Don't understand the macro percentages on the Android MFP app?

Sapphire_Elf

Hi, hoping someone can shed some light on this (I've searched but not found what I'm after on the site so I apologise if it's already been asked).

On the Android app there's a "nutrition" tab with three sections - calories, nutrients and macros. I'm struggling to understand the macro section. There's a pie chart with percentages underneath, so at the moment it's showing the following:

Carbohydrates (142g) / Total 60% / Goal 40%
Fat (18g) / Total 18% / Goal 25%
Protein (53g) / Total 22% / Goal 35%

When I read this I assumed it meant I'd gone waaay over on my carbs - but apparently I haven't as the food diary (in the summary at the bottom) says that I have a daily total of 159g for carbs and have 17g remaining. (I know that's not a lot but I'm not over!).

Does anyone know what the percentages on the pie chart are supposed to represent, because all they've done is confuse me....??

Cheers x

capaul42

It means that 60% of the calories you've logged are carbs. You're under in both your other macros. That's why I look at the actual grams I consume instead of the pie chart.

*edited because I hit post before I was done lol

jemhh

It means that 60% of what you have logged for the day is carbs. Your goal was 40%. However, gram-wise, you have not hit the carb goal. Example:

Goal calories = 2000
Goal carbs = 50% / 250 grams

You ate 1000 calories, 600 of which are carbs. So you ate 60% carbs but only 150 grams (carbs are 4 cal/gram.)

Sapphire_Elf

Aha!!!! Thank you, I think that makes sense - I'm not a numbers person by any stretch of the imagination.

Er.... how can I be under on the gram-wise carb goal, but over the 40% mark - isn't it worked out that whatever your grams are = the percentage on the goals? Sorry, I'm really dim with these things....

SusanMFindlay

The percentages represent what fraction of the food you've eaten so far has been fat, protein or carb. e.g. If all you'd had to eat today had been one egg, it would show up as 2% carb, 62% fat and 36% protein. That's much higher than the recommended fat percentage for the day - but it's only actually 5 g of fat. If I add 1 cup of orange slices to that day, all of a sudden the carbs jump up to 46%, the fat drops to 32% and the protein drops to 22%. The fat percentage didn't go down because fat was taken away. It went down because carbs were added and the percentages must always total 100%. If you want to lower a percentage, eat more of the other two macros.

All the percentages are showing you is where you stand in relation to your goals. Your carb percentage is higher than your target, so you will want to add some foods that are higher in fat and protein to get closer to your target ratios for the day (or choose not to eat a carb-rich item that you had logged but not eaten yet).

Sapphire_Elf

Thank you! Seeing the example you've given makes it more logical. Protein was rubbish today, hopefully I will get closer to goal tomorrow. However it might explain a bit why I've been really hungry all day, even though I've been eating!