Why am I always over on my macros and still have a few calories left over?

reallyjilly2
reallyjilly2 Posts: 1 Member
in MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions

I’m confused about how/why macros are tracked. Every day I exceed the percentages I set for carbs, fats & protein but am slightly under on calories. Should I be concerned or are the macro percentages minimums?

Answers

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 7,359 Member

    There are a few possibilities:

    • The food database entries you use aren't correct
    • You are American - fiber is counted as carbs but contains no/fewer calories.

    If the difference is small, I wouldn't worry. Protein and fats: I would consider those minimums rather than maximums - they are necessary for health. Carbs are optional, not an essential nutrient, so it's fine to be under your goal. It's also worth mentioning that MFP's standard macrod aren't anything magical: many people lose weight with different macro splits, depending on their goals and personal preferences. If your goal is weight management, the primary focus is on calories, macros are more important for health and satiety.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 38,465 Community Helper

    In addition to what Lietchi said, it's likely to always be just a bit off. Manufacturers - in the US at least - are allowed a bit of wiggle room in precision of food labels. They put macro amounts in whole numbers on the label; usually those would be rounded values, maybe even approximate. If the values on the label don't add up exactly to the calories, then your totals for the day won't, either.

    Keep in mind, too, that you may've entered half or some other fraction of a serving of something, and rounding issues can arise from that, too.

    Further "fats have 9 calories per gram; carbs and protein have 4 calories per gram; alcohol has 9 calories per gram" is an approximation. Some specific starches and sugars vary a small amount from 4 calories per gram. Some protein sources deliver anything from maybe 2.6 to 4.36 calories per protein gram. The "4 calories per gram" thing is close enough to be workable, but potentially contributes to the totals being approximate. Ditto for fat sources.

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