How heavily do you rely on "you will ___ in 5 weeks!"?

i think it's a pretty great motivator. i have a long ways to go yet (50 pounds) so it's nice to see where my hard work will take me.

meant to quote this reply!

It's prediction has been total crap for me, and I've done everything from 1,200 cals to 1,500 cals and everything in between. So I don't care about it at all. Nothing can predict me perfectly.

As when I asked this question, I admit I'm a little surprised that so many people are happy with their 5-week projections, and find motivation in them.

My projections usually indicate it would take 5 weeks to lose 2 or 3 lbs. Given how much effort I'm putting into my weight loss, if it was going to take a year to lose 20lbs, I don't think I could last. (I have a very "tight" diet and I exercise for 90-120 minutes/day, pretty much every day. And I hate exercising just for the sake of exercising. Yet I find my fat too embarrassing to do many activities I might otherwise enjoy, to stay active.)

I AM losing weight at a steady pace, and have been for a couple of months. (10lbs/month) so, take that MFP projections! ;-) Barring a plateau, I'm on-schedule to lose that 20lbs in the next 2 months or so. Even if it takes 4 months, that'll be fine. But MFP usually tells me it will take a year, or more, in some cases. That's why the 5-week projection is so demoralzng for me. I am, and have been, losing far more weight than MFP projects.

Are people getting projections of more than 2 or 3 lbs lost in 5 weeks??? (Well...okay...many people are on a maintenance, weight gain, or just 0.5-1 lb/week schedule, so...)

I keep track of it because I like data. And I like seeing the number go down to new lower numbers.

First off, thanks to the OP for a truly interesting question!

Secondly, Saffyra, thank you for the above. I love data, also, and I can't believe I haven't been tracking the projections.

Will do from now on - not to "rely" on it so much as to see how often it's at least close to accurate. I believe I'll record it once a week on Sundays, when we weigh in here, rather than daily. Fun stuff!

:happy:

I don't rely on it at all but it's certainly nice to see that lower number. It's currently showing me my first goal weight and that feels good to see in some context, even if I don't rely on it to tell me the real time frame.

I think you need to take a lot of factors into account when you look at that number. First of all, it is a guesstimate based upon what you are doing today and if you can continue to do that EVERYDAY for the next five weeks, second of all, I don't believe it takes into account how long people have been dieting, so those people who have just started working out/dieting, you may actually lose more in that first week or two. I, myself, actually do use it as a motivator. I love seeing how low my weight goes and watch for when it actually ends up below my goals before I do, lol.

I look at it, because it's fun but 5 weeks from then, I never even remember, so I don't really go by it. lol
I think I would like it better if it went in 4 week increments, though.

Just for a visual of how it works..

its going to assume everyday is like today..

If you were to take a line graph of your weight... and hold a ruler up to today..

how much you "gained" today is how far the ruler is angled upward.
how much you "lost" today is how far the ruler is angled downward.
either way, the end of the ruler, 5weeks away, is the number it says...

thats also why you can hit it, then add 50cals, and hit it again and see a big change.

I don't rely on it at all, it changes everyday, by how many calories you've taken in.

It's good for when you are trying to maintain a weight and you are trying to get a balance on how many calories you need to be consistent. They are correct it changes with your caloric intake and your weight. When you reach the weight you are comfortable with that is when you should start watching the number.

I really don't pay attention to it seeing how every day is different as far as calories, exercise and what not.

Not at all, half the time I don't even remember what it says.

I log it with my food diary for reference, today I am 3lb lighter than than the 5 week ago estimate, and that was a day when I got shouted at for eating too little (a rare occurrence) so I must be doing something right :happy:

Since it starts with "If every day were like today..." and no two days are the same, I don't see it as a worthwhile prediction. Just an indication on how things went today.

I love it!!! I write it down every night after I finish logging.

I have a white board in my room right beside my mirror where I write the following:

Weekly Goal Weight: 175 lbs.
5 Week Goal Weight: 165 lbs.

Monday: 166.6
Tuesday 168
Wednesday 164
Thursday 165
And so on...

I find that when I write out my 5 week goal each day it helps me track if I'm doing enough during the week. And for me- it's been 100% accurate.:flowerforyou: