Off Macros

MissMingLeee
MissMingLeee Posts: 17 Member
edited June 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
So what do you all do when your macros dont add up to the calories for the day? I was in a fb group and they told me I was over calories even though MFP shows I'm not. My goal is to lose fat so I want to make sure in doing things as accurately as possible



Replies

  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    edited June 2018
    If they dont add up then either there is alcohol involved(4th macro) that is being tracked or the entry is wrong.

    Double check the entries you are using against a reliable source like usda food database ect.
  • MissMingLeee
    MissMingLeee Posts: 17 Member
    I'll do that because there is no alcohol at all. Sad thing is, this could be why the scale isn't moving for me
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    MissMingLeee wrote: »
    I'll do that because there is no alcohol at all. Sad thing is, this could be why the scale isn't moving for me

    so...it doesn't matter about the macros for weight loss. All that matters is calories.

    Here's a good thread to instruct you how to use this site and how to vet your food entries for accuracy:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    More likely case is that you're not accurately weighing everything.

    Or you haven't been at it for long enough.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    There are logging errors that people commonly make that we might be able to spot if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    MissMingLeee wrote: »
    I'll do that because there is no alcohol at all. Sad thing is, this could be why the scale isn't moving for me

    It would have to be a pretty big error (or set of errors) to prevent the scale moving at all, unless you're losing weight at 0.5 pounds/week or less. Even then, 250 calories of daily discrepancy would be required to wipe out 0.5 pound weekly worth of calorie deficit.

    Could slow things a bit, though.
  • MissMingLeee
    MissMingLeee Posts: 17 Member
    Settings have been changed to public for my diary. I'm looking specifically at today's meal only.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Giving a quick glance, that's pretty close and the discrepancy could just be from rounding. Calories are rounded and macros are rounded and that can add up over the course of a whole day.
  • MissMingLeee
    MissMingLeee Posts: 17 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    Giving a quick glance, that's pretty close and the discrepancy could just be from rounding. Calories are rounded and macros are rounded and that can add up over the course of a whole day.

    That's good to know. I was told that on over 75 calories & need to tweak it
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited June 2018
    MissMingLeee wrote: »
    seska422 wrote: »
    Giving a quick glance, that's pretty close and the discrepancy could just be from rounding. Calories are rounded and macros are rounded and that can add up over the course of a whole day.

    That's good to know. I was told that on over 75 calories & need to tweak it

    It's a good idea to go through each item and double-check that the nutritional facts are accurate and look for yourself to see how they are getting rounded to see if that is what's causing the discrepancy. The calories calculated from macros should be close to the listed calories but don't expect them to be spot-on. Fiber may throw things off as well so check for that.
  • MissMingLeee
    MissMingLeee Posts: 17 Member
    So I went through my foods for today and check the macros according to what was on the package and compared them to the calories that were listed. So for example I did peanut butter. On the package it says that 1 serving of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons at 190 calories ( I weigh everything btw). The peanut butter has 7 g of protein 8 g of carbs and 16 g of fats. When I did the calculations the calories for peanut butter was 204 instead of 190. What do I do in this case? I also checked my protein pasta and there was a 20 Calorie difference! My popcorn had a 18 calorie difference
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    What's your calorie deficit? If you're set to lose a pound a week, that's a 500 calorie daily deficit. If you're off by 75, it's not going to prevent weight loss. No guarantees, but over time, it's likely that the overs and unders will somewhat cancel out, besides.

    Beyond checking that the database matches the labels (or the USDA database), there's not a lot you can do about it. Since stress is bad for weight loss ( ;) ), I'd suggest not stressing about it, sticking with your plan for 4-6 weeks even with those minor tracking inaccuracies, then adjusting your calorie goal if needed to hit your desired weight loss rate.

    Best wishes!
  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    The calories on the package have to be correct within a certain margin of error. It’s more likely that they’re correct and the macro grams are rounded up than that the macros are dead on and the calories are all randomly off. I think you’re worrying more than necessary.
  • MissMingLeee
    MissMingLeee Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you. I wasn't worried necessarily. Someone just said that I was over by 75 calories & I needed to tweak it & I want sure if it was necessary or not.

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