Over macros but under calories?

marissanik

Doesn't seem to make sense, is there a calculation error somewhere by MFP or by inncorect data entry? Can anyone explain, and is it necessarily bad for me to be ogoing over? Diary temporarily public.

wyattj99

Make sure when logging in food that you notice how many other ppl have confirmed the food item. Scanning items double check the labels as well. Sometimes you have to change your eating as well to keep both under.

Francl27

It can be as simple as rounding up issues honestly.

sbarella

The macros in that quest bar look a bit weird.

hitsnooze

????? I'm not sure i understand

if you're over on sugar/carbs/whatever, it just means your food today has been too heavy on sugar/carbs/whatever

if you're over on everything then obviously there's been some mistake somewhere

edit to say, also, there's nothing wrong with being over on protein and fat

The_Enginerd

Between rounding, incorrect entries, and the fact fiber counts towards your carbs but is allowed to be counted as zero calories (in the US at least, it is optional), they will never quite add up.

marissanik

I live in Canada, not sure if that makes a difference. I'll go through all my labels now and double check for incorrect entries, I'll try scanning. Thanks all!

cwolfman13

If you are over on you all of your macros and under on calories then one or more of the food entries you are making from the database is incorrect. It is best to verify packaged foods with the actual package and also look for how many people have confirmed the entry...also, do not use generic entries like "homemade chicken soup" for example...who the hell knows how some member came up with the recipe. For items that do not come in packaging...meats, veggies, etc type in "USDA" after whatever it is you are searching for (i.e. broccoli USDA or Flank Steak USDA). I also recommend a food scale.

bgarganera

Most likely there is an error with one or more of your food entries. The macros may be higher but doesn't equal up to the calories, like a poster said it is wise to double check for accuracy on the food label especially if its your first time eating a certain food.

Rule of thumb: 1g carb= 4 calories 1g of protein= 4 calories 1g of fat = 9 calories.

richardheath

A packaged food may round down on the calories, but up on the amount of protein it contains, for example. They don't have to be exact on the labels - IIRC, they are allowed like a 30% error.

btw OP - good job on getting your calories/macros as close as you did!

marissanik

I use a food scale for everything that's whyit wasn't making sense to me. Quest bar did have some inaccuracies. Double checking everything again!

Predat0r1502

I live in Canada, not sure if that makes a difference.

cordianet

As some have pointed out, it's just rounding errors. Macros are often calculated down to .5 grams, but for most commercial packaging, this gets rounded up to the next whole number. Even if the food in question didn't get rounded, MFP rounds it up becasue it only allows whole numbers in the macros.

lrmall01

Doesn't seem to make sense, is there a calculation error somewhere by MFP or by inncorect data entry?

There can be incorrect entries as far as I know. Also, quick add calories have no macros associated with them, but I didn't see you using those.

Can anyone explain, and is it necessarily bad for me to be ogoing over? Diary temporarily public.

I looked at your diary back until Saturday and didn't see anything that was out of the ordinary. You will always have a slight mismatch, due to the rounding that was already mentioned. If you point out a specific day that you are concerned about I can look at that specifically. Also, the way to double check is to use the fact that 1g fat = 9 calories and 1g carb or protein = 4 calories. You should be able to multiply the macros of each entry, sum them, and get very close to that entries calorie total. I have seen some entries where all these things don't add up. Not sure, but I don't believe MFP error checks or guarantees that all these numbers align and user submitted entries could have errors.

marissanik

Shhh living in Canada isn't the problem

Thanks everyone, I double checked all my entries and used the barcode scanner and now my carbs are aligned, just fat/protein are over 3g each (not too worried about it).

My greek yogurt, bread, balsamic vinegar, cottage cheese, quest bar, AND popcorn were all wrong :noway:

Not going to be bothered about being over the 3g. Thank you everyone for posting!

rileysowner

I am guessing that there is something incorrect in one of more of the entries. More than likely there are rounding issues as well since when I have entered nutritional information MFP only uses whole numbers, so 2.5 grams of protein will be rounded as will any fractional amount. That would likely explain the situation.

henriettevanittersum

Nope, happened to me too a few times. Only fat was under by 1, cal. were under, rest over.... I ate a lot of veggies & fruit that day, sprouted rice, soy milk, chicken...

ironrat79

If you're not training for a show or competing, going over your macros isn't really going to hurt as long as it's not habitual or excessive. Also keep in mind that the percentages are only a baseline and don't account for an individual. Good luck

darrensurrey

Frustrating eh. Easier to just eat Snickers all day. :bigsmile:

lrmall01

Thanks everyone, I double checked all my entries and used the barcode scanner and now my carbs are aligned, just fat/protein are over 3g each (not too worried about it).

My greek yogurt, bread, balsamic vinegar, cottage cheese, quest bar, AND popcorn were all wrong :noway:

This thread might have to become required reading for all those who aren't losing weight but are convinced it has nothing to do with their food log. It seems most people never even bother to check if their entries are correct or even make sense before they come looking for answers as to why they aren't getting the results they want!

OP, I applaud you!

cwolfman13

I live in Canada, not sure if that makes a difference.

Well, here's your problem just in general....









Meanwhile....

Amestris

Interesting. I can't say I've ever thought much about being over my macros. I may have to double check to see if everything I've been logging is accurate.