CONCERNED: MFP calorie tracking is wrong

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  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 994 Member
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    I understand your concern. Personally I'm not that worried about it, as one poster mentioned, everything is pretty much off anyway. But for me, if I'm consistently losing the weight I think I should be, then I don't worry. If I stop losing weight, then I'll worry and be more careful.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    I second the person that said to always go by weight, it's the closest way to accurate. As noted, 1oz of avocado is 50 cal. But that could be 1/4, 1/3, 1/5, etc. of any particular avocado. For me, the avocados that I buy I tend to try to get the same approximate size each time and my quarters always come out to 7/8oz to 1 1/8oz. But there are definitely larger avocados readily available that 1/4 is closer to 2oz. Never go by fractions when it comes to stuff like that because there are too many variables.

    I like to use nutritiondata for my fresh fruit and veggie info because you can choose the option of 100g for any entry and get all of the nutrient info, including potassium, which so many entries here don't have. So I've created entries for almost all of my own regular use fruits and veggies, then just weigh everything by grams and enter it that way.
  • amykathleen2005
    amykathleen2005 Posts: 79 Member
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    Remember as well that these are foods being eaten by people all around the world. There is a huge variation in products from one place to another.
  • Kendrawinn
    Kendrawinn Posts: 160
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    I KNOW RIGHT? WE'RE PAYING ALL THIS MONEY TO USE THIS SITE THEY CAN AT LEAST GET THE CALORIES RIGHT.

    ROFL!!! :laugh:
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    You entered it in wrong. If the base serving size is half an avocado and you ate a quarter, you need to enter 0.5. Because you entered 0.25 you got the information for 1/8th of an avocado.

    The database is built by users. There is no guarantee of accuracy unless you use the entries that do not have a star next to them when you search. Double check with your food labels. If you are using a fresh ingredient, use the MFP-generated entries.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Never trust the user-entered items unless you've personally verified.
  • oceanchristy
    oceanchristy Posts: 120
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    I often cross check with calorie count.com if im concerned.
  • leanmachinedream
    leanmachinedream Posts: 223
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    I KNOW RIGHT? WE'RE PAYING ALL THIS MONEY TO USE THIS SITE THEY CAN AT LEAST GET THE CALORIES RIGHT.

    I know. It's so criminal, those jerks.
  • Fat_Bottomed_Girl
    Fat_Bottomed_Girl Posts: 354 Member
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    I understand your concern. Personally I'm not that worried about it, as one poster mentioned, everything is pretty much off anyway. But for me, if I'm consistently losing the weight I think I should be, then I don't worry. If I stop losing weight, then I'll worry and be more careful.

    Agreed. I used to stress about it, but I think the fluctuations are actually a GOOD thing...
  • virgomuse
    virgomuse Posts: 33 Member
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    I KNOW RIGHT? WE'RE PAYING ALL THIS MONEY TO USE THIS SITE THEY CAN AT LEAST GET THE CALORIES RIGHT.

    ROFL!!! :laugh:

    tee hee.. I giggled twice!!
  • caroldot
    caroldot Posts: 388 Member
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    I'm a little concerned that the nutrition info on some foods is incorrect. Not so much with a product such as yogurt or cream cheese where I can look at the side of the container and verify. More like if I'm building a recipe or adding produce, meat etc.

    For example: Earlier I looked at 2 submissions for avacados:

    1) Produce-Avacado-Half. (Note the serving size is 1/2 of avacado but I'm only using 1/4 so changed it to .25 svg size. Here's the calculation: 50 cals / 5g fat / 3 carbs.

    2) Generic - Avacado - 1svg of 1/4 amount. Here's the calculation: 80 cals / 7.5 carbs / 4.25 carbs

    That's a 30 calorie difference which is alot to me!!

    Here's another example:
    Earlier today, I posted a topic about a creamy chicken taco soup. With 6 servings it came out to 182 cal / 21 carbs / 3g fat / 23g protein. Just a few minutes later I saw where someone else had posted EXACT same recipe on their topic. Her recipe calls for 9 servings and if I remember correctly it was 216 calories / 24 carbs / can't recall rest. Anyway it was significant difference and the only difference in our recipes besides serving size was she had 3 chicken breasts and lite cream cheese. I had 2 chicken breasts and fat free cream cheese.

    I even tried recalculating mine as hers and it still came out way lower than what she entered.

    My concern is that I'm actually eating more calories than I think - even on exercise days when I eat them back! Anyone else have this concern? Sorry for the long post!!

    This was my recipe that I posted. :)
    I ALWAYS make my own recipes within the website, ie. I check every label and enter everything personally into a blank recipe. This way I know all my stats are equal to the packaged ingredients. I even said, "the ingredients I used".. I then take a measuring cup and scoop out the crockpot to see how many I have. I portion out, but my fiance doesn't lol.. at least I know when I scoop I'm getting exactly what I measured.
    I never add anything into my diary that I personally don't read the labels for, or input myself! The database is flawed sometimes! :) Also, I never add my recipes into the MFP database and I label them "Kerri's ____"
    Have you used this recipe feature before?
    recipewcc.png

    Hi! Yes I always put my recipes into the recipe builder as well. So when I saw yours I thought...huh??? Thanks!
  • caroldot
    caroldot Posts: 388 Member
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    You entered it in wrong. If the base serving size is half an avocado and you ate a quarter, you need to enter 0.5. Because you entered 0.25 you got the information for 1/8th of an avocado.

    The database is built by users. There is no guarantee of accuracy unless you use the entries that do not have a star next to them when you search. Double check with your food labels. If you are using a fresh ingredient, use the MFP-generated entries.

    You're so right.....duh! can't beleive I did that!!:noway:
  • caroldot
    caroldot Posts: 388 Member
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    I KNOW RIGHT? WE'RE PAYING ALL THIS MONEY TO USE THIS SITE THEY CAN AT LEAST GET THE CALORIES RIGHT.

    ROFL!!! :laugh:

    No need for haters! I just needed input....

    Thanks everyone else for the advice - makes sense!
  • Chibea
    Chibea Posts: 363 Member
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    Bump
  • Chibea
    Chibea Posts: 363 Member
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    As a Newbie, I found this thread really useful. Many of items in the database are wrong or incomplete.
  • srr6783
    srr6783 Posts: 8
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    You have to remember that the food in the database are posted by other MFP memebers not the database itself so thier will be alot of different variations according to the way the different memebers read the labels it is best to go with the package for yourself.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    FOr produce use the entries without the * beside them.

    Users from all over the world enter information into the database. Different parts of the world have diffferent things and make their products differently.

    Use the information on the packages you have.

    Some people don't enter things correctly, miss information etc. Also, what they enter as 1 serving may be a lot different than what you are using.

    Don't use generic or homemade entries.
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
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    You entered it in wrong. If the base serving size is half an avocado and you ate a quarter, you need to enter 0.5. Because you entered 0.25 you got the information for 1/8th of an avocado.
    Exactly!
  • MountainMoverJosh
    MountainMoverJosh Posts: 134
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    You must remember that this website is hosting millions of people on 2 continents. Food is always made differently one place than it is in another place. You may scan the barcode, and it will not give you correct info. Best thing I can recommend is if there are brands of foods you know you eat all the time, save them into your favorites so that you know you have put in the right content.
  • MountainMoverJosh
    MountainMoverJosh Posts: 134
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    You entered it in wrong. If the base serving size is half an avocado and you ate a quarter, you need to enter 0.5. Because you entered 0.25 you got the information for 1/8th of an avocado.
    Exactly!

    yes, and proper math skills always help lol! 0.25 x 0.5= 0.125
    That sorta thing.

    When you calorie count, you had better know your fractions and decimals to the basic levels, at least. Not for just this site, but anywhere. Good luck!

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