Carbs/Fats/Protein Ratios

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wiseone24
wiseone24 Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How come the food diary does not show a chart to ensure you are hitting the right ratios for carbs/fats/proteins? Other trackers I have used have this feature, but I think the food database is easier to use on this site so I switched. This feature, along with the adding in the calories of your daily exercise (which I strongly disagree with), are the 2 things that may make me switch back to the other site I used.

Replies

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I am not sure what your point is.
  • esphixiet
    esphixiet Posts: 214 Member
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    I'm not sure why the site doesn't have this feature, but the iPhone app does (can't confirm either way for the other smartphone apps).
    Not sure why you strongly disagree with adding exercise calories... but I guess that's just a personal preference. I have my calorie deficit built into my day, so I eat my exercise calories.
  • Taem2
    Taem2 Posts: 47 Member
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    If you have an iphone, the app shows you.

    Otherwise, pull out your calculator.

    Macro x number of calories per gram. so 5 grams of carbs is 20 calories.

    Total calories divided by your macro= your percentage of macro. If I ate 200 calories / 20 = 10% carbs
  • AnaVerasGettingFit
    AnaVerasGettingFit Posts: 109 Member
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    bump
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    1st - the app has a pie chart you can see you ratios on. I use that.

    2nd. Depending on your calorie level, goals, deficit and a whole list of other factors you may or may not eat your exercise calories back. I recommend this site to people because it doesn't automatically add in exercise calories. Other site ask you how many days a week you are going to workout and it figures out your daily calories on that. If like gets in the way (as it often can), and you put in for 6 days a week of workout and only are able to get in 3 you're over eating.
    MFP only add the calories back when you actually workout. It's also a great motivator to exercise. If you out of calories for the day you know if you hit the treadmill for 30 minutes you get to eat more. It's awesome. Wish I had thought of this myself.
  • PicklesLicari
    PicklesLicari Posts: 5
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    My I pad app shows the targets for fat, carbs and protein and what my daily achievements are, as does signing in from my laptop. I don't use my mobile unless I have no other choice! As for the exercise cals, if you don't like them being added, don't put ur exercise in, simple. However for long term results if u don't eat according to what your body needs you will only make life harder on yourself and your body.
  • taylorwaylor
    taylorwaylor Posts: 417 Member
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    You can see the ratios on the smart phone app, and if you disagree with adding exercise cals theeeennn, don't add them! I think MFP is great!
  • wiseone24
    wiseone24 Posts: 5 Member
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    I tried MFP because I think the foods in the database are more robust than the other site I was using. I was always having to add in my own foods on the other. I just miss the pie charts on the website showing me if I hit 40/40/30 or whatever target I was trying to hit. Why should I have to break out a calculator? lol And it would be nice if the website had the same functionality as an app.

    As for the science around eating your calories back, if you are trying to lose and create a deficit through a combination of diet and exercise, it will be harder to hit a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 lb if you are eating back the 500 calories you burned exercising. I was a personal trainer at one point in my life, so I know how it all works and I know there is a lot of arguments on this site about it. Not looking to get into it really! We are each entitled to our opinion. :)
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    I agree that it's dumb that the iPhone app has the functionality and the website doesn't. I don't understand the inconsistency between what's available on the website and what's available on the phone apps.

    But the issue with eating back exercise calories has to do with the lifestyle you select when you fill out your profile and the way deficits are calculated. MFP assumes that your lifestyle selection is independent of exercise; that is, if you work a desk job, you are selecting "sedentary," regardless of how much you work out. Then, your allotted calories are based on the rate of weight-loss you select (1/2 lb per week, 1 lb, 2 lbs, etc.). If you choose a rate of 1 lb per week, the program will build a 500-calories-per-day deficit into its recommendation for your daily calorie intake. If you burn another 500 calories through exericse and don't eat any of them back, you now have a 1000-calories-per-day deficit and are then on track to lose 2 lbs per week, not 1. If you have a relatively small amount of weight to lose, you don't want to lose that fast because you are probably losing muscle at that rate.

    If you include your exercise in your lifestyle assessment (for example, if you say you have an active lifestyle because you work out for an hour every day), then MFP will consider that in determining your calorie allowance and will recommend that you eat more calories, in which case you should not eat your exercise calories back. The end result is the same, but in this case, you just have to be cognizant of the fact that when MFP tells you to eat 1700 calories a day, it is already assuming that you will burn 500 through exercise, so when you log your exercise, it is going to show a bigger deficit than you actually have.
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
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    The Android app also has the pie chart of macro ratios.

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