Calorie calculations in the app seem to be wrong

KrispyNoodles

I set up an Excel sheet with the calories consumed as per the app's tallies and the values are not the same. I need to be able to track percentages in order to get into and maintain ketosis and the unpaid app doesn't offer the percentage view anymore. For instance, as of my lunch food intake today the app reads 39g fat, 41g protein, and 22g carbs which is correct as per the nutrition information on the foods I ate. Multiplying the carb and protein values by 4, and the fat value by 9 I come up with 603 calories consumed yet the MFP calculation only comes to 584 - a difference of 19 calories. While that's not much of a difference for 1 day, it becomes a problem over the course of a week and definitely the longer term. I'm interested to know if anyone else has verified the calculations.

MikePTY

KrispyNoodles wrote: »

I set up an Excel sheet with the calories consumed as per the app's tallies and the values are not the same. I need to be able to track percentages in order to get into and maintain ketosis and the unpaid app doesn't offer the percentage view anymore. For instance, as of my lunch food intake today the app reads 39g fat, 41g protein, and 22g carbs which is correct as per the nutrition information on the foods I ate. Multiplying the carb and protein values by 4, and the fat value by 9 I come up with 603 calories consumed yet the MFP calculation only comes to 584 - a difference of 19 calories. While that's not much of a difference for 1 day, it becomes a problem over the course of a week and definitely the longer term. I'm interested to know if anyone else has verified the calculations.

Macros and calorie numbers on labels are rounded, usually to the nearest gram for macros and 10 for calories. So there will always be some minor discrepancies due to rounding issues.

cwolfman13

KrispyNoodles wrote: »

I set up an Excel sheet with the calories consumed as per the app's tallies and the values are not the same. I need to be able to track percentages in order to get into and maintain ketosis and the unpaid app doesn't offer the percentage view anymore. For instance, as of my lunch food intake today the app reads 39g fat, 41g protein, and 22g carbs which is correct as per the nutrition information on the foods I ate. Multiplying the carb and protein values by 4, and the fat value by 9 I come up with 603 calories consumed yet the MFP calculation only comes to 584 - a difference of 19 calories. While that's not much of a difference for 1 day, it becomes a problem over the course of a week and definitely the longer term. I'm interested to know if anyone else has verified the calculations.

Sometimes rounding...sometimes bad entries in the database...sometimes the entry has calories for net carbs, not total carbs...food labels are allowed a margin of error, etc.

Trying to make this some kind of exact science is going to be an exercise in futility. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good, or good enough.

lorrpb

20 calories a day isn't a problem even for the long tetm 😜

NovusDies

The calories are averages too which makes the number have an even higher margin of error. It is not like 2 pieces of chicken that weigh the same amount have the exact same number of calories.

Your energy expenditure is also not the same each day. If you walked outside today without a paper you need for work and returned inside to get it you burned more calories than some other day when you just walked out and got in your car and left.

There is no real precision here and that is okay because you don't need it.

sijomial

KrispyNoodles wrote: »

a difference of 19 calories. While that's not much of a difference for 1 day, it becomes a problem over the course of a week and definitely the longer term

No it's not a problem - in fact it would be one hell of an achievement to get that close.

Imagine the scenario where your actual calorie balance really was out by 19 calories from what you desire but you are trying to lose a pound a week (500cal deficit). I'll let you do the maths to project the time difference in getting to goal with deficit of 500 versus a deficit of 481 calories. Or alternatively if that error resulted in a 519 deficit - don't fall into the trap (very common on here) that all inaccurate estimates work against your weight loss.

That would assume for all that time you did nothing about it. When I started out I was losing weight slower than expected by a probable 1000 cals a week. So I simply adjusted my goal and proceeded to lose on track.

By the way it's not percentages of carbs that keep you in ketosis it's grams. And that amount is variable between individuals.

Dieting is hard enough without adding more stress to unimportant issues.

elfin168

I think you are overthinking this. Nothing is exact. My fitness pal estimates the number of calories you need per day to lose weight based on a formula. You lose a bit more or a bit less based on your individual makeup, activity level etc. Nevertheless the formula works. Perhaps relax a bit and let the process happen. Good things take time.

Pipsqueak1965

I would think that even with careful weighting etc you are lucky to get within 100 calories of the actual amount you consumer 9due to rounding errors/individual food items not being exactly the same blah blah blah). Who cares? anything to put in is an approximation.

sbarkston

If you're worried about a few extra cals run / jog /walk a little further to compensate

misclaire81

I wouldn't stress about it, it's not an exact science. As long as you create a calorie deficit, a few extra calories here or there won't make a massive difference. it take 3,500 calories to burn half a kg.