Mfp macros don't seem to add up correctly

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Shock_Wave
Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Am I missing some thing here because my mfp macros are not adding up correctly, I will explain.

Today MFP says I hit a total of 2,743 calories which doesnt add up correctly. It should have been 2833 total calories.

218 carbs
218x4 = 872 calories

93 fat
93x9= 837 calories

281protein
281x4= 1124 calories

MFP says I am at a total of 2,743

But when I add 872+837+1124 = 2833 total calories
Also I have my MFP set for 2800 which again the macros dont add up to 2800 calories total.

210 Carbs
210x4= 840

93 Fat
93x9= 837

280 Protein
280x4= 1120

I have MFP set at 2800 calories

But when I add 210+837+1120= 2797 calories total

What the heck is going on here because MFP is not adding up correctly and is throwing my diet off which is sucking?

Replies

  • tofindmyselfprettyagain
    tofindmyselfprettyagain Posts: 46 Member
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    Are you using anything with artificial sweeteners, or anything? I've noticed that most artificial sweeteners, and other stuff like it, will still have carbs in it, even though they contain no calories.
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
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    Are you using anything with artificial sweeteners, or anything? I've noticed that most artificial sweeteners, and other stuff like it, will still have carbs in it, even though they contain no calories.

    Nope I don't eat artificial sweeteners.
  • silkribbonx
    silkribbonx Posts: 37 Member
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    Maybe there are decimals that they don't show, those would add up
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
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    If you are logging foods that various people have added to the data base some numbers may be off. You can check each food individually and see if they add up correctly.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    As per the above replies, I believe its the combination of rounding decimals and manually entered food.

    It seems that when you enter foods, only integers are used.
    An example - For simplicities sake, say I enter a food that has 6 calories and 1.5g of carbs.

    The calories will remain at 6, but the carbs will get rounded.
    I think MFP just drops anything after the decimal, so it would become 1g carb, but even if it rounded up, you would end up with either 6 calories and 1g of carb or 6 calories and 2g of carb, either of which don't add up correctly. Multiply this over the multiple things you eat in a day, and you can get the error that you see.
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
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    I found this here: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_gram.php

    If you check a food label you may find that the total number of calories listed doesn't match the number you arrive at using the 4-9-4 method described above. The reason for the discrepancy may be that the figure for carbohydrates includes insoluble fiber, and the food manufacturer has accounted for this in their figure for calories.

    Insoluble fiber passes through your body without being converted to a form that provides energy, or calories. Knowing this, the manufacturer may subtract the caloric value of the insoluble fiber (4 calories per gram) from the total calories figure. When they do this, the 4-9-4 method will give you a higher figure for total calories than the one you find on the food label.

    You might think that you could subtract the figure for fiber from the figure for carbohydrates to correct the discrepancy. But the figure for fiber will likely include both soluble and insoluble fiber, and you'd only want to subtract the insoluble fiber. Unfortunately you have no way of knowing how much of the fiber is soluble, and how much is insoluble.
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
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    Might be I suppose but I scan my food and it should just read it as the label would. I wish it would just be correct as that is the point of counting calories and or macros...:ohwell:
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
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    I guess I am confused as to why you care about the *absolutely* precise relationship between carbs/fat/protein and calories? You have all 4 numbers.
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
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    The 4-9-4 method is a simplified method. There are not precisely 4 Calories in 1 gram of carbohydrates or exactly 9 Calories in 1 gram of fat. I'm not a doctor or nutrionist, but as an engineer I've studied way to much science to think a whole number is the exact number. The real number for 1 gram of carbs is probably something like 3.97856 Calories. I believe MFP uses a more exact decimal number.

    Also, on the food labels, those are rounded too. If a label says 10 g Carbs the real number is between 9.5 - 10.4 and it gets rounded. Unless you find the very rare label that would say 10.0 grams, implying it's rounded to the +/- 0.05 gram.

    Relax, you're over thinking this.
  • rpguru
    rpguru Posts: 7 Member
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    Relax, you're over thinking this.

    This....... As long as it's not radically different in which case one of the foods you're using may have been improperly entered.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    I believe MFP uses a more exact decimal number.

    Really?

    Seems like an integer to me, and with my software engineering hat on from a coding point of view, I would assume they use unsigned integers.

    Although ultimately I agree with your final statement about over thinking, I still think it is nice to understand the why of something, even if it is not too important.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    If you are logging foods that various people have added to the data base some numbers may be off. You can check each food individually and see if they add up correctly.

    ^^^^
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Might be I suppose but I scan my food and it should just read it as the label would. I wish it would just be correct as that is the point of counting calories and or macros...:ohwell:

    The scanned info is input by mfp members, so you should check it - you can change a lb of butter to say 100% protein, and mfp would accept it.
  • n8thh
    n8thh Posts: 10 Member
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    Bodybuilding with MFP

    Hi, I have been using MFP for around six weeks now and think its great.
    I have been a religious member of the gym for 18 months now and recently started to track my Calories and Macros to take my progress hopefully to the next stage.
    I find that sometimes I reach the end of my day and my Macros are on point but my calories may show +150/200.
    I am currently follow a calorie deficit ( approx -250 per day, going off the MFP calculated Maintenance)and Macro Ratio of 40/40/20, (losing 3-4 lbs per month)

    Im happy with my cutting progress, and understand the `if its not broke, dont fix it` statement,
    Just wondered if all you MFP gym rats follow the Daily Calorie Intake Number or the 3 Macro Intake Numbers as sometimes I find they marry together ****-on and sometimes the Calories over run the Macros by upto +200 cals

    Any feedback is welcome,
  • scareyjc
    scareyjc Posts: 1
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    mine is off by literally 300 calories like everyday

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