Macros data question

SpanishFusion

Can someone with a healthy understanding of macros help me with this data question. My understanding of macros is that there are only 3 forms of fuel that our body can use. Carbs, Fat, and Protein. So however you have them set up, for instance for me, I have 30%, 50%, 20%, it comes up to 100%. MFP sets your goals according to those macros with your calorie deficit goal. For me, 1200 calories, 90g, 67g, 60g, so that should be 100%. Am I correct so far?

Well yesterday, I ate 1300 (100 over) calories but didn't meet any of my macro goals. I usually don't notice because I'm usually over one macro or another, usually carbs. I have eaten under my goal before and not met my macros and I think it's because of that. What am I missing here?

cmriverside

You chose items in the database that were incorrectly enterd.

jjpptt2

Your first paragraph is correct.

As for your second paragraph... I suspect it comes down to a couple of things. First and foremost, most food entries are user entered and thus subject to error. Second, I think some rounding happens too.

But I experience the same things. I can be under fats by 2 grams (18 cals), but over on carbs and protein by 50 grams (200 cals) and still be under my calorie goal for the day. I'm trying to train myself to do an eye check on my macros to double check that my total cals are reasonable.

I'm interested in hearing what others think in case there's somethign I'm missing.

malibu927

cmriverside wrote: »

You chose items in the database that were incorrectly enterd.

This. If you were over calories and under all three macros, something is wrong.

SpanishFusion

Didn't think about that. Cool. Thanks.

AnnPT77

Alcohol has calories, but none of those macros. Did you have alcohol?

Or it was a database error, as others have said.

SpanishFusion

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Alcohol has calories, but none of those macros. Did you have alcohol?

Or it was a database error, as others have said.

oo wow. Yes I did.

Tacklewasher

Leeg5656 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Alcohol has calories, but none of those macros. Did you have alcohol?

Or it was a database error, as others have said.

oo wow. Yes I did.

Yup. Was going to ask the same thing. In effect, Alcohol is a 4th macro in that it adds no carbs/fat/protein but adds calories. Now that is for straight alcohol, and mix etc. will add the other macros, but a decent wine binge will bump calories and can leave you under on the others.

Plus, most here bump the protein up from the 20% level. It helps with retaining muscle while losing. You can drop the carbs a bit to compensate. Maybe move them both 5%. Just a thought.

SpanishFusion

Tacklewasher wrote: »

Leeg5656 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Alcohol has calories, but none of those macros. Did you have alcohol?

Or it was a database error, as others have said.

oo wow. Yes I did.

Yup. Was going to ask the same thing. In effect, Alcohol is a 4th macro in that it adds no carbs/fat/protein but adds calories. Now that is for straight alcohol, and mix etc. will add the other macros, but a decent wine binge will bump calories and can leave you under on the others.

Plus, most here bump the protein up from the 20% level. It helps with retaining muscle while losing. You can drop the carbs a bit to compensate. Maybe move them both 5%. Just a thought.

Yes wine. I like my wine on the weekend.
I've been thinking about upping my protein for various reasons. Muscle, yes, but also wondering if it will help me fill a little fuller through out the day. I set those macros that way because I seem to naturally eat that way. I may just try to adjust them and find ways to get more protein.

Thanks.

Aaron_K123

Leeg5656 wrote: »

Can someone with a healthy understanding of macros help me with this data question. My understanding of macros is that there are only 3 forms of fuel that our body can use. Carbs, Fat, and Protein. So however you have them set up, for instance for me, I have 30%, 50%, 20%, it comes up to 100%. MFP sets your goals according to those macros with your calorie deficit goal. For me, 1200 calories, 90g, 67g, 60g, so that should be 100%. Am I correct so far?

Well yesterday, I ate 1300 (100 over) calories but didn't meet any of my macro goals. I usually don't notice because I'm usually over one macro or another, usually carbs. I have eaten under my goal before and not met my macros and I think it's because of that. What am I missing here?

If you are pulling entries from user created MFP foods some of them aren't accurate in terms of their macros. In otherwords someone will put into the MFP library that "slice of cake" is 500 calories but won't enter any macros or will just make up a number. In that case if you use that entry your macros won't match your calories.

Either that or its alcohol. Alcohol is 7 calories per gram and is not one of the three macros (it is another source of potential calories). So if you drank alcohol your calories would go up but your macros would not.

All that said what matters is hitting your calories, tracking macros is just if you have found that getting enough protein or something helps you feel satiated with low calories and you want to make sure you are getting enough.

SpanishFusion

Aaron_K123 wrote: »

Leeg5656 wrote: »

Can someone with a healthy understanding of macros help me with this data question. My understanding of macros is that there are only 3 forms of fuel that our body can use. Carbs, Fat, and Protein. So however you have them set up, for instance for me, I have 30%, 50%, 20%, it comes up to 100%. MFP sets your goals according to those macros with your calorie deficit goal. For me, 1200 calories, 90g, 67g, 60g, so that should be 100%. Am I correct so far?

Well yesterday, I ate 1300 (100 over) calories but didn't meet any of my macro goals. I usually don't notice because I'm usually over one macro or another, usually carbs. I have eaten under my goal before and not met my macros and I think it's because of that. What am I missing here?

If you are pulling entries from user created MFP foods some of them aren't accurate in terms of their macros. In otherwords someone will put into the MFP library that "slice of cake" is 500 calories but won't enter any macros or will just make up a number. In that case if you use that entry your macros won't match your calories.

Either that or its alcohol. Alcohol is 7 calories per gram and is not one of the three macros (it is another source of potential calories). So if you drank alcohol your calories would go up but your macros would not.

All that said what matters is hitting your calories, tracking macros is just if you have found that getting enough protein or something helps you feel satiated with low calories and you want to make sure you are getting enough.

True. I try very hard not to use entries like 'slice of cake'. I try to use the verified entries or the ones that look like they have complete nutritional data. I also build my own recipes. There are occasions when you have no choice.

And yes, read my comment back to tacklewasher.

PAV8888

Looking at the long term correspondence between calories and macros I find that on a monthly timeframe, with careful logging, macros multiplied out will add up to slightly more calories than calories as given.

By up to about 5%.

Anytime I see a more than 5% discrepancy it has almost always been resolved to bad database entries.

Usually a very small variance, or macros adding up to less than the stated calories can be tracked back to alcohol.

SpanishFusion

I went back and looked and my wine entries do have carbs.

janejellyroll

Leeg5656 wrote: »

I went back and looked and my wine entries do have carbs.

Wine has some carbohydrates, but all the calories aren't from carbohydrates. You'll still have alcohol calories "throwing off" your macros. The calories in a glass of red wine, for example, some are from alcohol, some from carbohydrates, and a tiny bit from protein.

SpanishFusion

janejellyroll wrote: »

Leeg5656 wrote: »

I went back and looked and my wine entries do have carbs.

Wine has some carbohydrates, but all the calories aren't from carbohydrates. You'll still have alcohol calories "throwing off" your macros. The calories in a glass of red wine, for example, some are from alcohol, some from carbohydrates, and a tiny bit from protein.

Gotcha.