Protien, Carbs and Fat don't add up to Calorie total on MFP ??

ktsj2015

The general understanding is that 1g of fat = 9cals, 1g of Protien or Carbs = 4 cals.

In this case your Cal total should add up using the following.

(Fat(g) * 9) + (Carb(g) * 4) + (Protein(g) * 4) = Calorie total.

However mine doesn't. Yesterday I ate...

137(c) 53(f) 111(p) and it records my total calories as 1,677

However if you add up the Protein/Fat and Carbs it's only 1,469??? It seems to be going wrong somewhere? Anyone else had this or know why it's wrong??

It concerns me that it's not right because that either means MFP can't add! or the entry's in the database aren't correct somehow in either calories or macro's.

ninenines

Are there any entries that don't have the macro breakdown?

ktsj2015

No they all have the macro breakdown, I exported it all to Excel and almost none of the individual items add up correctly. Even those that I barcode scanned, I looked at the packet and they don't even match the label

MFP seems to blanket sum the totals of 'Calories' on each individual items to get your Total Calories. But unlike other sites it doesn't seem to check if the P+F+C add's up to the right number of calories.

I've been on another site for 10 years I only moved to MFP because it had the ability to barcode scan and sync with fitbit but it unlike the other site when you enter an item it doesn't even seem to try and check that the macros add up to the calorie total. My old site wouldn't allow new food to be added unless the macro's added up right.

_Terrapin_

MFP entries: type in potatoes and check the entries. Surprise! How many entries are there? Why are some of the MACROS off by so much? Users enter their own data and MFP does not have a system to check all the entries. You can use USDA for food items and continue to scan bar codes and create your own useable entries. I ahven't seen deviation of the amount you are showing above but I've been using accurate entries for 3 years and forgot how far off some entries can be. Does this help? Please hit like if it does. heheheh.....I digress.

ktsj2015

How can you scan codes and then alter/create new entries. Im a creature of habit so I do tend to eat the same foods repeatedly, but I do like the convenience of scanning rather than typing each entry.

heybales

There would be no reason for MFP to do that kind of check - because the nutrition label is also allowed to be that inaccurate - it doesn't have to add up either.
Manufacturers are allowed to round, and they do to whatever will look better to consumers.

You won't get them correct - usually ever.

Best you can hope for is finding the glaring error in a food before you select it from database, where someone entered wrong value.

As far as SKU's - depending on what it is - the info in database can go wrong fast if maker switches around what's in package but keeps the same SKU - happens all the time.
Don't trust a scan if the package says "New" in any way. Confirm the nutrition label still matches database entry found.

nossmf

If you eat the same foods on a regular basis, you can save your meals, then in the future you can load them with a single click. For example, let's say you eat the same breakfast each day (quite common). Add the entries for your breakfast. Now click on "quick tools" beneath breakfast, then "remember meal." Give the meal a name (say, "bacon and eggs"), click save. Tomorrow if you have the same breakfast, you just click on "add food" then click on the "meals" tab. Find the meal labeled "bacon and eggs". Now the site will auto-populate your breakfast with all the entries under that saved meal. Poof, no typing or scanning needed beyond the initial entry, just point, click and eat.

The_Enginerd

Even with correct entries, it won't add up exactly either. I wrote a post detailing some of the reasons why this is:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10025962/calories-and-macros-not-adding-up-heres-probably-why