Inaccurate vs Accurate Tracking
We're sure that many of you have heard the saying - "it's not the tool, it's how you use it." Well, the same holds true for using MyFitnessPal (MFP) or other calorie counting apps.
Macro tracking is a skill, and just like any skill it requires practice and refinement to become efficient and accurate. Downloading the app is one thing, but becoming proficient is a whole different ballgame. We’re here to help set things straight with a few of our top tips for tracking as accurately as possible.
🔹 Use reliable and verified entries within the MFP database, such as “nuttab” or “usda”. This will ensure that you will be tracking the correct number of macros and calories for all single-ingredient fresh foods (fruit, veg, meat, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes and the like). Otherwise, if you’re tracking a multi-ingredient food (e.g. yogurt, bread), ensure the macros and calories on the packet match those in the MFP entry.
🔹 Try your best to take advantage of a kitchen scale and weigh your food in grams. This is opposed to using measuring cups, teaspoons, tablespoons, estimated serving sizes or subjective portions (e.g. small, medium and large pieces of fruit or cuts of meat)
🔹 Be specific with your entries and how you’re weighing them. For example, per 100g serving, the hydration component of meat and grains can vary greatly depending on whether they’re weighed raw or cooked, which in turn significantly influences their caloric and macronutrient content calculated in MFP.
It goes without saying that if you’re going to do something, try your best to do it right. As you can see within these two examples, tracking a meal with a low level of accuracy can still land you in a ball park range. However… a ball park can be quite large… and in this instance the inaccurately tracked meal didn’t account for >300 calories consumed, and underestimated the carbohydrate and fat content of the meal by ~50%!
For those with weight loss endeavours, tracking accurately can help provide reassurance that your metabolism isn’t “damaged”, rather so the calories tracked to be <1200/day are likely miscalculated.