"...and was under her calorie goal" irks me. You too?

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  • Noonoo757
    Noonoo757 Posts: 280 Member
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    it used to bother me but i had to let it go lol, i make sure i actually read my friends diaries though before i comment because some will have a bad day and only have a bagel and coffee and you see all these comments that say (awesome, way to go) clearly they are not reading the diary, me on the other hand im like (what happened to your food intake today)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.

    Seriously?! :noway:

    There's days when I burn more than 500, but they're the exception anymore, not the rule. I think the three hilly miles I ran today was a good enough workout, even though I "only" burned 300 calories.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    I set myself at 1200 cal a day/ sedetary setting even though I am active and exercise daily. I did this to lose the 40 pounds I have been carrying and get back to being healthy. If I eat under 1200 calories I am struggling, so how do people eat under that is beyond me?

    I totally know what you mean! Everyone is different, though. To tell the truth, I'm a little jealous of the people who have trouble eating 1200 calories. I'm hungry every two hours, no matter how much fiber and protein I pack in my meals. :huh:

    You have to remember that many of us aren't eating 1200 calories. I tried it and sent myself into starvation mode as it isn't enough for me. Plus, I have my settings on MFP to lose 0.5 pounds/week these days since I have less than 10 pounds to go, so my calories are at 1700 without exercise. That makes it more difficult to reach on some days where you just aren't hungry.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.

    Seriously?! :noway:

    There's days when I burn more than 500, but they're the exception anymore, not the rule. I think the three hilly miles I ran today was a good enough workout, even though I "only" burned 300 calories.

    And remember that the less you weigh, the longer and harder you have to work to burn those same calories. So, someone who weighs 200 pounds doesn't have to work nearly as hard or long to burn 500 as someone who weighs 120.
  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
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    What irks me is that there are so many people who are irked by a computer program. Healthy living is an individual thing, not a cookie cutter computer model that does not recognize you from Adam. I never eat back my calories unless I want to, have eaten only 600 calories on one or two occasions, and don't believe that 5 week you will weigh this much thing. It is a computer model folks, and not the Bible of healthy living. Most people use this just to log in their meals, while other use it to exercise, and some others are just trolling(Not me though...I would never troll on a website...Ahem!!!)

    And I know I am not where I need to be, but a lot healthier than where I started from. I think I would have even without MFP telling me I am "bad", or congradulating me when I do "good".

    +1
  • polkataniec
    polkataniec Posts: 102
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    Bump
  • caligirl2802
    caligirl2802 Posts: 232 Member
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    What it should really do is announce when you go OVER your calorie. That way, your friends can give you encouragement when it's needed most!

    I absolutely agree, this would be a great idea!
  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
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    I am guilty of being one of those who is ALWAYS under my calorie goal. Consider the factors, my calories are set at 1400 per day. I workout 6 days a week and burn between 1000-2000+ calories per workout. There is no way that I am going to eat my 1400 per day plus my workout calories so I will always be under my goal.

    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.

    Haha - those are my favorite workouts - the things I can do that burn calories while getting something else productive done. Not only did I burn 300 calories, but my dog got some exercise too!

    I'm not an overexerciser though. I try to exercise 5 hours/week, but that includes my 12 min walks around the building I work in 2-3 times/day. It's movement I wasn't getting before.
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
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    I agree with you. We should try to be as close to the mark as possible for healthy success.

    However, I think a lot of the "WTG!"s are also "way to log your whole day and finish it up"!

    I know a lot of my great great friends like to comment on WHAT I ate or ask questions about my exercise diary. It opens up dialogue either way.
  • Garrett1234
    Garrett1234 Posts: 147 Member
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    You bring up a great point. Calorie goals are already set to help you lose weight. To go below them is fine I suppose, but just being close to target is really what we should strive for.
  • pbeans
    pbeans Posts: 42
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    For me I do try to aim under because I'm positive that my portions are off in the + direction. For instance I logged 1199 calories yesterday one shy of my 1200 goal, but I eyeball portions so it was probably a few hundred higher. I'm sure it would be better for me to measure but I hate doing it. Also, you have to keep in mind that some of those are people who have exercised and then eaten some of their calories back but not all so they will be under that day as well. Also, each person is aiming for something different because we are all different.
  • Lunachic77
    Lunachic77 Posts: 434 Member
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    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.

    Seriously?! :noway:

    There's days when I burn more than 500, but they're the exception anymore, not the rule. I think the three hilly miles I ran today was a good enough workout, even though I "only" burned 300 calories.

    ^^i agree with This! I get 30-45 minutes to work out. I weigh 113 lbs...there's no way I'm getting huge calorie burns like that anymore based on my height/weight and for the time allotted. I am content with the 300ish cal burns I get from my daily workouts and overjoyed if I get over 400. I give attaboys for people who get off their duff and are physically doing something regardless of how trivial it may seem...it is baby steps for a lot of folks, and I'm here to support. :drinker:

    *Edited for grammar
  • Rosie_66
    Rosie_66 Posts: 27
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    I am guilty of being one of those who is ALWAYS under my calorie goal. Consider the factors, my calories are set at 1400 per day. I workout 6 days a week and burn between 1000-2000+ calories per workout. There is no way that I am going to eat my 1400 per day plus my workout calories so I will always be under my goal.

    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.

    ^^ This, exactly. My biggest pet peeve is people who log "doing laundry" or "vacuuming" - if it didn't help you lose weight before changing to a healthy lifestyle, why would it help you now? I don't even bother logging anything that lasts less than 30 minutes or doesn't cause me to work up a sweat - those are just bonus calories burned.

    While I agree that general chores aren't a workout ( and I would NEVER log them), just because you didn't burn 500 or more calories doesn't mean you didn't accomplish something. To someone just starting out, and especially if that someone is very obese and is brand new to exercise, burning even 100 calories is a big deal and very difficult.

    These days, if I want to take the time, a 2,000-calorie workout is definitely within my reach. However, when I first started? Two hundred was a chore, and I wasn't that heavy or that new to exercise. I never thought I'd be a runner, but now I am. I worked up to that. But I would NEVER look down on someone who doesn't run just because I do.

    Have some compassion and understanding. Not everyone is on the same level here.

    Also, I have a calorie burn goal of 3,500 per week. Some days, I might burn 1,000 and others I might burn 200 (which I can do in less than 30 minutes). I still got off my butt and exercised.

    Thanks so much for your comments. I agree that it is important for folks who are just starting out to log all calories burned - especially if they are trying to go from couch potatos to at least doing some laundry or something. This will help them to see what they are NOT doing and how doing SOMETHING physical could help. In the beginning, I indicated that I was 'sedentary' on MFP only because there was no 'comatose' option. ;) I was so proud when I started logging 'mild stretching' or 'walking 10 minutes' because I walked at the mall. Now I realize how being more physical makes a difference so I move a lot more. :)
  • Keegansmum6
    Keegansmum6 Posts: 193 Member
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    I am guilty of being one of those who is ALWAYS under my calorie goal. Consider the factors, my calories are set at 1400 per day. I workout 6 days a week and burn between 1000-2000+ calories per workout. There is no way that I am going to eat my 1400 per day plus my workout calories so I will always be under my goal.

    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.


    With a one year old at home and day care at the gym sometimes only being open for an hour when I get to go sometimes I am lucky if i only get to burn about 200 calories,in fact i am happy that I can burn anything!
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
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    I am ALWAYS under my calorie goal because I don't eat back ALL of my exercise calories. What works for some does not work for me. If I eat them all back - I come to a stand still. I try to eat back at least ½. Our bodies are all different and don't work the same for everyone
  • Rosie_66
    Rosie_66 Posts: 27
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    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.

    Seriously?! :noway:

    There's days when I burn more than 500, but they're the exception anymore, not the rule. I think the three hilly miles I ran today was a good enough workout, even though I "only" burned 300 calories.

    And remember that the less you weigh, the longer and harder you have to work to burn those same calories. So, someone who weighs 200 pounds doesn't have to work nearly as hard or long to burn 500 as someone who weighs 120.

    Thanks, I need to remind myself of that more often. :D
  • Irene8509
    Irene8509 Posts: 381 Member
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    I am guilty of being one of those who is ALWAYS under my calorie goal. Consider the factors, my calories are set at 1400 per day. I workout 6 days a week and burn between 1000-2000+ calories per workout. There is no way that I am going to eat my 1400 per day plus my workout calories so I will always be under my goal.

    Now what irks me is the WTGs & awesome comments on peoples workouts that burn less than 500 calories. Things like walking the dog, cleaning the house, washing the car and even more so when I see its a younger person.

    ^^ This, exactly. My biggest pet peeve is people who log "doing laundry" or "vacuuming" - if it didn't help you lose weight before changing to a healthy lifestyle, why would it help you now? I don't even bother logging anything that lasts less than 30 minutes or doesn't cause me to work up a sweat - those are just bonus calories burned.

    I am sorry but I am one of those person(s) who puts in "walk the dog". And I do consider that exercise as it is out of my daily activity. Excuse me but not all of us can work out at the gym sometimes we have to work out at 11pm at night after putting the kids to bed or finishing doing the dishes. I agree with the vacuum, etc. Those daily activities I feel should not be logged so we do things above our normal routine. In saying that sometimes that is above someone's normal routine so don't be so high and mighty about it.
  • Goal4Good
    Goal4Good Posts: 115
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    Other people's comments concerning a diary of someone else doesn't really bother me a bit! I get my personal kudos from wearing smaller fitting pants and attaining greater physical ability due to the exercise I invest my time and effort in. Whether someone else vacumns or cleans house or runs 15 miles and what they record, is none of my concern. I have friends that publish cleaning house and I don't discount it. I clean house too but I don't record it unless I was MOPPING or scrubbing windows or baseboards or some other out of the norm, excessive cleaning that I don't typically do every day. Not all house cleaning is wiping off the counter with a damp rag. I will also mention that I log that I walk my dog cause even though it only takes 30 minutes to do it, I burn a lot of calories cause I use the curb for aerobics every time the dog stops to sniff and we are hauling it when we walk. Just cause she stops, doesn't mean I do! I wear a HRM monitor and I know what I expend calorie wise.

    As for the WTG's, I do not comment on people finishing their food diary for the day unless they publish it. If I can see it and I agree, I comment Good job or WTG if it calls for it. If they didn't drink enough water, I encourge them to do better tomorrow. If they ate two candy bars for lunch I comment on that.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is I tend to my own business unless invited to do otherwise (by a published food diary) and what other people do, well.....it just doesn't concern me. What doesn't affect my growth and success in this journey is of no importance to me. Life's too short to be so easily irritated, you know?

    And I too am not addressing my comments to anyone in particular. Just giving my humble opinion.
  • tiabirdie56
    tiabirdie56 Posts: 4,043 Member
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    I don't comment on anyone's calorie intake. I only comment on exercise. Yes, "under her goal" does irk me, because I think it makes people believe that they should eat under their calories. I strive to REACH my goal everyday. I exercise a lot and if I undereat, I don't lose weight. I am a notorious undereater to begin with, so I need to eat ALL of my calories. Slow metabolism, no weightloss :noway:
  • Liquid741
    Liquid741 Posts: 292 Member
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    never noticed it....

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