I’ve noticed that macros don’t always add up to the calories listed on food labels. Is it more accurate to count macros to where they need to be and then calculate the calories based off them? Or instead, to get macros “close” to where they need to be while counting calories based off the label?
It doesn’t matter.
While there are some instances where the calorie count from the macros might not align perfectly with the total calories on a food label for a number of reasons, the difference isn’t enough that going by one or the other is going to result in vastly disparate outcomes.
That said that it doesn’t matter, just be consistent all across the board with the manner that you elect to log and track your food intake.
Calories are within 20% margin of error. For example fruit jams may need different quantity of sugars and other additives to be added for each batch in order to get the same consistency and taste, since not all fruits have the same sweetness and taste characteristics..
Just use it as ball park. There’s way to many variables, calories aren’t spot on,hormone quality, how fit you are, how much stress your under, how fatigued are you, how hydrated you are…… so on so forth.