Food tracker

Serah75
Serah75 Posts: 16
in Food and Nutrition
I'm lost as to this food tracker. If I eat a little less calories,carbs,sodium,fats and sugars the tracker tells me I'm not eating enough,yet when I eat a little over the tracker highlits it in red that I am over my limit and makes me feel like a pig. :(

Replies

  • bonniecarbs
    bonniecarbs Posts: 446 Member
    This is my fault, not the tracker, but I get angry with the tracker for the red message at the bottom - IN FIVE WEEKS YOU WILL WEIGH XXX POUNDS. IT'S BEEN 5 MONTHS!
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    Don't set your diary to 1200.

    Common newbie error.

    That is the BARE MINIMUM anyone should EVER eat, so if you are under, it's bad...

    and anytime you are over it will be red, so aim to turn it red daily...or set it to a more reasonable goal.
  • LouAnn71464
    LouAnn71464 Posts: 28
    I had that same problem. Some things were too high while others were too low. So, I decided to just track my calories only. It's hard to keep every nutritional value in range.
  • summersbest
    summersbest Posts: 194 Member
    I view the tracker as a guideline to follow so that you know roughly how much you should be eating and the division for each category. I think as long as you aren't over or under by a lot on a regular basis you should be fine. As well, some people change their protein/fat/carb ratios to suit their eating/exercising goals.

    Hope this helps. ~
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    My calorie goal is 1380, I am clearly new so idk what I set it to but the food tracker says 1380. I am 136 5'5'. I just want to lose the last 5lbs. I lost a total of 20lbs so far with the help of CLA. Now it is going extreamely slow,so I figured I would join this site and see how it works. :)
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    So the tracker is really not all that reliable?
  • dittmarml
    dittmarml Posts: 351 Member
    If you open your diary we might be able to give you some help. Hard to tell what the problem is.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    The food diary is what you make of it. It is just a tool, you have to use the tool correctly. With so little to lose, you should NOT be eating that low.

    What is your daily lifestyle like, without purposeful exercise? Kids, job, housework? Use that to determine your activity level.

    Probably lightly active or active, not sedentary unless you are bedridden.

    Then set your goal to LOSE HALF A POUND PER WEEK, and aim to reach that number daily within 50 calories over or under, who cares if it "turns red", it means you reached your goal. It's a goal to reach, not a number to try to stay under...

    be sure to weigh and measure everything you eat on a food scale and input it as exact as possible.
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    No problem,but how do I do that?
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    I'mvery active, I have 3 kids I workout on my elliptical daily and do some as workouts. These kids keep me very busy so I would say pretty active. I answered the questions theat fitnesspal asked me and they determined the calorie intake.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    I'mvery active, I have 3 kids I workout on my elliptical daily and do some as workouts. These kids keep me very busy so I would say pretty active. I answered the questions theat fitnesspal asked me and they determined the calorie intake.

    but I bet you picked 2 pounds per week...thats only for obese people. you should pick half a pound.

    it's good that you ask these things early, most do it wrong for months and give up....
    you should probably be eating at least 1600 calories a day and 100g of protein minimum.
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    I opened the diary. No I picked 1lb a week,because the calories were way to low for 2 lbs a week. :)
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    If you open your diary we might be able to give you some help. Hard to tell what the problem is.




    Just did. :)
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    your diary looks pretty good. I would change it to half a pound and then change the macros to 40 carb, 30 fat, 30 protein. :)

    the default macros here are a little odd, not enough protein
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    your diary looks pretty good. I would change it to half a pound and then change the macros to 40 carb, 30 fat, 30 protein. :)

    the default macros here are a little odd, not enough protein



    Sounds good, I will as soon as I figure out how to do it. Thank you very much :)
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    O, I changed it. Seems more legit this way,and i can eat more. ;) I wish they gave you a little more sugar intake than they do,cause I the things I eat with sugar are basically healthy now. :)
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    don't worry about sugars from fruit, milk, or natural sources. Just watch your ADDED sugars, like from cookies! I don't even look at the sugar...
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    consider changing sugar to fiber, 20g, and treat it as a minimum and try to make it red. that way you'll ensure your carbs are the right carbs.

    same thing with protein, aim to turn it red. Don't look at red as bad. Those are minimums. Red means you reached your goal!
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    I hope you are drinking enough water to rid your body of all that sodium.
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    I hope you are drinking enough water to rid your body of all that sodium.


    That is all I drink all day. :)
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    Awesome, I ll Thanks Robin :)
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    Don't set your diary to 1200.

    Common newbie error.

    That is the BARE MINIMUM anyone should EVER eat, so if you are under, it's bad...

    and anytime you are over it will be red, so aim to turn it red daily...or set it to a more reasonable goal.

    Yep. This. I did it too... live and learn. :wink:
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    Your diary looks great but just eat more fruits and fresh vegetables, eg instead of graham crackers you can eat an apple with the peanut butter or some cheese, oranges, bananas. Add tomatoes in the green salad, eat hummus (and if you like it you can make it yourself, very easy) with carrots and yellow squash or cucumber, or mix the Greek yogurt with 1 tb EVOO and vinegar and 1 clove mashed garlic (or no garlic if you do not like it) and use as a creamy dressing on salad or baked potato, or dip for raw veggies.
  • Serah75
    Serah75 Posts: 16
    Your diary looks great but just eat more fruits and fresh vegetables, eg instead of graham crackers you can eat an apple with the peanut butter or some cheese, oranges, bananas. Add tomatoes in the green salad, eat hummus (and if you like it you can make it yourself, very easy) with carrots and yellow squash or cucumber, or mix the Greek yogurt with 1 tb EVOO and vinegar and 1 clove mashed garlic (or no garlic if you do not like it) and use as a creamy dressing on salad or baked potato, or dip for raw veggies.


    Good idea. Thanks

Categories