Macros tracking apps

[tommyguns2]

In researching the most popular apps, it looks like the top three are:

MyFitnessPal
Cronometer
MacroFactor

I’m interested in getting recommendations for those that have used these. What’s the go-to for people wanting to be serious about their diet?

 

[Ron OG Mouse]

In researching the most popular apps, it looks like the top three are:

MyFitnessPal
Cronometer
MacroFactor

I’m interested in getting recommendations for those that have used these. What’s the go-to for people wanting to be serious about their diet?

I've used MyFitnessPal for years. I think it does a good job. Heard good things about Cronometer though

 

[lfod14]

MacroFactor is king for a handful of reasons, the biggest one is because out of the 3 you listed it uses an adaptive TDEE model, tracking isn't much use when you don't know what your actual TDEE is, which MF figures out. Plus, it's a great all around app, speed of entry is very good and it tracks and makes it's calls based on trend weight and not day-to-day flucuations.

Crononmeter tracks a ton of things, including a lot of things the 99% doesn't track or care about. It has an impressive graphing function where it can make custom graphs to compare anything it can track which can be cool in different contexts, but no adaptive TDEE so it's still on you to figure out your macros as they change. Speed of entry is terrible, as you'll average about 3x the screen touches to enter the same thing vs MacroFactor. They do have a good web diary though, which MacroFactor said they'd do for a while now and still haven't.

MFP isn't really great and hasn't been in years. At one point they were king, then they fell really hard. They've modernized it a little, pulled a lot of features that used to be free etc. Also no adaptive TDEE.

For lifters, anything without TDEE should be an automatic no IMO. Going on the wrong macros is the biggest reason people blow bulks, and lose gains on cuts. That's basically impossible when the tracks see's whats happenning in progress and starts tweaking to put you back on your pre-determined goals you set, vs a constant re-"calcuation" using height/weight and Miffin St-Jeor, which is wrong as much as it's right, in the case of lifters, it's wrong a lot more.

If MacroFactor went away tomorrow, and I was stuck without Adaptive TDEE, my two choices would either be Cronometer or LoseIt. Cronometer is a little more capable, but has the horrible entry flow, LoseIt has a similar food entry flow as MacroFactor and it's pretty cheap even yearly and they regularly run crazy deals on lifetime. I got a lifetime for I think $75. But still use MacroFactor as using a secondary app to figure out trend weights, then enter that and my daily calories into spreadsheets to see my TDEE flucuation at work got real old real fast.

 

[Ron OG Mouse]

MacroFactor is king for a handful of reasons, the biggest one is because out of the 3 you listed it uses an adaptive TDEE model, tracking isn't much use when you don't know what your actual TDEE is, which MF figures out. Plus, it's a great all around app, speed of entry is very good and it tracks and makes it's calls based on trend weight and not day-to-day flucuations.

Everything I have read on this is that most TDEE trackers are not very accurate. I use an apple watch and an aura ring both in concert but still I question how accurate they are. I would hate to take myself out of a deficit because the trackers were not accurate. For me I assume its better to manually adjust based on my average and be close without going over. It sounds great though. I just don't fully trust it based on the current tech. Its good but not flawless.

 

[Bigtex]

Everything I have read on this is that most TDEE trackers are not very accurate. I use an apple watch and an aura ring both in concert but still I question how accurate they are. I would hate to take myself out of a deficit because the trackers were not accurate. For me I assume its better to manually adjust based on my average and be close without going over. It sounds great though. I just don't fully trust it based on the current tech. Its good but not flawless.

You are absolutely right. These are all just estimates and may or may not even be close to your individual diet, exercise or physiology.

It is impossible for any calculated TDEE tracker to be accurate because we are all very individual. Basal metabolism is typically calculated through a basic Mifflin-St Jeor Equation - BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) + s, where s = +5 for men, −161 for women. It correctly predicts within ±10% in about 70-82% of non-obese individuals and 70-80% in obese individuals. However, BMR varies due to factors like genetics, hormones, muscle mass, and ethnicity not fully captured by weight, height, age, and sex. Mathematical formulas completely do not take into account the law of individuality.

Daily physical activity is also estimated by a mathematical formula, which is usually a standard multiplier (based on lifestyle descriptions). Noting but a close guess to how much energy you use during the day. A more precise estimation would be using MET values. Fitness watches do use a form of MET values in exercise/movement and are probably closer to determining your exercise expenditures than any other method except indirect calorimetry.

Last, TEF in controlled lab settings using indirect calorimetry is much more accurate, but impractical outside of research. So this, too, is based on a multiplier based on the food you consume.

So while it is nice having all of these features, none of them are very accurate, and you absolutely have to know what a surplus or a deficiency is for your body.

That being said, any diet program that only tracks macronutrients is IMHO horrible. Micros are equally as important to track.

 

[gunslinger]

My wife uses MyFitnessPal. I've never personally found a need for such apps. But I'm not really on a "bodybuilding" type of diet either. I try to keep it simple. If I had to use an app it would be the calculator on my iPhone.

 

[lfod14]

Everything I have read on this is that most TDEE trackers are not very accurate. I use an apple watch and an aura ring both in concert but still I question how accurate they are. I would hate to take myself out of a deficit because the trackers were not accurate. For me I assume its better to manually adjust based on my average and be close without going over. It sounds great though. I just don't fully trust it based on the current tech. Its good but not flawless.

Seems you're conflating Macro Trackers, Fitness Trackers, and TDEE calculation, which isn't the same as a TDEE "Calculator" which is bullshit. TDEE can't be pre-calculated, it can only be figured out after the fact.

Macro Trackers are as accurate as the person giving it it's data, which will be more than accurate for our needs.

Fitness Trackers are guessing based on very little and mostly assumtions, then that's stacked on top of the other assumptions of your TDEE by bad guesses and it goes downhill from there.

When you have a tracker (that you're not lying to) thats utilizing an adaptive TDEE model, tracking steps and calories "burned" during workouts is waste of time because it's already been accounted for, which is why Macro Factor doesn't integrate with them and you don't enter any workout info to it.