Adjusting MFP with DS Math

[Parousia]

I'm sure there was a post at some point about how to adjust our MFP data to take our malabsorption into account. Can anyone point me in the right direction, or explain to me how to do it? Unfortunately MFP is too short to use as a search term, and the full name isn't found, nor is math, so I don't know how else to look for it.

 

[southernlady]

Try using MFP* (altho I just did and did not find anything but it didn't tell me the word was too short) When searching things that are "too short" use the * as the wild card to make it four letters (characters) not just three.

There was a post on FB somewhere where someone figured it out but when I checked it against my own math, it still wasn't figuring it out right...WAY OFF so I went back to the manual method. What it is doing is trying to make the calories balance in MFP...do NOT worry about calories, JUST the amount of protein/fat/carb grams you are getting daily.

IF I find the post on FB, I'll post it here.

 

[southernlady]

Okay, found it BUT take it with a BIG grain of salt. I tried it myself and it just does NOT match up with doing the numbers manually!

AS YOU LOSE WEIGHT, MYFITNESSPAL WILL REDUCE THE CALORIE BURN OF THESE 'EXERCISES' BECAUSE IT THINKS THEY ARE WEIGHT-RELATED. PERIODICALLY, YOU WILL NEED TO GO BACK IN & EDIT THEM BACK TO THE FORMULAS BELOW TO SEE THE FULL MALABSORPTION SHOW UP.

I currently use my weight as part of the exercise title so I'll know when/if it's time to adjust it. So you'll see me burning calories using "DS Fat Malabsorption 147".

Background: According to clinical data, we malabsorb 81% of the fat that we eat. Anecdotal data also indicates that we malabsorb about 40% of the protein that we eat as well (which is why DS'ers need more protein than a normie).

Logic - Fat: There are 9 calories per gram of fat, and we malabsorb 81%. 9 * .81 = 7 calories per gram of fat that we do NOT absorb.

Logic - Protein: There are 4 calories per gram of protein, and we malabsorb 40% 4 * .40 = 1.6 calories per gram of protein that we do not absorb.

To add Malabsorption in MFP, go to "Exercise", "My Exercises", and "Create Exercise".

Exercise#1:
Name: DS Fat Malabsorption
Minutes: 10
Calories: 70
Save

Exercise#2:
Name: DS Protein Malabsorption
Minutes: 10
Calories: 16
Save

Then on your Daily Diary, Track Exercise. Substitute Fat & Protein "Grams" for "Minutes" and the system will calculate everything else.

And the post is slightly off...the study actually said *0% but that was a small study and does NOT take into account common channel length, personal metabolism, etc.

These numbers are rough estimates for the purpose of explaining generally how the DS works - these numbers are NOT intended for you to use with any hope of accuracy. And not only will each individual vary in their malabsorption from another person, but each individual's malabsorption will vary over time. This is for illustrative purposes only!

For more on that, see this post: http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/ds-math.735/

 

[brooklyngirl]

Oh @Parousia don't make yourself crazy with that stuff! It's totally not necessary. As long as you worry about getting in enough protein, keeping carbs low, and enough fat to make your insides content then you'll be fine. It sounds like you're like me (I'm a little bit of a nut with the tracking and with the carb counting) but ^^^that seems unnecessarily obsessive to me.

 

[Parousia]

Okay, found it BUT take it with a BIG grain of salt. I tried it myself and it just does NOT match up with doing the numbers manually!

And the post is slightly off...the study actually said *0% but that was a small study and does NOT take into account common channel length, personal metabolism, etc.

For more on that, see this post: http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/ds-math.735/

Thanks so much, Liz.

 

[Parousia]

Oh @Parousia don't make yourself crazy with that stuff! It's totally not necessary. As long as you worry about getting in enough protein, keeping carbs low, and enough fat to make your insides content then you'll be fine. It sounds like you're like me (I'm a little bit of a nut with the tracking and with the carb counting) but ^^^that seems unnecessarily obsessive to me.

Being a bit OCD about these things does help me to stay on track. That said, I'm not overly concerned about calories. I would just prefer to not have my calories consumed number glaring at me in bright red!

 

[southernlady]

Being a bit OCD about these things does help me to stay on track. That said, I'm not overly concerned about calories. I would just prefer to not have my calories consumed number glaring at me in bright red!

Unfortunately, there is NO way to adjust that feature on apps/web sites like MFP. They are designed as CALORIE trackers for normies!

 

[brooklyngirl]

Being a bit OCD about these things does help me to stay on track. That said, I'm not overly concerned about calories. I would just prefer to not have my calories consumed number glaring at me in bright red!

Trust me, you will learn to ignore it. I don't even see it anymore!

 

[newanatomy]

I am with brooklyngirl on this. I set my calories to 2000 so that I could have my carbs at an even 50. As long as I never go over that 50 grams of carbs and have around 100 grams of protein, I am happy. I will push my protein up a bit as I progress. I am still under 90 days post-op.

 

[DianaCox]

You can't adjust, because YOU DON'T HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING HOW MUCH TO ADJUST!!! The DS Math, which I wrote, was NEVER INTENDED to be used as ADVICE - the post was written to provide a way to explain how malabsorption affects what we absorb, with INVENTED numbers - it does not reflect anyone's reality, except perhaps by accident, and even then, that will change over time.

 

[newanatomy]

I wish there were a way to find out what each of us actually malabsorb. My surgeon doesn't think it is anywhere near the 60% of Protein/60% of Complex Carbs/80% of fat numbers. Maybe for some it is, maybe not. We just have to watch what our body is doing with what we give it and adjust according to our labs and to our weight/measurements over the long term.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Okay, I might be showing my old-fartedness here, but: why do you have to use an app? Why can't you just look at the label, look at three numbers (if you must: protein, fat, carbs) and keep a daily running total in your head? Protein = 100 grams plus, fat = who gives a shit unless you get the shits, carbs = a lot less than protein.

Granted, I first got immersed in the diabetic exchange thing at age 7 in 1971, but IMO it ain't that hard. Sometimes plain old pencil and paper is easier than high tech.

 

[newanatomy]

Okay, I might be showing my old-fartedness here, but: why do you have to use an app? Why can't you just look at the label, look at three numbers (if you must: protein, fat, carbs) and keep a daily running total in your head? Protein = 100 grams plus, fat = who gives a shit unless you get the shits, carbs = a lot less than protein.

Granted, I first got immersed in the diabetic exchange thing at age 7 in 1971, but IMO it ain't that hard. Sometimes plain old pencil and paper is easier than high tech.

Most of us are already carrying around our smart phones. I would have to look for a pen and paper.

 

[Parousia]

Okay, I might be showing my old-fartedness here, but: why do you have to use an app? Why can't you just look at the label, look at three numbers (if you must: protein, fat, carbs) and keep a daily running total in your head? Protein = 100 grams plus, fat = who gives a shit unless you get the shits, carbs = a lot less than protein.

Granted, I first got immersed in the diabetic exchange thing at age 7 in 1971, but IMO it ain't that hard. Sometimes plain old pencil and paper is easier than high tech.

I'm not very good at keeping anything in my head (I blame it on fibro-fog). I'm also really good at losing pieces of paper. Recording what I eat has made me very aware that I wasn't getting nearly enough protein in, even though that was virtually all I was eating! I thought I was getting in plenty. Even with recording my food, I'm struggling with my protein intake. I feel like I'm having to stuff myself to even get the 60 g of protein in that I should be having at this stage. It's hard to imagine how I'm going to be able to get 90-120 g of protein in!

Apart from all that, I find it very useful and motivating to record/have a record of my food intake, weight loss, etc. the only times I've been successful with dieting in the past, is when I've kept a record of what I've eaten. I'm sure the time will come when it is no longer necessary, but for me, that time isn't now.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Most of us are already carrying around our smart phones. I would have to look for a pen and paper.

Ah, good point. I'm one of the last Americans to have a dumb phone . (Next replacement will have to go to a smart one, and I'm sure I'll love it once I do it, but I'm complaining all the way.)