weight loss prediction on MFP

The prediction when you close out your diary is pretty much a gimmick rather than something to take with anything other than a large pinch of salt!

It states something like ‘If every day were like today, in 5 weeks...’

No two days are ever the same in real life though. You won’t eat the exact same foods in the exact same balance. You won’t do the exact same amount of activity etc.

Focus on your calorie deficit and don’t bother closing out your diary if the prediction bugs you!

It's a goofy, harmless gimmick. If you're 100 cals over today, it simply extrapolates that you will be 100 calories over everyday for the next five weeks (35 days) and tells you you will be 1 lb heavier (I. E. 3500 "extra" calories accumulated, which equals one pound). If you're 200 over, then it tells you you'll be 2 lbs heavier, and so on.

I really like it and have found it really helpful to remind me / reinforce to me whether I've had a good day or not i.e. it will sometimes make me go back and assess what I ate that day and whether I was happy with my choices. I sometimes use it before I eat something i.e. I'll enter the food and then click complete diary and it helps me decide if I want to eat it or not. There has been many a time when it's helped me not to eat that extra biscuit/extra row of chocolate - but save it for tomorrow. Other days, I've thought - ok, it's probably ok for me to eat it.Yes I look at my numbers and stats, but the prediction is usually in line with my current weight and the stats so it's all useful to me.

Not a big deal I know, but I've found it a helpful thing to keep me on track. I know not all days are the same, I know it's not particularly scientific but it essentially reinforces to me if I've had a pig out day or not and the potential impact could be.