frustrated with MFP!

bettiepinup
bettiepinup Posts: 15 Member
edited November 22 in Getting Started
So it won't even count that day when I eat healthy and go to the gym. It says I'm not eating enough, so it won't log it.
my only option is to NOT enter my exercise, so it doesn't take off those calories. It won't let me Complete a day that I did good.
advice?

Replies

  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Are you using the MFP database for your exercise calories? If you are, it's likely that you're not burning as much as you think, and are probably not in as big a deficit as the site thinks you are. MFP is notorious for wildly exaggerating calories burned through exercise. Before I got my first heart rate monitor, I used the MFP database and constantly got the warning that I wasn't eating enough.
  • iwantmydenimback
    iwantmydenimback Posts: 194 Member
    the program is designed for you to eat at least a portion your exercise calories back. so either eat the calories back and complete the day, or don't log the exercise and complete the day.
  • bettiepinup
    bettiepinup Posts: 15 Member
    Thats what ill have to do not log exercise. Because I ate fine today and very mindfully. I just worked out too hard! That sucks
  • bettiepinup
    bettiepinup Posts: 15 Member
    Velum_cado wrote: »
    Are you using the MFP database for your exercise calories? If you are, it's likely that you're not burning as much as you think, and are probably not in as big a deficit as the site thinks you are. MFP is notorious for wildly exaggerating calories burned through exercise. Before I got my first heart rate monitor, I used the MFP database and constantly got the warning that I wasn't eating enough.

    Yes..
    But not anymore. I'm going to have to delete all my exercise entries so I can complete my days
  • iwantmydenimback
    iwantmydenimback Posts: 194 Member
    are you sure you understand how mfp is designed? you are already given an appropriate calorie deficit to hit your weekly weight loss goal when you input your information. if you exercise and burn a significant amount of calories without eating them back, you are creating a larger deficit that will become unsustainable. do some research about the NEAT method, which mfp uses, and the TDEE method, which already takes into account your exercise. you'll have a better idea of what will work for your situation.
  • humpbax
    humpbax Posts: 34 Member
    Ok, are you eating your "burned" calories back? You do not want a large deficit as it isn't healthy and believe it or not you will lose if you eat them all back. If you complete a day after midnight, it won't post it (learned the hard way there). I can't see your diary so I don't know your recent history. I do know that I was able to lose through this site by logging everything I ate and eating back my burned calories. The more I exercised, the more I could eat and still lose. A friend of mine would exercise and only eat the calories she was allocated for the day and not the additional ones she burned and she could not shift weight because she was leaving too much of a deficit daily.
    I hope this helps...
  • sugaraddict4321
    sugaraddict4321 Posts: 15,884 MFP Moderator
    You don't have to complete your days. All it does is tell you if every day was EXACTLY like today, you'd weigh a certain amount in 5 weeks. But few of us eat exactly the same and exercise exactly the same every day. MFP won't let you complete the day if it thinks you are netting too few cals.
  • bettiepinup
    bettiepinup Posts: 15 Member
    iwantmydenimback wrote: »
    are you sure you understand how mfp is designed? you are already given an appropriate calorie deficit to hit your weekly weight loss goal when you input your information. if you exercise and burn a significant amount of calories without eating them back, you are creating a larger deficit that will become unsustainable. do some research about the NEAT method, which mfp uses, and the TDEE method, which already takes into account your exercise. you'll have a better idea of what will work for your situation.

    No clue. I am brand new to it. Just using it for 2 weeks now, to be accountable for what I eat. Anything more, I'm not sure

  • bettiepinup
    bettiepinup Posts: 15 Member
    sugaraddict4321 wrote: »
    You don't have to complete your days. All it does is tell you if every day was EXACTLY like today, you'd weigh a certain amount in 5 weeks. But few of us eat exactly the same and exercise exactly the same every day. MFP won't let you complete the day if it thinks you are netting too few cals.

    But don't you want to complete the entry, so u can see stats over time?
  • bettiepinup
    bettiepinup Posts: 15 Member
    humpbax wrote: »
    Ok, are you eating your "burned" calories back? You do not want a large deficit as it isn't healthy and believe it or not you will lose if you eat them all back. If you complete a day after midnight, it won't post it (learned the hard way there). I can't see your diary so I don't know your recent history. I do know that I was able to lose through this site by logging everything I ate and eating back my burned calories. The more I exercised, the more I could eat and still lose. A friend of mine would exercise and only eat the calories she was allocated for the day and not the additional ones she burned and she could not shift weight because she was leaving too much of a deficit daily.
    I hope this helps...

    It does help. Maybe I'm not eating enough.
    can others see my diary? How can I change it so they can


  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    1. It's just an automated response, it's not someone sitting there getting cross with you.
    2. I think it's the actual consumption, rather than the netting - so it expects you to EAT 1200 calories.
    3. AFAIK all you info is still there whether you "close diary" or not. I never do.
  • humpbax
    humpbax Posts: 34 Member
    You can go to your profile and make your diary public, viewed by friends, password protected or whichever you choose. Mine is public to make me more accountable.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    melaniecheeks wrote: »
    1. It's just an automated response, it's not someone sitting there getting cross with you.
    2. I think it's the actual consumption, rather than the netting - so it expects you to EAT 1200 calories.
    3. AFAIK all you info is still there whether you "close diary" or not. I never do.

    This

    Open your diary for specific advice if you wish
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    bettiepinup wrote: »
    humpbax wrote: »
    Ok, are you eating your "burned" calories back? You do not want a large deficit as it isn't healthy and believe it or not you will lose if you eat them all back. If you complete a day after midnight, it won't post it (learned the hard way there). I can't see your diary so I don't know your recent history. I do know that I was able to lose through this site by logging everything I ate and eating back my burned calories. The more I exercised, the more I could eat and still lose. A friend of mine would exercise and only eat the calories she was allocated for the day and not the additional ones she burned and she could not shift weight because she was leaving too much of a deficit daily.
    I hope this helps...

    It does help. Maybe I'm not eating enough.
    can others see my diary? How can I change it so they can


    Just going back a few days I noticed several 'egg' entries, not sure where you got the info but it seems to vary a great deal on each entry. If you use MFP as a source for macros, etc., you'll definitely be wanting to make sure it's accurate. I see an egg entry for 30 calories and then 2.5 eggs for 285 cals.. ?

    Just be patient we were all new once and it can be frustrating, just keep asking questions when you need to and you'll get the hang of this.

    Welcome to MFP :)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Just a quick note. The message you are receiving doesn't mean your food isn't being logged. The only thing it does is that it refuses to give you a projected weight loss prediction (which is inaccurate anyway) because it's a feature those with eating disorder may abuse. Your food is being logged automatically and you don't need to click the complete entry button for that to happen.
  • sugaraddict4321
    sugaraddict4321 Posts: 15,884 MFP Moderator
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Just a quick note. The message you are receiving doesn't mean your food isn't being logged. The only thing it does is that it refuses to give you a projected weight loss prediction (which is inaccurate anyway) because it's a feature those with eating disorder may abuse. Your food is being logged automatically and you don't need to click the complete entry button for that to happen.

    Good catch! I misunderstood the OP but I think this was exactly her issue. It looks like she's now removed the exercise so that she could click the complete button. OP it looks like you're trying to stay under 1400 cals AND exercising, which drops you to a net of less than 1200. This isn't necessary. Also it's probably inaccurate as others have said, since MFP overestimates calorie burns. I only enter half to try and keep it more accurate. So if I do a 30 minute walk, I only enter 15 mins. Hope that helps!

    And I agree with Hearts - tighten up the logging with the eggs, because that's all over the map. I usually buy a 6-pack of large eggs. They are supposed to be 53 grams each, but can vary so I weigh every time. At 53 grams, I get 74 calories for one egg. But if the egg is 60 grams, which is within the tolerance allowed for "large" eggs - that's already 88 calories. Add up those extra calories for each egg you eat over the month (and year) and you can see how it can derail your numbers. I have no idea what egg you are eating that would be just 35 calories. ;) Good luck!

  • fitcrt
    fitcrt Posts: 76 Member
    If this has not already been said, you do not need to complete your entry, everything you logged will still be there, you don't lose any information.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

    Have a read of this.
This discussion has been closed.

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