Does myfitnesspal convert macros to calories corectly for you?

louisgeorges
louisgeorges Posts: 9 Member
edited November 2024 in Chit-Chat
I've noticed recently that my total macros for the day don't match my total calories for the day. If I remember correctly 1 gram of carbs and proteins are 4 calories each and 1 gram of fat is 9 calories.

So if you add them up the myfitnesspal should have no problem doing simple math, right? Or is there something else it's calculating that I don't see?

i.e.
This is the actual numbers I got from my app:
Calories: 2519
Carbs: 201
Fats: 101
Protein: 212

Except if you add up the macros you get 2561 calories total not 2519, that's 42 calories off!

I contacted the support team and they keep telling me the macros for the foods are added by members but that's not what I'm talking about! Whatever macros are listed for the food, the app should be able to convert them to calories correctly, 4 calories for carbs and proteins and 9 calories for fats.

Is the app calculating something that's not listed in the daily food diary?

If I have to start calculating my macros and calories by hand then the app is useless... Right?

I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me understand this, the support team has no idea what I'm talking about.

Thanks for your help!

Replies

  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    edited July 2015
    The main point is that the MFP software does not use the equation to calculate Total Calories for all food items. Although I would expect that there are algorithms used for verified food items that at least provide a summation check to ensure that the Total Calories are within a certain tolerance in accordance with the total calorie equation for food items that are labeled verified. If you log alcohol, you have to include the 7 Calories per gram that alcohol provides that are not included in carbs, fats, or proteins. Manufacturers of products packaged for sale in the US use the FDA guidelines for nutrition labeling, which allow for slight rounding of nutrients reported, which could cause some of the variation. The nutrition information entered by MFP users can be inaccurate; there is no check if users don't enter the correct information (other than some undisclosed verification methods for verified items that MFP does not disclose).
    Edited to add: Plus, FDA guidelines allow for different methods of calculating calories from insoluble fiber, some Nutrition Facts labels include those calories, many exclude those calories from insoluble fiber; it is difficult, if not impossible to know which method is used for which food item.
  • louisgeorges
    louisgeorges Posts: 9 Member
    I'm not talking about the accuracy of the macros or calories for each food, I'm pointing out that MFP doesn't seem to know how many calories are in carbs, protein and fats.
  • louisgeorges
    louisgeorges Posts: 9 Member
    This is a screen shot of my food diary that shows the total macros and calories for the day. Why is it they don't match? Why MFP says I had 201g of carbs, 101g of fats and 212g of protein for a total 2519 calories when in reality, if you add up these macros correctly, it should be 2561 calories total?

    qyfpuw6amhxf.png
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    The row labeled "Totals" is calculated by summing the food item entries for each column from the actual numbers provided in the individual food items you logged, which may be from inaccurate user entries.
    The row labeled "Your Daily Goal" is calculated from the equation Calories = Calories from (Carbs + Fat + Protein), which is the ideal, and in your screen capture is correct.
    There is no summation checking that the numbers in the row labeled "Totals" must equal the numbers in the row labeled "Your Daily Goal."
    Therefore, because of possible inaccurate information in some or all of the food items logged, either through user-entered errors, or manufacturer rounding, or not counting all fiber as carbohydrates, the numbers in the row "Totals" has a very high probability of not matching the numbers in the row labeled "Your Daily Goal."
  • louisgeorges
    louisgeorges Posts: 9 Member
    So no one never noticed that the total calories don't match the macros?

    And if I want to know how many calories I ate using the macros listed in the app I have to add them up by hand?

    Then this app is pretty much useless!

    There should be a function that let user know the numbers don't add up when they enter an new food in the database and to double check the numbers.

    Or only let people put in the macros for the food and let the app calculate the calories so everything matches.

    I'm very disappointed that I have to spend so much time recalculating everything to stay consistent on my diet.

    Thanks CyberTone for talking the time to answer my post!
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