well, I have not really lost anything in 6 weeks. I went back to look and according to MFP, every day says I should weigh bt 125 and 127, but I have been bouncing bt 129 and 130 since the end of June.

    To be fair, I am only 2 lbs. away from goal, so I can't complain. I did just up my calories to maintenance this week to see if anything changes.
  • frostiegurl
    frostiegurl Posts: 708 Member
    Options
    I keep track of the prediction and make a note on my calendar based on the average for each week. It tends to be slightly more accurate that way.
  • crobinson53
    crobinson53 Posts: 164
    Options
    I beat MFP predictions on a consistent basis. I run a lot and play soccer. I use a HRM to log my calories burned. I've been wasting away. I'm wearing a pair of slacks that were tight a month ago and now they are saggy in the bum. FML
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,307
    Options
    Im going to start keeping a log of what MFP says cuz im curious

    So am I...Put the weight they say in the notes section.......
  • jayb0ne
    jayb0ne Posts: 644 Member
    Options
    About right I reckon... It went more 'out' the closer to goal weight I got though.
  • GalaxyDuck
    GalaxyDuck Posts: 406 Member
    Options
    I've found it to be pretty accurate, I'm usually within a lb of what it predicts I will be. Sometimes I get to the weight it tells me before the 5 week mark. I try to be as accurate as I can with logging my foods and try to stay consistent with how much I eat from one day to the next. I like the motivation factor of the prediction more than the prediction itself. It's just another way to remind myself to stick with the lifestyle change!

Categories

Do you Love MyFitnessPal? Have you crushed a goal or improved your life through better nutrition using MyFitnessPal?
Share your success and inspire others. Leave us a review on Apple Or Google Play stores!