The Dreaded Feeling of the Red Zero

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start_on_monday
start_on_monday Posts: 36
in Health and Weight Loss
When I fill in my Diary and I am under my calorie goal, MFP highlights my 'achievement' by posting on my homepage that I have completed my diary and I was under my calorie goal and everyone congratulates their friends (I do it too) by saying Well Done etc, however when I fill in my Diary and I eat ALL of my calories which I am suppose to do and my diary is left with a 0 at the end of the day MFP seems to think this is bad?! :cry: It displays my 0 in red like it does if I go over my calories and the status update on my homepage just says that I completed my food diary. Don't I get a high five for being good that day and eating all of my calories?! Is it just me that gets that sinking feeling when the 0 turns Red??? Can't MFP make my status update sound just as positive as they do if I was under my calories?!

Why is it Red? is it like the Traffic Light Signals

Green = Go, Keeping Eating:drinker:
Red = Stop, I think you have eaten enough now!!!

If this is the case then I will like MFP to take notice and make my 0 Amber or even just black would do. I would also like MFP to recognise my acheivement of eating all of my calories and not going over. Hey it was a huge effort for me to do that!!!:happy:

Hope Everyone has a good day!!!!:bigsmile:

Replies

  • charmednz
    charmednz Posts: 49 Member
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    how do you eat exactly your calories? I usually have anywhere between 20 and 2 left
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
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    I've hit 0 on my calorie goals countless times. I actually think it's backwards, imo. Eating under your calories should get you a big red number and hitting within 25 under to 25 over should be green... followed by more red for overage. Can't stand seeing "good job" for someone who has consumed 800 calories in the day and are 400 under their goal (which is already at a deficit). Great job on starving! Woo hoo!
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I know exactly what you mean. I'm usually under my allowance, not deliberately, but that's how it works out. And I will rarely ever comment when MFP posts that one of my friends had completed their diary and is under their calorie limit.

    I will take a nosey and see what they had that day...

    Each to their own. For me, I'm happy as long as I've stuck to my limit; when I'm over, even by a small amount, I'm disappointed in myself.
  • VampireKame
    VampireKame Posts: 14
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    When I enter my calories for the day, I am usually near my goal, but then when I enter my exercise, I have like, 300+ calories remaining. a few day ago I had like 700 remaining o.O
  • whiskey9890
    whiskey9890 Posts: 652 Member
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    a true friend would check your diary and see that you've had a good day and eaten your daily goal and congratulate you anyway
  • start_on_monday
    start_on_monday Posts: 36
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    When I enter my calories for the day, I am usually near my goal, but then when I enter my exercise, I have like, 300+ calories remaining. a few day ago I had like 700 remaining o.O

    It's my understanding, not saying I'm correct....your suppose to eat those calories burned because MFP already puts you in a deficit for your calorie intake
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    There's no way you could be EXACTLY on your calorie goal - everything you eat is an estimate. So if it bothers you, go and adjust something to be one less calorie and then you'll not be in the red.
  • start_on_monday
    start_on_monday Posts: 36
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    a true friend would check your diary and see that you've had a good day and eaten your daily goal and congratulate you anyway

    I toally agree and its something I have recognised that I need to do more as well. :bigsmile:

    But I think as a motivational tool the MFP system needs to recognise that consuming all of your required calories is just as important. To me, it appears that MFP celebrates eating under your calories by posting status saying Mrs X has completed her diary and 'was under his/her calorie goal', perceiving that being under your calorie intake is a better thing than consuming all of your calories.

    Maybe the colour coding means different things in different cultures, but to have the 0 as Red like it does if you overeat, gives the impression that eating all of your calories is a bad thing...
  • zoink66
    zoink66 Posts: 116 Member
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    Perhaps you're taking it just a wee bit too seriously. :wink:

    MFP is just a tool, a FREE tool. And since most of us are here to lose weight or maintain our weight, red makes sense to me as it's says, "Okay, stop. You've eaten your calories and if you don't want to gain stop eating right now." If people are going to be slightly under or slightly over (I think I've only ever hit zero maybe a couple of times and I've been using MFP for a long while), it's better to be slightly under as we want to lose weight. (I'm saying SLIGHTLY under, people. Don't start in with the starvation mode arguments). Maybe that's why you get the automatic congrats when you're under.

    So anyway, if you end up at zero just know you've done a good job by telling yourself that. I don't think you should rely on MFP for a pat on the back.

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