How accurate is MFP

This site is very good and has worked very well for me. That being said, you need to double check the nutritional information in the database before using it. Sometimes the nutritional counts are off, and there are multiple entries for the same item (sometimes varying quite a bit in nutritional information).

If you're diligent, this site works very well. I like that you can tailor this site for how much you actually exercise each day, not some vague activity level.

I find that most calories are fairly good but all other stats (carbs, sodium, fats, etc.) are iffy at best. And the exercise is way off.

I have the book "The Complete Book of Food Counts" that I verify all the food with when I add it. Takes more time but then I make sure I am eating the right amount.

** No, it is way off on at least the ones I use. No way I burned 773 calories on the elliptical tonight for 40 minutes.

It's about as accurate as a calculator. If you punch in the right numbers, you'll get the right numbers out.

Be careful with MFP's estimates of exercise calories burned. It's estimates for some exercises such as the elliptical trainer are ridiculously high. If I really ate back all the calories that it tells me I've burned, I'd be gaining weight, not losing. I use a heart rate monitor to determine how I'm really burning calories.

That being said, MFP is a very good tool, and I've lost a lot of weight since I joined. For me, the discipline of having to log my food every day has helped me so much. Sometimes I will pass on things simply because I don't want to have to log it. I do try to double check the foods in the database, especially for meat where there seems to be such a wide range of calorie counts. When in doubt, I usually overestimate a portion for a higher calorie count, because if I cheat here, the only person I'm cheating is myself.

I agree the exercise is off but I think WAY off is an overstatement. I have found it to be slightly off exercise wise around 75-100 calories (max) on exercise calorie counts.

Off in which direction? You are burning less than MFP says, or you are burning more?

Also, I just started this today, so I've been doing a lot of scanning barcodes (it's amazing how they are truly on everything) and the numbers of everything scanned have been completely correct to the label on the package. Today I "made" a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich by scanning my bread, jelly, and PB. It was exactly right, even to the one T of peanut butter, instead of 2 from the label. In other words, it let me change it to half the serving size. (How does anyone eat a PB& J with TWO Tablespoons of peanut butter...WOW that is a lot! LOL)

Anyway, I have also scanned my favorite tea bag boxes, popcorn, mac and cheese box, and they were all right.

Then, the things I just looked up in the database matched with the label as well. The yoplait yogurt was right, and the almonds matched my bag. I have raw organic almonds and it had them already and correct.

Today I have been quite impressed with the accuracy and astounding quantity of items to choose from (even my Keurig Kcups were already in there and they were correct, too!)

It has really opened my eyes to the calorie intake I actually have being a good 500 calories more than I expected just mentally estimating.

Catherine

EVERYTHING is an estimate. I can't imagine actually measuring how many calories a person burns as BMR even (it would be sooooo complicated). The value in this site, or any other, is that you are paying attention to calories in and calories out and moving toward a better balance. There's definitely wiggle room, but you can't be 100% spot on all the time anyway, who could live like that?

That said, I have had a lot of success. When I first joined my goal was a moderate weight gain during pregnancy. Gained a total of 17 lbs (which was right for where I started, my doctor was very happy), and I am now 10 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight (with about 10 more to go). When I log everything and stay within my calories most days (and when I go over, I don't completely blow it), I lose what I want to - I have been really good for the last 6 weeks and have lost 4 pounds. So yeah, it's accurate enough. It works (I'm set to 1/2 lb per week)

ETA: As far as exercise being off, I go with what MFP gives me for most exercises, eat back my exercise calories, and am still losing just fine. Seems to be right, at least for me.

Yeah, you have to check the accuracy of some of the crowd-sourced calorie counts (look at the number of confirmations to help you gauge accuracy), but I'm pretty impressed with the breadth of coverage and usually there's at least on entry that's correct.

As far as exercise goes, I enter my own numbers, so don't use MFP's estimates.

And as far as the overall program goes, it's pretty right on -- the calorie estimate it started me out at was the same as a nutritionist came up with for me.

And the proof is in the weight loss. Good luck!

the recipes took awhile at first, but now I have heaps of usuals inputted, I just put in any new ones at the beginning of the week, and adjust amounts etc if I need to as I cook.

~ It's as accurate as you want it to be ... use an HRM for exercise ... read your labels, create your own database and check comparisons ... all the leg work makes for an easy diary in the long run.

Generally speaking ... the exercise can sometimes be over and under estimated .... if you desire real numbers .... invest in an HRM or use three websites to compare your stats.

It truly is about how much time your willing to use to get the right numbers ... you have to decide if it's worth it. I have been using this site for over a year and I find it very useful ... but, it's not for everybody. :flowerforyou:

I'm happy with the accuracy for food but for exercise, I just adjust it.
On the elliptical trainer I'm on there for 30mins & the machine tells me 350 calories, MFP says 421... slight difference!!!
I change it - Simple & no worries!!

On a whole, I have loved MFP for everything & now after nearly a year, I'm so close to my goal weight I can taste it!!!!
I have my Mum now with MFP & she's loving it - she's joined only a week ago... hopefully she'll lose just as much as me...
I am religious with EVERYDAY entries too - this is the key to my success... good luck everyone

I always double check nutritional info and add my own exercises as to what the machine I used said and now I use my HRM to add things....most of it is what users have put in and have calculated themselves for their age/weight/height/gender so I always add my own exercises!!

as far as alotted cal intake, I would double check that, I'm sure there is a formula for men as well, but I just recently learned that there is a formula for women and it told me I could eat much more than MFP did so I'm gradually increasing to see what works.
good luck