I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE THAT HATES THE RED NUMBERS

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  • fredf2112
    fredf2112 Posts: 110 Member
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    If you hate the red numbers, what do you do to get away from them?

    Adjust the monitor settings so they are not red anymore.

    But that aside, you know that it is just one day and not a lifetime. Look at your numbers for the week or two weeks and you'll see that they are not in the red over time.
  • jeslaughter
    jeslaughter Posts: 131 Member
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    I log absolutely everything and when I see the red numbers it just makes me realize that I didn't do that great and I make sure I do better the next day.

    If you "cheat" and put a smaller portion you're only hurting yourself because the calories DO count and not logging them makes you falsely believe you can eat more. In all honesty I err on the side of caution and probably over estimate on a lot of things.

    I agree, I used to under-estimate my quantities and I know now that I only cheated me, so now if I am not sure, I take the largest number suggested and use that...I have actually been having a lot more success with that than I did at the start! I hate the red numbers too but if I see I may get close to them, I will take another quick walk or run up the stairs once or twice to make room for those extra calories.
  • BigDnSW
    BigDnSW Posts: 641 Member
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    It's like it's telling me I failed.

    You did.

    BS...when my protein is in the red or my fiber or my potassium or whatever and I burned over 600 cals per exercise...duh! Otherwise, they vary from day to day and it is not the small pic that counts, but the long haul. You're not failing if you keep trying....iggy the naysayers.

    Good Luck!
  • meg7399
    meg7399 Posts: 672 Member
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    It's like it's telling me I failed.

    You did.

    So encouraging!

    *eye roll* Well, they did. You have no one to blame but yourself if you're going over your numbers. Plan better next time but don't beat yourself up over it, it happens. Don't make it a regular occurrence. Plan ahead. Log before you eat. Exercise to earn more cals so you're not over.

    ETA: I think you know you're cheating yourself when you log incorrectly. You're only sabotaging your own weight loss.
    This is why people think others are mean. She KNOWS she is over and she KNOWS its cheating herself. That was never a question! She is simply looking for support!
  • foodfathought
    foodfathought Posts: 21 Member
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    I plan in advance to avoid the red. If I hit red on calories or anything other than protein, I try to do better the next day.

    Logging honestly is half the battle for most.
  • squirrelzzrule22
    squirrelzzrule22 Posts: 640 Member
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    If its a little over in red calories, go for a walk or hop around your bedroom or youtube a workout dvd for fifteen minutes. If you mean the red numbers like in nutrients....then I have to say you're being a bit OCD about the appearance of red numbers! There is zero reason to freak out about eating extra kale and being over in your vitamin A % or something haha. You're doing great, keep up the good work and don't stress about minor overages or you will drive yourself nuts!
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
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    It's like it's telling me I failed.

    You did.

    So encouraging!

    *eye roll* Well, they did. You have no one to blame but yourself if you're going over your numbers. Plan better next time but don't beat yourself up over it, it happens. Don't make it a regular occurrence. Plan ahead. Log before you eat. Exercise to earn more cals so you're not over.

    ETA: I think you know you're cheating yourself when you log incorrectly. You're only sabotaging your own weight loss.

    No, she didn't fail.
    She made a mistake. (a small one at that.)

    You only fail when you stop trying.
  • Catlady87
    Catlady87 Posts: 302 Member
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    I hate the red numbers, but only when it apples to my calories. I'm not too fussed about my macros.
    The other day I was like 4 calories over, so I ran up and down the stairs for a minute just to burn them off. I knew it wouldn't make a massive difference to my weight loss, it just pissed me off.
    Another thing that really bugs me is why is zero red? If I'm smack on my calories or macros why is that in red? Surely that's a good thing!
  • KeriW626
    KeriW626 Posts: 430
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    The only red numbers I care about are the Calories... I most always go over on sugar, I like sweet stuff, so eatting things like apples even will turn that red. The sodium rarely turns red ( like sweets) I hope the protien turns red. Because I do not believe you get enough, and mfp allows lower than where you should be.

    and to be honest, I would rather be red on calories, over by a few (less than 50), than be green and under by hundreds on calories....

    Hate the red, be honest about what you eat/log, and learn.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    It's like it's telling me I failed.

    You did.

    So encouraging!

    *eye roll* Well, they did. You have no one to blame but yourself if you're going over your numbers. Plan better next time but don't beat yourself up over it, it happens. Don't make it a regular occurrence. Plan ahead. Log before you eat. Exercise to earn more cals so you're not over.

    ETA: I think you know you're cheating yourself when you log incorrectly. You're only sabotaging your own weight loss.
    This is why people think others are mean. She KNOWS she is over and she KNOWS its cheating herself. That was never a question! She is simply looking for support!

    *sigh* OP, good job on logging smaller portions than you actually ate!! CONGRATS. :flowerforyou:
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
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    I hate the red numbers, but only when it apples to my calories. I'm not too fussed about my macros.
    The other day I was like 4 calories over, so I ran up and down the stairs for a minute just to burn them off. I knew it wouldn't make a massive difference to my weight loss, it just pissed me off.
    Another thing that really bugs me is why is zero red? If I'm smack on my calories or macros why is that in red? Surely that's a good thing!

    Lol
    0's are red, I just realized that!

    MFP should make new colors. Add in yellow or something for when you go over by a little bit.
    And make protein and fiber red, until it goes over the recommended amount
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    It's like it's telling me I failed.

    You did.

    So encouraging!

    *eye roll* Well, they did. You have no one to blame but yourself if you're going over your numbers. Plan better next time but don't beat yourself up over it, it happens. Don't make it a regular occurrence. Plan ahead. Log before you eat. Exercise to earn more cals so you're not over.

    ETA: I think you know you're cheating yourself when you log incorrectly. You're only sabotaging your own weight loss.

    No, she didn't fail.
    She made a mistake. (a small one at that.)

    You only fail when you stop trying.

    Stop trying = quitting.

    Going over on your numbers and not hitting them correctly = failing. I did not say she failed at weight loss. Just on the days she mislogs or goes over.


    Here's some more flowers at the risk of being called mean for trying to give helpful advice: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • mapnerd2005
    mapnerd2005 Posts: 363
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    My day always starts out with red numbers (I plan the whole day in advance), and my goal every day is to make the red numbers turn green. No cheating, nothing is banned. If I want it, I have to earn it.
  • elainecroft
    elainecroft Posts: 595 Member
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    I don't hate the red numbers. For me, my goal calories (1690) are just that - a goal. I don't get extra points for going 10 calories under, and I don't beat myself up for going 10 calories over. One day last week I hit it right on the nose and was super pumped about it all day :)
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
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    Failure is but a synonym for being so terrible at life you could fart and get blamed for 9/11
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
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    I don't like it too. Because I'm not trying to eat 1,200 a day. I want to eat between 1,300 - 1,450. I know I am meeting MY goal, but I can't customize that thing and it gives me those annoying red numbers.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
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    I go exercise more until they're gone, or admit I effed up and learn from it.

    Wish there was a way to exercise the sodium away. Usually my Red is due to 534534525234 mg of sodium because its so freaking hard to find anything that doesnt contain sodium.

    Also pisses me off when I go to buy canned vegetables at the store and they add high fructose corn syrup to it. AND, if you want them to REMOVE the high fructose corn syrup.....it costs more. WTF?
  • murrishmo
    murrishmo Posts: 7
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    What an *kitten*! Did your parents beat you when you slipped up for something? You didn't fail, if you want to succeed long term, you have to accept sometimes you will see red, it’s a normal part of weight loss. You just don’t want it to happen very often! I like to exercise to afford more green :) You only fail if you don’t try, or if you’re a jerk making people who are trying feel bad about themselves.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    I don't like it too. Because I'm not trying to eat 1,200 a day. I want to eat between 1,300 - 1,450. I know I am meeting MY goal, but I can't customize that thing and it gives me those annoying red numbers.

    Yes, you can.

    Click home tab.
    Click goals tab.
    Click change goals button.
    Custom.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I don't like it too. Because I'm not trying to eat 1,200 a day. I want to eat between 1,300 - 1,450. I know I am meeting MY goal, but I can't customize that thing and it gives me those annoying red numbers.

    You can go to Home - Goals - and Custom. You should be able to change your #s as you need to.

    ETA: crap. Adini beat me to it! hahaha

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