MFP Drops the Ball

deansdad101

Once one gets past all the "low cal / low fat" dogma and exer-centric ideology, MFP is the "best" tracker I've found so far for Low (and VL) Carbers and I thank them and appreciate them for that.

BUT......(you knew there would a "but"),

On two fronts, they have really dropped the ball (or, maybe, it's that I just haven't been unable to unearth the hidden "features").

First is the inability to include more (than the current limit of 5) macro/micro nutrients on the daily log display.

We all need fats, carbs, and proteins (of course) which only leaves two.

For those wishing to display "net carbs", Fiber must be shown, which leaves one open slot.

Sodium matters a LOT for those actually in Keto and Sugar matters to everyone - pick one because that's all the "slots" left - we NEED MORE!

Secondly - the recipe sharing function is ABYSMAL!

How many of us have two family members using MFP, each with their own accounts and who share at least one meal a day?

Create or modify a recipe, enter it in your diary and then wish to share it with your SO.

Start all over, enter it item by item (while often NOT being able to find the exact same item, using the exact same nomenclature, in the database), in his/her account - there is simply NO reason that it should be cumbersome and time consuming.

The "import" function exists (and works pretty well), EXCEPT it will NOT let one "import" or "export" from a personal diary - WHY NOT?

It really shouldn't be this difficult - LoseIT, e.g. has the function and it's pretty much "one click" - why not MFP?

There is a "work-around" but it's kind of kludgy and still requires a couple extra steps.

The MFP Overlords have been made aware of the need literally hundreds (if not 1000's) of times both on the Forums and via PM's but they apparently pay little heed. It's either that or some misguided attempt to "lock in" users (which is probably counterproductive since my guess is more leave because of it than are "locked in". Or, maybe they just can't figure out "how" to do it (which shouldn't be all that dfficult - just reverse engineer LoseIt).

Suggestions?

crepes_

If you're tracking net carbs, I don't really see the reason to track sugar. You can look at your daily macro and micro breakdown by reading the nutritional report. It shows everything that's tracked, from sodium and potassium to calcium and Vitamin A. It can be set to show day by day or weekly average. It's easily accessible on the app, but I don't use the website often enough to know it well.

When I share a meal with my husband, I input the recipe into the calculator and then log it. He then visits my diary and clicks on the little wrench icon by the name of the meal, and then selects "Copy Meal to...". It then gets logged on his diary without him having to input the recipe.

sljohnson1207

I agree, and another function I despise is the rounding, esp. for carbs.

I don't like how a vegetable with some fiber will show as no fiber, or how an item with less than 1 carb will show as 1 carb when it isn't. It makes everything "off" some. I like precision.

With that said F I T D A Y has been my favorite for years, but their site is so darn slow it is unusable.

They have precision. They also have precision reporting, and you don't have to search through thousands of user made entries to find real and accurate USDA information regarding nutrition of fresh produce.

SOOZIE429

If you're tracking net carbs, I don't really see the reason to track sugar. You can look at your daily macro and micro breakdown by reading the nutritional report. It shows everything that's tracked, from sodium and potassium to calcium and Vitamin A. It can be set to show day by day or weekly average. It's easily accessible on the app, but I don't use the website often enough to know it well.

When I share a meal with my husband, I input the recipe into the calculator and then log it. He then visits my diary and clicks on the little wrench icon by the name of the meal, and then selects "Copy Meal to...". It then gets logged on his diary without him having to input the recipe.

Completely agree with this. ^ My husband and I use the "copy meal to.." a lot. But I think it's only available on the App, but I could be wrong. Trying to find the recipe, etc. is impossible. So the "copy" method works great. Easy. And no need to track sugar either. No point really .

Sabine_Stroehm

"Net carbs" as in the mental math in your head? Or did they finally add that as an option?

sorry if I'm being obtuse.

hookilau

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

hookilau

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

Yup use that script, it works in your web browser...

OP: Low carb isn't for everyone. Some do better on low carb, some do better high carb. so there is no "low fat/high carb" dogma. depends on the person.

I agree. I've moved from <20g/day about 50-60g/day now that my goals have changed. I aim to eat as many carbs as I can while keeping my BG within normal limits. Don't know where that'll take me, but I suspect not higher than 75 g/day.

I also don't track sugar, figuring tracking carbs is enough & using up the extra slot is just redundant.

Sabine_Stroehm

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

Thanks. Only works on PCs, if memory serves, correct?

FIT_Goat

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

Thanks. Only works on PCs, if memory serves, correct?

I believe so...

I use Linux and it works fine. It works in chrome, at the very least, which is my default browser.

Sabine_Stroehm

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

Thanks. Only works on PCs, if memory serves, correct?

I believe so...

I use Linux and it works fine. It works in chrome, at the very least, which is my default browser.

ah, ok. I'll rephrase. This doesn't work on macs, if memory serves, correct? :happy:

lighteningjeanne855

I just tell myself repeatedly:
MFP is freeeeeee!

For the other items you mention, we should probably nag MFP,
daily or weekly, to accommodate low-carbers.

Sabine_Stroehm

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

Thanks. Only works on PCs, if memory serves, correct?

I believe so...

I use Linux and it works fine. It works in chrome, at the very least, which is my default browser.

ah, ok. I'll rephrase. This doesn't work on macs, if memory serves, correct? :happy:

Actually on second thought, I am pretty sure it does. Just need to know how to run a greasemonkey script in safari. I am sure there are tutorials and guides on how to do so.

oh??? I feel a personal challenge coming on! :happy:

caseyjarryn

Agreed. Also, as an Australian, the nutritional panels of food in Australia don't list fibre as a carb, it's already subtracted from the total carb number... so if I log some Australian products, and some generic (U.S.) products, there's really no way to know what the net carbs are, as some of the items may have already had fibre subtracted and some haven't. Not really MFP's fault but still frustrating.

Also, nothing to do with carbs so a bit off topic, but I hate that I can't copy a meal to a different meal slot. e.g. If I have last nights dinner for lunch today I can't just copy it over to today's lunch slot I have to copy it to the dinner slot and then move each line item from dinner to lunch. So annoying, and I feel like a lot of people probably eat leftovers for lunch so it really should be an option!!

deansdad101

Agreed. Also, as an Australian, the nutritional panels of food in Australia don't list fibre as a carb, it's already subtracted from the total carb number... so if I log some Australian products, and some generic (U.S.) products, there's really no way to know what the net carbs are, as some of the items may have already had fibre subtracted and some haven't. Not really MFP's fault but still frustrating.

Also, nothing to do with carbs so a bit off topic, but I hate that I can't copy a meal to a different meal slot. e.g. If I have last nights dinner for lunch today I can't just copy it over to today's lunch slot I have to copy it to the dinner slot and then move each line item from dinner to lunch. So annoying, and I feel like a lot of people probably eat leftovers for lunch so it really should be an option!!

Casey;

Not familiar with the Aussie methodology but if I'm reading what you wrote correctly, wouldn't the AUS foods (which have already accounted for fiber), list the fiber content as "O"?

If so, Total Carbs and Net Carbs would be the same (for AUS foods) and the script would simply subtract "O" from Total to get Net Carbs.
You DO have to have the "Fiber" item listed for the script to work but as long as the fiber quantity is "0" that's what will be subtracted and it "should" work (I "think"?).

Alternatively, (if fiber is still listed but already accounted for), you could just change the fiber number to 0 on each food and the script would still work accurately. USDA food nutritional data (which includes fiber but does NOT subtract it automatically (without the script) would also work.

On the "...but I hate that I can't copy a meal to a different meal slot...", it's not OT and that I shared your concerns was the impetus for this thread in the first place.

Thanks to the previous poster who mentioned that the function DOES exist in the mobile version (which neither my bride or I use and thus were unfamiliar with), those comments did get me looking around (in the desktop version) and, lo and behold, a similar function DOES exist there as well.

It was there all along and I just never found it.

Works like this:
Add your SO (or whomever you want to "copy" a meal from) to your "friend" list,
After they "accept" you as a friend (assuming they do <vbg>),
Click "Friends" on the "My Home" second level tabs,
On the (your UID) "Friends" listing screen that appears, click on the UID of the 'friend" who's meal you want to "copy"
When their "Profile" screen appears, click on "View Diary" (your "friend" will have to first "open" their diary for it to appear),
Scroll through their diary to find the "meal" (breakfast, lunch, etc) you want to copy, and,
Click on the "Quick Tools" button at the BOTTOM of the meal,
Click "Copy to Today" and follow the wizard to select the meal to which you want them copied.
That's it!

As far as I can tell it's "all or nothing" - in that you can't pick and choose certain items, you must take it "all", BUT,
Once it's imported into your food diary, you CAN then delete items, add items, or change quantities - just as you normally do.

The "Quick Tools' button also exists on your OWN food diary and can be used to perform the same function on one of your own meals (copy yesterdays "lunch" to today e.g.).
Or, another method would be to "save" your "meal" as a recipe and then enter it on succeeding days.

We've found that what works best for us is to save recipes with ONLY the "basic" ingredients that we always use, add the recipe to today's meal, and then manually add any ingredients that have changed from day to day.
For example, we eat omelets fairly regularly but often change the "ingredients" (onion, pepper, mushrooms, bacon, meatballs, etc). So we saved the eggs, butter, cheese and spices as our "basic omelet" recipe, add that to today's breakfast, and then add in the mushrooms or whatever we are having that day.

Hope this helps and thanks to the previous posters for pointing me in the right direction.

hookilau

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

Yup use that script, it works in your web browser...

OP: Low carb isn't for everyone. Some do better on low carb, some do better high carb. so there is no "low fat/high carb" dogma. depends on the person.

I agree. I've moved from <20g/day about 50-60g/day now that my goals have changed. I aim to eat as many carbs as I can while keeping my BG within normal limits. Don't know where that'll take me, but I suspect not higher than 75 g/day.

I also don't track sugar, figuring tracking carbs is enough & using up the extra slot is just redundant.

ok....trying to install the script & can't for the life of me, get it to work.
Can anyone help?

PatchEFog

I agree, and another function I despise is the rounding, esp. for carbs.

This.
My carbs are more like "death by papercut," so the rounding makes MFP useless for carb tracking. I've had days where it's like 7-8 carbs different (higher( than my own count. For VLC, it's inaccurate at best.

kkimpel

I don't wanna do a script.. I just want to subtract .. but if they figured out net carbs for me.. that would be cool. I am not even sure what I should put into the goal. I tried to work it out in my head,.. maybe that's another topic... What should my carb goal be? Another day

hookilau

here's the 'net carbs script' if you need it:

https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript

I haven't tried it though :blushing:

Yup use that script, it works in your web browser...

OP: Low carb isn't for everyone. Some do better on low carb, some do better high carb. so there is no "low fat/high carb" dogma. depends on the person.

I agree. I've moved from <20g/day about 50-60g/day now that my goals have changed. I aim to eat as many carbs as I can while keeping my BG within normal limits. Don't know where that'll take me, but I suspect not higher than 75 g/day.

I also don't track sugar, figuring tracking carbs is enough & using up the extra slot is just redundant.

ok....trying to install the script & can't for the life of me, get it to work.
Can anyone help?

nevermind...it's working now.

hookilau

ok...it worked for about 5 minutes and now I can't see it anymore...I changed my goals, could that have affected anything?....

hookilau

ok, sort of figured out the problem.

I started & restarted my computer to see if I could figure out what's happening. An error message popped up saying that Chrome has disabled the script =/

I can't get the damn thing to start again....twice today it was running for about 5 minutes :explode:
I googled around to find an answer...not technically savy -__-

Found where someone said you need to install Google Canary (Icon is the same on, but is colored gold) and that it would run fine. I downloaded it, then went to the site with the script, dragged & dropped into extensions and like magic...it worked.

I closed the browser & opened it up again & it's still working, so I'm surmising it won't shut it down automatically like the google 'chrome' did.

Did anyone else using this script have as much problems as I did?