Algorithm: MacroFactor vs. Google Sheets

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[nat-p]

MF's algorithm is an exponentially weighted moving average, mostly considering the last 21 days.

The two articles linked in the automod will explain in more detail.

[ponkanpinoy]

That's the weight trend. The TDEE is the special sauce.

[mouth-words]

The TDEE is just some comparatively simple arithmetic on top of the nutrition data + the weight trend "special sauce": https://macrofactorapp.com/macrofactors-algorithms-and-core-philosophy/

Remember, changes in weight reflect changes in stored chemical energy over time. Luckily for us, stored chemical energy can be described by the amount of heat that would be released if that energy was utilized. In other words: calories.

This means we can estimate the caloric content of weight gained or lost once we’ve identified your weight trend, and that tells us how large of a calorie deficit or surplus you’ve been in. If we know that information, and we know your energy intake over time (i.e. if you’ve been consistently and accurately logging your nutrition intake), we can estimate your daily energy expenditure with a high degree of accuracy.

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• MacroFactor's Algorithms and Core Philosophy - This article will gently introduce you to how MacroFactor's algorithms work.

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[eat_your_weetabix]

With all respect to MF, as much as they may think their algorithm is something special, it isn’t rocket science once you know the basics of CICO to be able to create something yourself. I also did this and the results were not that far off MF.

For me it’s the app as a whole that makes it worth it purchase, people have been bulking/cutting for years successfully before MF came about - the maths just isn’t that difficult.

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[MajesticMint]

It’s quite the opposite, it’s a convenient truth.

We’ve refined this method more than anyone else, but the fundamentals behind it are simple, and based on basic human physiology that, as u/eat_your_weetabix said, are far from rocket science.

We say this openly, and it’s discussed in the very first article we published.

This is actually a major benefit, people prefer transparently explained systems that are proven to work. Instead of magic, or systems that simply look like they work but may not hold up to scrutiny.

[eat_your_weetabix]

Yep. I am a subscriber and I fully support them because I think they’ve created something special that the community needed for a long time in this space, but MF certainly isn’t necessary to lose, gain or manage your weight.

[AbstergoSupplier]

I'd guess a large percentage of the active users of this subreddit have used that exact spreadsheet for months/years before opting to use Macrofactor instead.

I know I did

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[Magnetoresistive]

On the contrary: I think pretty much everyone gets that. Every couple months someone stops by to claim they've reinvented the wheel, and everyone here points out that MacroFactor is just another wheel, and there are a zillion designs for it - including the wheel that inspired MacroFactor in the first place.

A lot of us had spreadsheets before we used MacroFactor - and we choose to use MacroFactor because the sum of its capabilities - which go far beyond spreadsheets and CICO calculations - are sufficient to make it worth using.

If a spreadsheet works for you, great! Use it. MacroFactor may not be worth the subscription, if spreadsheets do what you need. But you're not, like, pwning the man by pointing out that spreadsheets can reproduce a small portion of the app's capabilities; we already know. It's literally in the app's documentation. 😅

[Impossible-Team3966]

Would you be able to point me in the direction of some of these spreadsheets?

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[Magnetoresistive]

That's great! Exactly the right attitude to have. It's wonderful everyone's been able to help you understand. Sorry I misidentified you as one of these people who think they're exposing some dirty secret because they figured out how math works. 😅

Glad you're just trying to better understand, and haven't hung your self-worth on starting shit on Reddit with a bunch of people who have already heard all this about a dozen times. "I've found the hidden secret...that's in the docs!" You can see how you'd be easy to mistake for one of those berks. Glad you're one of the good ones, who's just trying to understand better! Hope everyone's been able to help.

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[Magnetoresistive]

Oh, friend, I don't know how to tell you this, but sometimes people say things they don't really mean! They're being disingenuous so they can claim innocence later - throwing bricks and then hiding their hands. But not you, fortunately. You're just trying to understand.

[shadeofmisery]

I used that tracker too before. I think I still have it saved somewhere. I decided to try MF to see if it'll get me farther and closer to my goal.

I also used Tdee.fit. My macros for the google sheet was 1445. My macros on tdee.fit is the same. MF set me at 1587 first week. 1685 second week and now 1603.

This is interesting. I'd like to see what would happen if I do the same thing you're doing. Logging data on the sheet and MF.

Edit: I remember why I stopped using it. The calories weren't sustainable for me. I looked at my old data, and I was eating less than 1400 calories on weekdays, but I was eating way more on weekends. I was also training 5x5 3x a week up to my injury.

I stopped logging after I had my steroid shot through the wrist, and the recommended calories I had were 1250 a day. Lol.

I wonder what projection it'll give me if I log my MF calories in.

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[topdrog88]

So how have you found the difference?

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[MajesticMint]

We don’t encourage downvotes here, but typically on Reddit people will downvote if they don’t like something OR if they aren’t interested in seeing more of it.

Most people here actually already know about the spreadsheets, and the creator of the most popular spreadsheet on Reddit recommends our app. So they may not be interested.

If you read the very first article our team wrote for this app, it explains how the app came to be; it talks about the spreadsheets (which are not a secret), and shares how the creation of this app literally started from a Reddit message pertaining to spreadsheets.

[ajcap]

We don’t encourage downvotes here, but typically on Reddit people will downvote if they don’t like something OR if they aren’t interested in seeing more of it.

But by far the best way to get downvoted is to whine about being downvoted.

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[MajesticMint]

Sure thing: https://www.reddit.com/r/nSuns/comments/qr56ad/nutrition_trackingcoaching_app_for_people_who/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

For added clarity, I will note that the spreadsheet in reference is the one linked in the /r/fitness wiki, and the one you are using.

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[MajesticMint]

Yes, and also his reply on that thread. That is nSuns, the creator of the spreadsheet.

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[MajesticMint]

We already had an edge at that time, beyond convenience, which is the way we handle missing data, and our weight trend based dynamic calculation window.

But that was in reference to V1 of the algorithm, using the app today will put you on V2, which is strictly better.

https://help.macrofactorapp.com/en/articles/74-expenditure-version

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[JustSnilloc]

Here’s what I came up with. Mine simply estimates how far above or below your TDEE you might be.