Calorie goal

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mslh84
mslh84 Posts: 180
in Food and Nutrition
Why are the calorie goals here way lower than other sites? I did one just to check some info on WebMd and it is 1k calories higher there than here. Whats the deal?

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  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    MFP doesn't include exercise, other sites do. That way you can "earn" your exercise calories giving you motivation to actually do it.

    ETA: it also takes into account your weekly weight loss goal. 1000 calories a day = 2 pounds a week (which is probably too much for most people).
  • funauntsherry
    funauntsherry Posts: 41 Member
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    I think the answer is a variable one and depends on what you're looking for. The goals here on MFP are to help you lose whichever amount of weight (IE 2 pounds per week) you are shooting for, allowing for your personal height, age and activity level. I am not familiar with the purpose of calorie goals on other websites but hope this helps you. I am guessing those goals are not tailored.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    It's actually because the deficit required to lose weight is built in. Other sites you have to subtract calories from that amount. Here, already subtracted (500-1,000 depending).
  • janf15
    janf15 Posts: 242 Member
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    One way of calculating the calorie need is to calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate) for your goal weight - which should be your ideal body weight. The calories is your BMR multiplied by 1.2.

    Then you manually adjust it in MFP.
  • mslh84
    mslh84 Posts: 180
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    I think the answer is a variable one and depends on what you're looking for. The goals here on MFP are to help you lose whichever amount of weight (IE 2 pounds per week) you are shooting for, allowing for your personal height, age and activity level. I am not familiar with the purpose of calorie goals on other websites but hope this helps you. I am guessing those goals are not tailored.

    The goals for weight loss on WebMd are tailored just like this one...this is based on the same information I input from here to there. It gives you a weekly goal of calories that you need to burn...and roughly a daily amount.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    MFP doesn't include exercise, other sites do. That way you can "earn" your exercise calories giving you motivation to actually do it.

    ETA: it also takes into account your weekly weight loss goal. 1000 calories a day = 2 pounds a week (which is probably too much for most people).

    This. Both of the above points are worth noting.
  • repip
    repip Posts: 7
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    All I can say is that the MFP calorie goal, as challenging as it sometimes is to maintain, WORKS. :happy:
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
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    I just did my WebMD calorie goal and it came out exactly the same as MFP's recommendations.
  • mslh84
    mslh84 Posts: 180
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    One way of calculating the calorie need is to calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate) for your goal weight - which should be your ideal body weight. The calories is your BMR multiplied by 1.2.

    Then you manually adjust it in MFP.

    Thanks and I mean I already know how to do that. That wasn't really the question lol
  • mslh84
    mslh84 Posts: 180
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    I just did my WebMD calorie goal and it came out exactly the same as MFP's recommendations.

    Well you did something differently then, because mine came out to 1k calories higher, and the point of this was not to come on here to prove me wrong...
  • ladyarkham
    ladyarkham Posts: 14 Member
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    I just did my WebMD calorie goal and it came out exactly the same as MFP's recommendations.

    Well you did something differently then, because mine came out to 1k calories higher, and the point of this was not to come on here to prove me wrong...


    I worked through the WebMD calorie calculator, and if it's the same one you referenced, I see a lot of room for variability.

    WebMD lets you put in five levels of exercise level, while I believe MFP only lets you select between three. MFP's "lightly active" corresponds to WebMD's "not active."

    WebMD's listed calories per day also includes calories that you will burn off through exercise. MFP does not - these calories are added onto your daily goal as you do them.

    This is why WebMD may be higher for the same/similar values.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    I just did my WebMD calorie goal and it came out exactly the same as MFP's recommendations.

    Well you did something differently then, because mine came out to 1k calories higher, and the point of this was not to come on here to prove me wrong...

    I don't think that was the intention. I suspect that she wanted to enter her details into the other site to see if she got the same results you did.

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