Eating just under MFP given maintenance calories and it's predicting I'll put on weight!

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Replies

  • sefajane1
    sefajane1 Posts: 322 Member
    I have the same issue, but I know why that is. I am 62, and mostly sedentary, so MFP gives me 1400 calories a day for maintenance. My actual maintenance need is higher, so I changed the goal to 1600 calories. If I eat between 1400 and 1600, the prediction always has me gaining weight, even though I am eating under my goal. I don't worry about it since I know from experience what actually works for me.

    You can set your daily calorie goal manually on the webpage, that might be easier for you. Just click "edit" on Daily Nutrition Goals here....

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals
  • sefajane1
    sefajane1 Posts: 322 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    sefajane1 wrote: »
    You are underweight and obsessing over the *idea* of gaining less than a bottle of water. Think about that. You are obsessing over less than 2 cups of water.

    You need to stop making excuses and get help. Like alcoholism, eating disorders are lifelong conditions no matter how many good days you have. Take control and get help before you do irreparable damaged to your body and mind.

    I don't believe that I have made any excuses. I simply posted to ask about an MFP calorie discrepancy. That 153 calories extra that I'd have been eating is a lot when you work it out over a year, it's the equivalent of almost 16lbs. Would you want to unintentionally eat that much extra?
    Anyway, as it happens, the MFP webpage gave the correct figures so I deleted the app and then reinstalled it and it's tallying with the webpage so all's good now 😊

    So you reloaded in order to get the lower calorie target even though you acknowledge that you’re underweight and have issues with eating disorders?

    No, I got the correct calculation. Last night 1470 calories was showing that I'd gain. Now both sources are showing that I'd maintain.
  • nooboots
    nooboots Posts: 480 Member
    It will not just look into calories, but the quality of food, and in what proportions. For example, a pudding snack pack might raise the prediction up 1 pound (saying if you had an extra pudding cup every day for 5 weeks you may gain a pound), while an applesauce cup may raise the prediction 0.5 lbs. Try to make sure you also balance your macros and be careful of sugar and excessive carbs. If the protein and fat macros are left behind but carbs are exceeded, that is a known indication of weight gain. It is something that adds up over time.
    Best of luck!!

    What would lead you to say this?
  • sefajane1
    sefajane1 Posts: 322 Member
    edited August 2019
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sefajane1 wrote: »
    You are underweight and obsessing over the *idea* of gaining less than a bottle of water. Think about that. You are obsessing over less than 2 cups of water.

    You need to stop making excuses and get help. Like alcoholism, eating disorders are lifelong conditions no matter how many good days you have. Take control and get help before you do irreparable damaged to your body and mind.

    I don't believe that I have made any excuses. I simply posted to ask about an MFP calorie discrepancy. That 153 calories extra that I'd have been eating is a lot when you work it out over a year, it's the equivalent of almost 16lbs. Would you want to unintentionally eat that much extra?
    Anyway, as it happens, the MFP webpage gave the correct figures so I deleted the app and then reinstalled it and it's tallying with the webpage so all's good now 😊

    Ummm....you would make adjustments per your real world results...not go a whole year and gain 16 Lbs...you're letting a silly algorithm dictate what you should do. If I start gaining weight I don't just sit here and say, "oh well...the computer tells me I shouldn't be"...I make adjustments as per what is happening in real time in real life.

    Of course I wouldn't accept it, I'm not an idiot! I monitor my weight and net calories strictly and will continue to do so, so that just wouldn't be an issue for me. I was just pointing out that something on MFP was wrong.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    edited August 2019
    sefajane1 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sefajane1 wrote: »
    You are underweight and obsessing over the *idea* of gaining less than a bottle of water. Think about that. You are obsessing over less than 2 cups of water.

    You need to stop making excuses and get help. Like alcoholism, eating disorders are lifelong conditions no matter how many good days you have. Take control and get help before you do irreparable damaged to your body and mind.

    I don't believe that I have made any excuses. I simply posted to ask about an MFP calorie discrepancy. That 153 calories extra that I'd have been eating is a lot when you work it out over a year, it's the equivalent of almost 16lbs. Would you want to unintentionally eat that much extra?
    Anyway, as it happens, the MFP webpage gave the correct figures so I deleted the app and then reinstalled it and it's tallying with the webpage so all's good now 😊

    Ummm....you would make adjustments per your real world results...not go a whole year and gain 16 Lbs...you're letting a silly algorithm dictate what you should do. If I start gaining weight I don't just sit here and say, "oh well...the computer tells me I shouldn't be"...I make adjustments as per what is happening in real time in real life.

    Of course I wouldn't accept it, I'm not an idiot! I monitor my weight and net calories strictly and will continue to do so, so that just wouldn't be an issue for me. I was just pointing out that something on MFP was wrong.

    It's not necessarily that something on MFP is wrong...it's using a very rudimentary algorithm. Beyond that, all of these are just estimates...you're taking them as gospel in assuming something is wrong. Put your numbers into several different calculators...you will get several different numbers...it doesn't mean anything is wrong, it means these calculators are just giving you estimates.

    And why use this wording...
    That 153 calories extra that I'd have been eating is a lot when you work it out over a year, it's the equivalent of almost 16lbs. Would you want to unintentionally eat that much extra?

    if you wouldn't actually let it go for a year...you would obviously not unintentionally eat that much extra if you are watching and making adjustments as you go.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,721 Member
    sefajane1 wrote: »
    I have the same issue, but I know why that is. I am 62, and mostly sedentary, so MFP gives me 1400 calories a day for maintenance. My actual maintenance need is higher, so I changed the goal to 1600 calories. If I eat between 1400 and 1600, the prediction always has me gaining weight, even though I am eating under my goal. I don't worry about it since I know from experience what actually works for me.

    You can set your daily calorie goal manually on the webpage, that might be easier for you. Just click "edit" on Daily Nutrition Goals here....

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals

    The 5-weeks prediction uses MFP's default assumptions based on your demographic characteristics. It doesn't use your manually set calorie goal to make the 5 week prediction. Therefore, it would still tell spiriteagle she would gain weight in 5 weeks (as it does for me, with my manually-set calorie goal).

    Really, that prediction is not at all subtle or nuanced. It's best to ignore it.