MFP Miscalculating Total Calories?

kapoorpk
kapoorpk Posts: 244 Member
edited February 2 in Food and Nutrition
Unable to fully substantiate what MFP is calculating as my total calories. Using my planned food diary for today, the following is what I come up with:

Carbs = 269 x 4 calories per gram of carb = 1076

Protein = 167 x 4 calories per gram of protein = 668

Fat = 75 x 9 calories per gram of fat = 675

Total = 2419

MFP calculation 2340

Difference = 70 calories??


Does anyone know why?

Replies

  • icecreamdreams
    icecreamdreams Posts: 17 Member
    Your diary is private so I can't look at the specific foods you ate; however, a quick search on this topic revealed that food companies are allowed to round numbers. If you ate a good variety of foods where the company rounded down on the number of calories in something it would explain at least some of the difference.
  • kapoorpk
    kapoorpk Posts: 244 Member
    This is not just today, but an every day phenomenon. I just got around to posting it today as a question.

    Well, thanks for the input, but not sure if that would explain it. That's because the difference you speak of would be the cause of my food labels not matching up with what's in MFP. But, the issue that I am pointing is with the carbs, fats and proteins, as stated for those foods within MFP don't multiply out to the total correctly based on the calories that exist in each of those macro nutrient.

    Its like saying 2+2+2 = 7, and we know its not.

    So, still as clear as mud!!
  • just4nessa
    just4nessa Posts: 459 Member
    MFP records the calories and macros that are entered for the items you've selected as a total of each, it does not calculate calories based on macros or vice versa. If a you select a database item that was entered by another member, they may omitted or inaccurately entered the carbs, fats, etc. Look for entries that don't have an asterisk (*), as these were added to the database either by MFP or by you. As for not matching the food labels, that could very well be due to rounding since 2.3+2.4+2.3 =7.
  • bellesouth18
    bellesouth18 Posts: 1,071 Member
    The difference is 79 calories, isn't it? Could it be a simple math error on your part? Your diary is private, so we can't see what you're concerned about.

    Edited for clarification. Also, if you have a Fitbit, it will make adjustments on its own if you have it set that way in your profile. Could be exercise related. Can't tell without seeing your diary.
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    MFP doesn't giggle test those numbers, largely because the system then wouldn't know what to do with alcohol. And yes, companies can round. This is how "fat-free" oil sprays exist.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    MFP records the calories and macros that are entered for the items you've selected as a total of each, it does not calculate calories based on macros or vice versa. If a you select a database item that was entered by another member, they may omitted or inaccurately entered the carbs, fats, etc. Look for entries that don't have an asterisk (*), as these were added to the database either by MFP or by you. As for not matching the food labels, that could very well be due to rounding since 2.3+2.4+2.3 =7.
    ^This
  • kapoorpk
    kapoorpk Posts: 244 Member
    It sounds like that its just a data entry error where people entering the macros perhaps didn't enter the total calories correctly off the labels. Its not just a day or so but an error I have noticed all the time.

    Thanks all for your input.
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