Calorie count

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Hello,

Has anyone noticed that when they are eating and recording their means that the true calorie count differs from what the app claims it is?

How do you adjust things do they reflect an accurate calorie count? I had a bagel today that was only 250 calories but the app suggests it is much higher?

I think My Fitness Pal needs to strive towards greater accuracy so we know what is we are consuming,

Replies

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,429 Member
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    The accuracy (or lack of) is not MFP’s fault - the entries are mostly user generated. It’s other people putting in the wrong macros. Like the infamous garlic!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,081 Member
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    Yeah, and you can edit portion sizes, too.

    Or make your own new entry in the database. I've vetted all my foods: it took time but now I know the ones I use are correct and they're in my Recents - so easy to find.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
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    Also, a bagel is possibly not the best thing to judge by! Bagels, in my relatively limited U.K. based experience, vary in size depending on brand, bakery etc etc. Even bagels from the same package can be very different in size from each other. Also Bagel Thins are a thing.

    I’m sure that Bagels don’t come at a standard size anywhere in the world! Calorie counts have to reflect different country’s recipe, also - even within the same brand this might differ.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    I adjust the portion or find another entry that more accurately reflects the nutrition label or the website's nutrition facts.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,741 Member
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    There are bagels from Panera that run over 400 calories. As others have said, you need to log the accurate details for your bagel, possibly by searching by brand name, or if you have accurate package data, adding it yourself.
    The accuracy (or lack of) is not MFP’s fault - the entries are mostly user generated. It’s other people putting in the wrong macros. Like the infamous garlic!

    That one wasn't user-entered. It was part of the MFP start-up preload of USDA data. Somewhere along the line, some specific quantity choices for some of those got messed up, with other quantities in the same database item still among the most accurate we have.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Hello,

    Has anyone noticed that when they are eating and recording their means that the true calorie count differs from what the app claims it is?

    How do you adjust things do they reflect an accurate calorie count? I had a bagel today that was only 250 calories but the app suggests it is much higher?

    I think My Fitness Pal needs to strive towards greater accuracy so we know what is we are consuming,

    Don't select crappy entries...find the right one.