Logging Accurately..step by step guide

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Replies

  • joeboo81
    joeboo81 Posts: 28 Member
    bump
  • thistimereally
    thistimereally Posts: 74 Member
    Bump
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Just a quick add to the OP:

    There have been some changes to the search function on MFP recently and a lot of the FDA data now starts with the word "Generic"

    While this post initially, quite correctly, advised that you avoid all entries starting "*Generic or *Homemade" you are now looking for foods that start with the words Generic but are not preceded by a *

    Sorry if thats a bit complicated and thanks to MFP for the search changes!
  • DiscePati
    DiscePati Posts: 55 Member
    Thanks for this OP
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Just a quick add to the OP:

    There have been some changes to the search function on MFP recently and a lot of the FDA data now starts with the word "Generic"

    While this post initially, quite correctly, advised that you avoid all entries starting "*Generic or *Homemade" you are now looking for foods that start with the words Generic but are not preceded by a *

    Sorry if thats a bit complicated and thanks to MFP for the search changes!

    I don't see that personally...

    When I search Banana first entry is the usda Banana - Raw...no generic in front of it. Nor on the App...

    Maybe it's not site wide yet...I will definately keep an eye out for it.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Just a quick add to the OP:

    There have been some changes to the search function on MFP recently and a lot of the FDA data now starts with the word "Generic"

    While this post initially, quite correctly, advised that you avoid all entries starting "*Generic or *Homemade" you are now looking for foods that start with the words Generic but are not preceded by a *

    Sorry if thats a bit complicated and thanks to MFP for the search changes!

    I don't see that personally...

    When I search Banana first entry is the usda Banana - Raw...no generic in front of it. Nor on the App...

    Maybe it's not site wide yet...I will definately keep an eye out for it.

    I was really hoping that this meant they had reversed it but it is there for apples (I only use a computer not the app) Not sure how to do a screen shot either.

    In the listing it is "Generic - Apple- Raw without Skin" but goes into my diary as "apples -raw without skin"

    Would love to know what other people are seeing
  • do4fit16
    do4fit16 Posts: 5 Member
    bumping for later reading. Thanks!
  • andielyn
    andielyn Posts: 233 Member
    Wow, thanks OP for this. I just posted about my frustration in getting a good scale and the database, not realizing I can create my own entries and add them to my foods. As well as many other things I've learned from your post. I will be building my own food database! :)
  • Lifeisgood4
    Lifeisgood4 Posts: 120 Member
    bump
  • sandracrain
    sandracrain Posts: 3 Member
    thank u for this post .... :ohwell:
  • Janette3x4
    Janette3x4 Posts: 135
    My favorite thing is the barcode scanner. This, plus weighing your food and inputting correct weight is near fail proof. That's my opinion. ????
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Just a quick add to the OP:

    There have been some changes to the search function on MFP recently and a lot of the FDA data now starts with the word "Generic"

    While this post initially, quite correctly, advised that you avoid all entries starting "*Generic or *Homemade" you are now looking for foods that start with the words Generic but are not preceded by a *

    Sorry if thats a bit complicated and thanks to MFP for the search changes!

    I don't see that personally...

    When I search Banana first entry is the usda Banana - Raw...no generic in front of it. Nor on the App...

    Maybe it's not site wide yet...I will definately keep an eye out for it.

    I was really hoping that this meant they had reversed it but it is there for apples (I only use a computer not the app) Not sure how to do a screen shot either.

    In the listing it is "Generic - Apple- Raw without Skin" but goes into my diary as "apples -raw without skin"

    Would love to know what other people are seeing

    I do not use the website. However, Francl27 has made some posts about this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1309366-i-hate-the-search-changes

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1307201-the-search-changes-are-driving-me-nuts
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Just a quick add to the OP:

    There have been some changes to the search function on MFP recently and a lot of the FDA data now starts with the word "Generic"

    While this post initially, quite correctly, advised that you avoid all entries starting "*Generic or *Homemade" you are now looking for foods that start with the words Generic but are not preceded by a *

    Sorry if thats a bit complicated and thanks to MFP for the search changes!

    I don't see that personally...

    When I search Banana first entry is the usda Banana - Raw...no generic in front of it. Nor on the App...

    Maybe it's not site wide yet...I will definately keep an eye out for it.

    I was really hoping that this meant they had reversed it but it is there for apples (I only use a computer not the app) Not sure how to do a screen shot either.

    In the listing it is "Generic - Apple- Raw without Skin" but goes into my diary as "apples -raw without skin"

    Would love to know what other people are seeing

    I start the search with the kind of apple that you are eating (gala, fuji, delicious, green, ambrosia, etc.) and then add the usda. Once you find and choose the right entry it will go into your Frequent list and it will be easy to find the next time.
  • H0llyG0lightly
    H0llyG0lightly Posts: 214 Member
    Bump
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,899 Member
    The bar code scanner can be interesting. Sometimes it is accurate. Other times, it is as if it shows a similar but not the same portion size, item. For example, I scanned the barcode on a tiny rice crispy treat at which wich with my kids. Said 160 calories, so I passed on it. That didn't seem right to me for the portion size. So I did an online search and it turns out the nutritional data it gave me off the barcode was for the product 4 times larger and the little bite was in fact 40 calories. So, I take the barcode scanner with a grain of salt.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Some of the barcode scanned items do scan incorrectly. Readin SezxyStef's post I have jumped on the website and made one correction. Coincidentally, I am convinced that corrected item became the official entry even though it wasn't before! :bigsmile: mostly I just cross check w/the label and do the math to get the right total calories. In this case it said a container of yogurt had 2g of carbs and this was screwing up my macro summary, so I corrected it
  • DMadelineP
    DMadelineP Posts: 50 Member
    bump!
  • rawrrawr66
    rawrrawr66 Posts: 4 Member
    bump
  • JeanMBK
    JeanMBK Posts: 728 Member
    Thanks for this info. I will be more carefuL in my logging in the future.
  • Kep2005
    Kep2005 Posts: 57 Member
    Great post!
  • chopsart
    chopsart Posts: 122 Member
    Very informative post.
  • Our food scale is coming later this week- I can't wait. I hate not really knowing if I'm eating a quarter ounce or cheese or like 3 ounces! And the tip about copying items from someone else's diary is going to be HUGE for my husband and I- it's so cumbersome for us to both log everything for the meals I cook us.

    I will say, there is no way I'm going to dedicate all the time needed to log the recipes I make. The reality is that over the period of a month, I probably only repeat a dinner recipe once. And often I only make a meal once or twice a year. It's almost all from scratch and I just don't measure when I'm throwing stuff in. I'm going to have to find my own personal compromise to log things without it becoming a major hassle. I don't have time to measure every ingredient, write it down, AND go research every item on the USDA site to verify the nutritional data in the MFP database to log it into it's own recipe- all with two little kids orbiting and trying to have a life. But you know what? That's only going to affect me and if I come back whining in another month+ about not seeing any changes, you can refer me back to this post and say "maybe you need to be even more accurate."

    Any ideas from folks about how to log prepared foods from a farmer's market? I get wonderful vanilla yogurt, artisan cheeses, and other such items and I have no clue where to start to get nutritional data? (I doubt the farmer's have it, though I suppose I could start by asking them.)
  • MonaLisaLianne
    MonaLisaLianne Posts: 398 Member
    My friend just sent me the link to this thread, and it's a great one!
  • lqichick
    lqichick Posts: 162 Member
    Bumping to keep, Thanks
  • sarainiowa
    sarainiowa Posts: 287 Member
    Great post. Great information. Thank you!!
  • BreeJaxon
    BreeJaxon Posts: 128
    Great post, thank you!
  • Fantastic Post OP That was very detailed and very useful information
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Great post! I have been logging for a couple of years, and didn't know some of this information. Thank you, think you.
  • sandikaxp
    sandikaxp Posts: 2 Member
    This really help me, Thanks !
  • Great post, OP. I will definitely revisit my logging practices and keep this post in mind.