Logging Issue - Not enough calories

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Arlemons
Arlemons Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
So I just joined, mostly because I want to pay attention to what I eat and to also eat healthier. I would be happy to loose 10 or 15 pounds but that is not my goal. However, when joining you have to select an option, so I chose lose 10 pounds because I probably could. BUT the amount of fat/sodium/calories/carbs it suggested seems WAY TO HIGH and it won't let me log what I eat unless I hit the recommended amount. I don't know how to fix this problem or if it even is fixable. CAN ANYONE HELP???

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  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    1. You should be able to log anything - though if your #s are consistently low it will give you warnings.

    2. You can choose to maintain if you don't want to see a deficit.

    3. If you're logging little enough that you're getting a warning, you're either eating too little or not logging accurately. Do you log cooking oils, sauces, drinks, etc.?
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Why are you eating under what it suggests?

    If you filled in your information correctly, you should be eating at least that, let alone eating back exercise calories.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Ok - you don't give your height or weight.....but let's use 5'5" 150 pounds and lightly active

    Your maintenance using those stats (per Scooby's is) is 2,060 calories. To lose 1/2 pound a week.....eat 1810...to lose 1 pound a week (pretty aggressive)....eat 1560

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    You can over ride MFPs numbers, you can change the percentages of protein, fat, carbs if you want. If you eat under MFP will tell you. I'm not sure what you mean about not being able to log what you eat unless you hit the recommended amount.

    Here's a good thread for newbies

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Arlemons wrote: »
    So I just joined, mostly because I want to pay attention to what I eat and to also eat healthier. I would be happy to loose 10 or 15 pounds but that is not my goal. However, when joining you have to select an option, so I chose lose 10 pounds because I probably could. BUT the amount of fat/sodium/calories/carbs it suggested seems WAY TO HIGH and it won't let me log what I eat unless I hit the recommended amount. I don't know how to fix this problem or if it even is fixable. CAN ANYONE HELP???

    How high is your goal and why do you believe that it's "way too high"?

    You could set MFP to maintenance if you're not really interested in losing any weight, but that's going to give you even more calories to work with.

    MFP will save your diary even if you're eating below the recommended amount. It will just give you a warning if you're too low and won't post it to your newsfeed to avoid triggering those with eating disorders. If it's really not saving your information, then you've run into some kind of bug and you'll probably want to follow the instructions in the tech help forum to report it.

    As I recall, MFP only gives the warning if you're eating below 1000 calories, right? (I think it's below 1500 for men). How little are you eating and why?

  • snowflakesav
    snowflakesav Posts: 647 Member
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    Why do you think the suggested amount of food is too high? You can change the portion size on any food. I like to nibble and graze so I have lots of entries for a single baby carrot or 3 black olives.
  • Arlemons
    Arlemons Posts: 6
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    Well, this is my first time really ever keeping track of food or "logging it" so maybe I'm just not doing it right - but my recommended amount is about 1300 calories for 1/2 pound per week. I logged in everything I ate and will be eating today (for dinner and such) and still haven't hit 1,000 calories - but what I have eaten and will eat seems pretty reasonable since I would consider myself 10-15 pounds overweight and this is what I eat on average. Thank you though for all yalls help - maybe it's just a bug or something
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Arlemons wrote: »
    Well, this is my first time really ever keeping track of food or "logging it" so maybe I'm just not doing it right - but my recommended amount is about 1300 calories for 1/2 pound per week. I logged in everything I ate and will be eating today (for dinner and such) and still haven't hit 1,000 calories - but what I have eaten and will eat seems pretty reasonable since I would consider myself 10-15 pounds overweight and this is what I eat on average. Thank you though for all yalls help - maybe it's just a bug or something

    That doesn't sound like a bug. That sounds like the system is working like it should be. Eating less than 1000 calories is really very little food and it's something that most people should only do under the supervision of a professional. It's possible that you're not logging very accurately and thus are eating more than you realize (most people underestimate their portion sizes, for instance) but if you're really eating this little then it might be worth looking into increasing your intake.

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Arlemons wrote: »
    Well, this is my first time really ever keeping track of food or "logging it" so maybe I'm just not doing it right - but my recommended amount is about 1300 calories for 1/2 pound per week. I logged in everything I ate and will be eating today (for dinner and such) and still haven't hit 1,000 calories - but what I have eaten and will eat seems pretty reasonable since I would consider myself 10-15 pounds overweight and this is what I eat on average. Thank you though for all yalls help - maybe it's just a bug or something

    If that's the amount of calories you eat on average and have put on weight, then you're eating more than you think, which usually happens when logging is inaccurate.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Why would you consider them too high?
  • Arlemons
    Arlemons Posts: 6
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    Okay I tried to take a screenshot to upload here but it wont let me so I will just summarize what I ate. My food log from yesterday (the first one I did) was egg whites, vegetarian sausage, salsa, coffee, and creamer for breakfast; Snap peas, kale chips, carrots, and 8oz of water for lunch; a whole box of Amy's organic mac and cheese for dinner; and two cookies and 10 dark chocolate espresso beans for snack. Please tell me if what I ate seems like too little or unreasonably low, because to me it is totally normal and plenty of food, and what I would normally eat (again I consider myself about 10-15 pounds overweight). I guess I could be doing the portion sizes wrong, that part was confusing to fill out, but I tried to estimate the amount of what I ate as best I could.
  • Arlemons
    Arlemons Posts: 6
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    That food log came out at about 900 calories and was also too low in sugar/fat/carbs/etc., that is why the suggested amount of intake seems too high - because what I ate seems reasonable to me; but also, more generally you aren't always going to hit the suggested amount of calories, etc. every single day - the website should still let log the food - but maybe it only restricts you when you eat less than 1000, I don't know.
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
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    Someone kind of hinted at this, but I think we need more information. What is your height, weight and age? This all is factored into how those numbers are calculated.
  • Arlemons
    Arlemons Posts: 6
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    height 5'4; weight 125-130 (not sure exactly but I'm positive it is in this range); age: 23
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
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    I would highly recommend you follow the link to the post below.

    Best Post to read when getting started!!!

    It is my belief you are setting yourself up for failure and I am sure plenty of others on here will agree with me. There are multiple reasons why I believe this, but I believe you do not need a 45 year old man telling you. Go read that post and it should give you a lot of great information on getting you set on the right path. B)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Seems you are making a lot of estimations. About your current weight, about what you're eating.

    From looking it up, the Mac & Cheese was about 400. Cookies could be 100 each or 500 each - depends on the cookie, size, etc. Breakfast could have been 150 or 500, depends on quantities. Lunch 100-500 again based on quantities. Then for the snack, I'm not sure.

    We don't know your portions, how you're determining how much you're eating. But if you were eating 900-1100 calories per day for the past X months you would not be overweight. I do not mean to be rude, its just a fact. So either your portions are bigger than you think and/or you were eating more and/or more variety before.

    It does look like you're lacking in protein and fat. Those macros are essential for your body. You want to lose weight, but do you want to lose hair, skin quality and muscle while you're at it? Probably not.

    I would suggest for your meals: don't try to avoid all fat. And include more protein with each meal (although breakfast looks better balanced than your other meals). There is no protein in your lunch at all. And if you like to snack, feel free. Have some chips & guacamole. Or some peanuts. Higher calorie items that have nutrients your body needs.

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