MFP Ratios not adding up

nancybrom
nancybrom Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
I am new to this MFP thing and I am confused about the ratios. They seem to total differently on the iPad app and if I hand calculate them in Excel (on the PC, if I don't have the iPad). For example: my target totals for yesterday are: Carbs: 176g; Fat: 47g; and Protein: 71g. On the iPad app, it says the % ratios are: Carbs: 50%, Fat: 30%, and Protein: 20%, however when I put those grams into Excel they come up as Carbs: 60%, Fat: 16%, and Protein: 24%. What is going on? Am I missing something?

Replies

  • youngmommy2
    youngmommy2 Posts: 71 Member
    so doing some quick math, I got the same ratios as what you get in excel. The only thing I can think of is that MFP tracks more than carbs/fat/protein and the ratios are taking that into consideration even though it only shows those three.??
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    Each macro has a different number of calories associated with it, so MFP is using that to calculate the ratios.
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    The macros are based on the amount that of calories for each macro. Not the amount of grams. Because fat has 9 cals per gram your math will be off.

    FYI carbs and protein have 4
  • wizardfish
    wizardfish Posts: 1 Member
    Grams do not equal calories. You're mixing percentage (of grams) with percentage (of calories).

    In your example:

    Carbs 176g = 704 Kcals (at 4 Kcal/gm)
    Fat 47g = 376 Kcals (at 8 Kcal/gm)
    Protein 71g = 284 Kcals (at 4 Kcal/gm)

    Total calories (Kcals) = 704 + 376 + 284 = 1364.

    Now you can take the percentages (of Kcals) of each one. Keep in mind that MFP always rounds to the nearest 5%, and adjusts so that you always total 100%, so..

    Carbs cal: 704 / 1364 = 0.51 (51%, rounded to 50%)
    Fat cals: 376 / 1364 = 0.275 (27.5%, rounded up to 30%)
    Protein cals: 284 / 1364 = 0.20 (20%)

    So the numbers actually do match. :-)
  • nancybrom
    nancybrom Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks for pointing out that the ratios are not carb : fat : protein grams, it's actually carb(x 4) : fat(x 9) : fat(x 4). When I do that, the ratios match up perfectly! :smile: !

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