Protien, Carbs and Fat don't add up.

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ktsj2015
ktsj2015 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The general understanding is that 1g of fat = 9cals, 1g of Protein or Carbs = 4 cals.

In this case your Cal total should add up using the following.

(Fat(g) * 9) + (Carb(g) * 4) + (Protein(g) * 4) = Calorie total.

However mine doesn't. Yesterday I ate...

137(c) 53(f) 111(p) and it records my total calories as 1,677

However if you add up the Protein/Fat and Carbs it's only 1,469??? It seems to be going wrong somewhere? Anyone else had this or know why it's wrong??

It concerns me that it's not right because that either means MFP can't add! or the entry's in the database aren't correct somehow in either calories or macro's.

Replies

  • Chumgubbin
    Chumgubbin Posts: 2 Member
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    From Wikipedia (Food energy)

    Food component Energy density kcal/g

    Fat 9
    Ethanol (drinking alcohol) 7
    Proteins 4
    Carbohydrates 4
    Organic acids 3
    Polyols (sugar alcohols, sweeteners) 2.4
    Fiber 2

    These are rounded values with Fat more accurately being 8.8, Ethanol 6.9 and, Protein and Carbohydrates 4.1. So the difference could be due to not rounding up/down, or it could be the addition of the other components listed above. How to tell the organic acid content of your food? No idea.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I'd assume this was the entries you chose from the database

    did you check each one independently to ensure it's accuracy - did every entry include a full breakdown of protein, carb and fat because I'll bet it didn't

    please remember that it's all estimates

    and whilst I don't dispute the information above me, it is irrelevant in light of how MFP actually works - which is check, double-check the entries and be aware it's all a good enough estimate
  • Chumgubbin
    Chumgubbin Posts: 2 Member
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    Yep. I retract previous post. I forget that the MFP database is all user entered.
  • ktsj2015
    ktsj2015 Posts: 65 Member
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    My old site was also user entered but when you added a food it wouldn't let it be entered unless the macro's added up to the number of calories the food was supposed to contain. I also assumed that any 'Barcode scanned' items where getting the data from the manufacturer? Or entered via a team here on MFP?? I've checked a couple of the scanned items and they don't match the label and their 'counts' don't seem to add up either.

    I have been somewhat trusting that at least scanned items would be right (barcode scanning is the reason I came to MFP) I'm always wary of obviously user entered, for a example a few days ago I added an extra portion of a meal I ate out at a restaurant because the values in MFP seemed far to low to be real. So I accept it's going to be alittle judgement here or there but i should be confident that most of the numbers are right at least.

    I've got a 200cal difference here, I wouldn't mind a few cals here or there ... but that's my entire 'deficit' a 200 cal difference isn't a few cals and really could make the difference between losing weight and not losing.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Many user entered entries don't contain all the accurate info - the biggest problem I've found is carb totals not including the fibre
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Many user entered entries don't contain all the accurate info - the biggest problem I've found is carb totals not including the fibre

    I find that entries keep getting altered for carb content. I'm guessing this is people using and reading UK labels vs American labelling.
    So everyone keeps changing the entries believing the label is correct but not realising that different parts of the worlds labels count fibre in different ways.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    MFP is not real accurate. Just like TDEE which is never correct because it does not take into account sex, age, nor percent of body fat. You have to figure your BMR & TDEE yourself using appropriate calculators.
  • ktsj2015
    ktsj2015 Posts: 65 Member
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    I didn't think you could change existing entry's?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    ktsj2015 wrote: »
    I didn't think you could change existing entry's?

    Food-Database-Search-Edit
  • ktsj2015
    ktsj2015 Posts: 65 Member
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    omg that is sooo not helpful! (not the reply.. i mean the 'function' )

    If i was feeling really mean i could just spend a few hours stuffing up database entry's that hundreds of people are using daily just for giggles!

    I really do not have the time/desire to go into the diary every day and check the entries to make sure someone hasn't fiddled with them since last time i used them.

    I changed to this site because i could barcode scan and sync my fitbit ... now what i am being told is that i can't trust ANY of the foods. At least with my old site ... any items that where added to the DB for personal use where not publicly visable until they had been verified by a member of staff. It didn't stop people adding foods to their own personal food list but at least they couldn't muck up other peoples diaries with them.

    Since i first posted this this morning i have manually checked dozens of the foods i'd scanned into my diary in the last few weeks. I've been assuming because the scanner is used they link to a verified food entry but dozens of the foods I've entered do not match the box at all!!! some individual entry's are out by 100cals.

    I am on a very small deficit I don't have much wiggle room to get it wrong. Im also recovered from an ED so this really makes me freak out, I want to stay healthy and its not much to ask to want to know that the entry in the DB matches the nutritional info the box.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    edited January 2016
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    ktsj2015 wrote: »
    <<,snip>>I also assumed that any 'Barcode scanned' items where getting the data from the manufacturer? Or entered via a team here on MFP?? I've checked a couple of the scanned items and they don't match the label and their 'counts' don't seem to add up either.

    I haven't posted this for a while, but it bears repeating for anyone using the MFP Food Database and the barcode scanner.

    ​The barcode number on a food package does not contain nutrition information, it is just a universal product code (UPC) number registered to the manufacturer or distributor. All of the macro- and micronutrient information associated with that barcode number was entered into the MFP Food Database by other MFP users or staff; then a user associated that UPC number with a MFP Food Database record. The UPC number can be associated with the wrong MFP Food Database record, or the MFP Food Database record could be inaccurate.

    You should check the MFP nutrition information associated with that UPC number every time you scan a new barcode to enter a food item into your Food Diary; plus you should occasionally recheck that an item you have used in the past is still correct, because another user could have edited the MFP Food Database record since the last time you used it.

    You can use the USDA National Nutrient Database to verify the nutrient information for many whole foods, such as meats, poultry, vegetables, fruits, dairy, nuts, herbs, spices, etc., plus some restaurant and US/Canadian food products.

    For instructions on how to edit an incorrect food item in the MFP Food Database that is not Verified, or re-associate a barcode with the correct food item, please see these articles on the MFP Help pages...

    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/13980-some-food-information-in-the-database-is-inaccurate-can-i-edit-it-

    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/391249-how-do-i-edit-or-change-the-item-found-by-a-barcode-scan-

    In order to have MFP correct information in a Verified food item, you must send the requested changes to Customer Support on the MFP Help pages via Or Email Us.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Gustaaf85 wrote: »
    That's why i have created my own database over the years, that only I can use, that way i know i am spot on when it comes to logging food
    This is what I did. For MFP, I put everything in My Foods and then don't share with the database.
  • ktsj2015
    ktsj2015 Posts: 65 Member
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    Gustaaf85 wrote: »
    That's why i have created my own database over the years, that only I can use, that way i know i am spot on when it comes to logging food

    Yeah but you can't scan them then :(

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