Data exports need a bit more data exported Topic

NormanC 06/07/21
When we export our information it comes out as an Excel sheet in columns and rows. MOst of the time this data is easily readable.

Kudos for that! Seriously. Neither MFP nor Fitbit will let us get our data in an actually usable format so congratulations.

However there are a few things I'm seeing that is a problem.

IN the Food tab of the export, it gives the amount, but often not as grams.

FOr instance, I have some butter, where the serving size is 5g. I entered 2 servings. The export says 2 servings. But it should be able to include how MUCH there is in a serving. eg 5g. same for other things like a muffin. Which jsut says, 1 muffin. The food entry SAYS that this is 65g. So the export can and should just include that information.

It would be valid to just include it as another column or two. But if at all possible, it should tell us the weight or volume of the item.

I see that the entries for at least Food and Measurements have multiple entries per day, all on separate rows.

THis makes them impossible to graph immediately.

I'm trying to figure out how to make that data usable. I was thinking a pivot table to combine the elements of data together by day? But if anyone has actually done this, that would be great to hear how.

For Exercise, it only gives up exercise calories, not the BMR calories as well, nor total calories expended which are critical pieces of information. I realise the BMR is in the Measurments table, but by being there, it can't be used to add to exercise calories to get a total calorie usage.

Please just give us this data, even if it repeats in a few places.

Why isn't the total calorie expended data just included in the exports? Its 50% of the information we need. Without it, everything else is useless.

Please don't be like MFP and Fitbit who make it impossible to export that data.

I have to ask, why is the Measurements data not just day by day, one day to a row, with the type of measurement across the top. I understand that the Measurement types can be added to by users. But surely when the export is done, it can just create the new columns it needs each time. This seems un-necessary to not put each measurement in its own column.

Mnd_tech_support 06/07/21 replied to NormanC
Hello NormanC,

Sorry about the trouble,

Some foods do not have weight info, so we cannot estimate their grams or ounces; thus, just volume or so on serving descriptions. Please see the related support articles at:
https://www.mynetdiary.com/supportArticle.do?articleId=701
and at
https://www.mynetdiary.com/supportArticle.do?articleId=1002

As a suggestion, you can add more columns while editing the exported XLS file in Excel and enter the information in grams or ounces approximately.

Or, you can exchange the item without weight description to the food with the close name and with weight info. (It's OK to select from search food that sounds like yours. Don't eat much and keep tracking, don't let this stop you!) We would recommend using the generic items as described at https://www.mynetdiary.com/supportArticle.do?articleId=8001
They have complete nutritional information and various serving descriptions, including weight units.

While editing our standard XLS tables, you can create a pivot table by copy-pasting the columns or rows from our XLS sheets.

Regarding getting information about Total Calories Burned into XLS tables... If you linked to Fitbit, you could copy-paste the numeric values of the Fitbit Total Calories Burned from the Exercise Notes.

I hope this helps. For further assistance, please contact us at support@mynetdiary, share the related screenshots and make your comments.

Thank you for the feedback!

Sincerely,
Dmitry S.
MyNetDiary Tech Support Team

NormanC 06/10/21
The point of using a tool like MND is to not have to manually put in that information. Adding that to thousands of lines of exports is unreasonable.

If a food doesn't have a weight or volume along with it, then just don't include the weight or volume in the export. BUt don't hamper the foods that DO have that information. ALl the ones I've been entering so far have a weight or volume. You just need to put the number and units in. We can decide what to do with that information. I would have thought that if there is an actual measured amount of a food, then it will be by weight or volume. And I would suggest that if weight or volume isn't available, then it shouldn't be in a database for people trying to be accurate with their food intake.

I've been doing a test over the last few days, and have connected my FItbit to MND.

And I see that the Exercise export will be TOTALLY useless because you zero out the FItbit data that doesn't conform to an arbitrary figure you've calculated.

Why are YOU assuming that your totally estimated number for Weight Maintenance is in any way correct? And should clobber the Fitbit data. The Fitbit data is going to be more accurate than your estimate. I assure you that your estimate for my Weight Maintenance is WAY too high. If I ate that much each day I would be gaining weight quite quickly.

So I guess we just completely ignore that tab.

I hope you aren't messing with the data on the Measurements tab either. Since that appears to be actually useful data.

And so long as I can get it into a useful format then it will be usefull.

MInd you, I don;t know why you don't have a graph that shows calories in and calories out on it, along with weight.

Mnd_tech_support 06/11/21 replied to NormanC
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Norman. I will pass your requests to our developers. We will discuss how we can improve "gramless"-food cases and a possibility to let the users customization of Weight Maintenance Caloric value. I cannot guarantee that we implement all proposed ideas; however, rest assured our development team will review your requests, and we'll count your vote.

Please contact us at support@mynetdiary.com if you have a particular problem and provide detailed information (e.g., date of the entry, the value on the screen/page, and so on) so that our development team can investigate a case. (The screenshots with a particular case are welcomed.)

Thank you for the feedback! If you have other suggestions and ideas, please send us your concern at support@mynetdiary.com along with the related screenshots. We'll pass it along to our development team and see if there is any way we can improve it.

Btw, you can test-drive the current method of calculation Weight Maintenance calories and let us know if you do not lose weight. We hope MyNetDiary will help you!

Sincerely,
Dmitry S.
MyNetDiary Tech Support Team

U993968 06/25/21
My plan is set for 110g of protein, but it only shows 96g as my set total for protein. Why is that???

Data exports need a bit more data exported