Calorie Count Discrepancy?

quixoteQ
quixoteQ Posts: 484
in Food and Nutrition
I have been trying to make sense out of the math, here:

1340837531_newstonesoup.jpg

180g carbs * 4 = 720 calories
196g protein * 4 = 784 calories
37g fat * 9 = 333 calories

720 + 784 + 333 = 1837 calories.

So why does the MFP total say I have eaten only 1721 calories?

Replies

  • cmcmommy
    cmcmommy Posts: 197 Member
    I got one also if i walk 45 min at 3.5 mp my i phone says i burned 206 cal if i put that in mfp it will almost double the calories so i have to put walked like 26 min who do i believe mfp or apple phone LOL
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    because food entries are often wrong, or rounded.
    MFP doesnt take fat+carbs+protein to get calories consumed.. it just adds together what was put in the entries
  • quixoteQ
    quixoteQ Posts: 484
    because food entries are often wrong, or rounded.
    MFP doesnt take fat+carbs+protein to get calories consumed.. it just adds together what was put in the entries

    But the entries add up to the totals in the tally, don't they? I mean, if I were to add up all the calories as listed in the diary entries I make, that total would be the same as the one listed where it says TOTALS at the bottom. The accuracy of the entries themselves is a different problem. This issue seems to be a problem with either A) the MFP calculator; or B) my understanding of how the calculator works.

    Hm, unless you're suggesting that MFP doesn't check to see whether the math in any particular entry makes sense. I'll have to look at that.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    because food entries are often wrong, or rounded.
    MFP doesnt take fat+carbs+protein to get calories consumed.. it just adds together what was put in the entries

    But the entries add up to the totals in the tally, don't they? I mean, if I were to add up all the calories as listed in the diary entries I make, that total would be the same as the one listed where it says TOTALS at the bottom. The accuracy of the entries themselves is a different problem. This issue seems to be a problem with either A) the MFP calculator; or B) my understanding of how the calculator works.

    Hm, unless you're suggesting that MFP doesn't check to see whether the math in any particular entry makes sense. I'll have to look at that.
    right, MFP doesnt check to see if the math makes sense in each entry - they just assume that people know what theyre doing. but there are tons of entries that just have calories entered, or only calories and sodium
    even for my entries today, if i did the math like you did for yours, my calorie total would be 2275, but the calorie totals in my diary it says 2230.
  • quixoteQ
    quixoteQ Posts: 484
    because food entries are often wrong, or rounded.
    MFP doesnt take fat+carbs+protein to get calories consumed.. it just adds together what was put in the entries

    But the entries add up to the totals in the tally, don't they? I mean, if I were to add up all the calories as listed in the diary entries I make, that total would be the same as the one listed where it says TOTALS at the bottom. The accuracy of the entries themselves is a different problem. This issue seems to be a problem with either A) the MFP calculator; or B) my understanding of how the calculator works.

    Hm, unless you're suggesting that MFP doesn't check to see whether the math in any particular entry makes sense. I'll have to look at that.
    right, MFP doesnt check to see if the math makes sense in each entry - they just assume that people know what theyre doing. but there are tons of entries that just have calories entered, or only calories and sodium
    even for my entries today, if i did the math like you did for yours, my calorie total would be 2275, but the calorie totals in my diary it says 2230.

    Yeah, it's a bit disturbing! I just went through my breakfast menu alone and saw how the portioning affects every total. I'll need to make some of my own calculations to make this work. Thanks for your response, RB.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
    The OP's question is logical. It's formatted kind of like a table in a spreadsheet. If it's functioning like one that's making totals, then there's obviously a hidden factor there because it's not doing that currently based on his math and the energy each macronutrient provides..unless fiber is doing something fiddly.

    EDIT: Oh I see. It's totaling down, not across, which would make more sense to me, but w/e
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member

    Hm, unless you're suggesting that MFP doesn't check to see whether the math in any particular entry makes sense. I'll have to look at that.

    No, MFP does not check the accuracy of user entered foods. That entry you see for chicken that looks like this: "generic - chken brest - popeyz baskit"; I'd be skeptical because really, does Popeyes even have a chicken breast basket?

    Use the entries with a * next to them at your own peril.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    because food entries are often wrong, or rounded.
    MFP doesnt take fat+carbs+protein to get calories consumed.. it just adds together what was put in the entries

    But the entries add up to the totals in the tally, don't they? I mean, if I were to add up all the calories as listed in the diary entries I make, that total would be the same as the one listed where it says TOTALS at the bottom. The accuracy of the entries themselves is a different problem. This issue seems to be a problem with either A) the MFP calculator; or B) my understanding of how the calculator works.

    Hm, unless you're suggesting that MFP doesn't check to see whether the math in any particular entry makes sense. I'll have to look at that.
    right, MFP doesnt check to see if the math makes sense in each entry - they just assume that people know what theyre doing. but there are tons of entries that just have calories entered, or only calories and sodium
    even for my entries today, if i did the math like you did for yours, my calorie total would be 2275, but the calorie totals in my diary it says 2230.

    Yeah, it's a bit disturbing! I just went through my breakfast menu alone and saw how the portioning affects every total. I'll need to make some of my own calculations to make this work. Thanks for your response, RB.
    no problem - but its also not just users that mess stuff up. looking at this bag of cheetos, it says 160 calories/oz, but when calculating c/f/p, its only 158. part of that could be the wiggle room allowed in packaged products ( i think its 5-10%?)
    i try to use MFP added entries as often as possible, or ill add my own using data from the usda or something

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