I'm always in the red no matter how hard I try on MFP. :(

3dogsrunning

I'm glad to see that people disregard the sugars. This is only day 2 for me... I like this a lot so far but it's crazy how quickly I go over in sugars...Is there really sugar in Romaine lettuce, or is there a glitch in this part of MFP's tracking?!

Apparently so. Around 1 g per cup.

This is what I do when I am adding new foods (I have verified most of my common foods and just use that list) I go to this site -
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2475/2

You will also find this is the same data the MFP uses, i.e. not the user entries, the actual MFP data, which for some reason is not easy to find (it does not have an asterisk) I have learned that if I search by the same name, I can find it much easier, like "chicken, leg meat, skin, raw" and you will find the entry that is the same as this one
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/714/2

SarahHebert1

Protein is good for you, you should not be worried about being over here.

MFP sets sugar at an almost impossible level. I actually removed mine from being displayed so that I didn't have to look at the numbers.

I recommend doing some research, checking with a nutritionist if you know one, etc. about what a good, healthy amount of intake for all of these primary food stats are and changing your MFP settings to custom settings, to numbers you know will work for you.

I also hate seeing the red - the one nice thing about calories being red is you can always do more exercise!

Sycoholic

disregard sodium and sugar intake and watch carbs/fat/protein totals

Yeah, pretty much this. I go over my protein all the time, but how can I ingest 1g of protein per lb of lean muscle when mfp has me around 90? Crazy. As long as it's not bad stuff you're ok. Sugar can be a no-no depending on the source, as high fructose corn syrup has no place in a healthy diet. Natural sugar is bad, but keep it limited as it will impair fat loss. Sodium (salt) is one that can get you. If you're sweating a lot all day then going over is probably a good thing. The one thing we were told in Army basic training when it got really bad hot out was to put an extra salt packet on our food. It helps replenish what you lose. Aside from that, if you find you're consuming lots of it then make sure you're drinking plenty of water. That'll help flush it out a bit. Just watch what you're doing, look at your diary and see what foods pushed you over. Perhaps these are foods you can cut out later down the road as you learn what works and what doesn't.

servilia

Forget about following sugar. If you eat fruit you'll be over almost every time. Pick your battles; normally I just watch cals total and try to get enough protein. If I'm extra diligent I try to watch my carbs.
Ps you WANT to go over mfp's protein goal, it's too low!

SingingPilgrim

Are you eating pre-packaged and/or prepared food a lot? That'll make the biggest difference if you prepare foods from scratch or move towards less prepared stuff.

skinnydreams19

Ditto, but I go over calories, too I looked at your diet, however, and saw a big reason: you left it at the 1200 calories MFP originally suggests for us and that's way too low! Go in and change it to TDEE - 20%, that'll let you lose weight healthily and sustainably. And it should clear up your in-the-red problem, too!

MachaDesu

Thanks guys. And yes, I keep pre-made and processed food to a minimum. ANd my fruits always are what push me over on the sugar.

FATJAKE5

You just started. Just tweek one thing @ a time. Replace that "Propel Zero" with 4 cups of water (flavored with a lemon slice or squeeze) and your sodium would be under 1500mg/day. Replace canned veggies with fresh ones prepared without salt. Buy dried beans like chick peas, black beans, red kidney and pinto beans. Soak them over night, cook them to the firmness (without salt) you desire and freeze them in the serving size you need. There are a lot of salt-free meat roasting rubs available and we leave a bottle of it from costco on the table, use it the way we used to use salt and pepper.
It's like learning to ride a bike, it may take awhile, but it's worth it.

Here is an article on "Taming Your Salt Habit" which I found helpful: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

MachaDesu

And the reason I drink the propel is because our pipes make our water taste like rust and we cannot afford to fix it.

MachaDesu

And buying fresh produce is hard because of money issues. My family barely gets by.

TheNewDodge

Pre-log all your food

Timshel_

I won't say I don't care about being in the red, but I don't really care about being in the red. As long as my calories are close I am good. I do TRY to make sure my numbers are good but really I work it off with exercise and I feel great.

Meh.

ladyark

Forget about following sugar. If you eat fruit you'll be over almost every time. Pick your battles; normally I just watch cals total and try to get enough protein. If I'm extra diligent I try to watch my carbs.
Ps you WANT to go over mfp's protein goal, it's too low!

I try to watch my carbs ....for me those can cause me to lose or gain. Protein i dont care if i go over but, i do however watch my sugar. I am always over but, i try for it to be natural from my fruit or veggies....not junk sugar. I know people say you dont have to watch sugar but, i believe that too much of it can still cause health problems and weight gain. So as long as you are getting it from good sources then dont worry too much about it.

I have learned to not really watch my macros too much from mfp any more. I try to just eat healthy and watch the calorie intake for the most part.....it will drive you crazy trying to make it perfect.

genofreek

I took sugar off my MFP list because the constant red was bumming me out. I'm not diabetic, it doesn't run in my family, no doctor I've visited even places me in at-risk groups, so as long as I'm watching my calories and fat and not chugging sweets all day, I figure sugar will line up with the rest of it.

If I stop losing weight or feel a need to adjust my diet down the line, I totally will. But I'm about a month or so into this lifestyle change, and it's not all going to happen overnight.

Derpes

Try consuming more protein as it tends to satiate you.