Anbody else want to CHOKE the "Calorie Coach"!!

O.K. so I have been at this thing deligently tracking all of my calories and all of my exercise since 7/14/07. I have managed to lose 10 lbs and am feeling pretty good!  I was mainly focused on cardio for exercise but have added a core work out and strength traiing in the last week or so.  Here's my gripe - I KNOW that I am totally premenstrual  - I went up 1.1 from sat. to sun. and another 1.5 from sun. to today without changing anything. - DO I NEED THAT LITTLE THUMB TO TELL ME THIS IS THE WRONG DIRECTION? DOES THAT LITTLE THUMB KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WATER RETENTION AND MENSTRATION???? I do realize that being premenstrual may be making me a little bitchy but for today it's helping me just a little to picture the thumb broken with a splint on it!!!:)

 Thanks for letting me vent!

Actually, I think the Calorie Coach is stoned.  It's projection for weight loss is NUTS!!  I've figured it 5 different ways and near as I can figure it has me losing less than a pound a week.  So... I've told it to get stuffed... and am pretending it isn't there.  Sure wish there was some way to just make it go away!

See, my problem is in the opposite direction. It's telling me I should reach my "goal" by the end of February and I really don't think that's possible. I've still got like 80 pounds left to lose or maybe a little bit less and I've set a goal of September of '08, which seems more reasonable.

I was honestly a little worried about their 6 month difference there. Ok, if it happens... but I don't want false hope lying around.

rebepi, mine is doing the same thing.  I have like 130 lbs to lose and it is saying I can do that by April 2008.  That would be wonderful, but highly unlikely.  I have just been ignoring it.

From what I understand, the coach bases everything from your past history.  So yes, if your recent history is that your weight is going up, then you will probably get a thumbs down, regardless of whether it was a temporary and perfectly reasonable reason.  :)

Same goes for the goal dates.  If you recently have plateaued or just lost .25 per week, it will calculate your goal based on the recent activity.  If you just started and so are losing 3-4 a week, which we all know isn't sustainable as you get closer to goal, it will project that you will keep losing at that rate, and say that you will meet goal in an unreasonably fast time frame.

It's just meant to give you a snapshot based on current activity.  :)  I think we can all see it's not foolproof!  But, it's still nice to have the snapshot, whether as an affirmation or a reality check.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Great news - I just got done working out and not only do I feel amazing - I no longer wish ill will upon the "Calorie Coach"! (for now) - check me when the Midol and exercise high have worn off:) LOL

The only answer I ever get is "We cannot verify your goal yet. You may need to adjust your start date or weight." Yet I've been a member from 6/4/07. I've tried searching the help menue but nothing about it even comes up. This site has lots of nice perks, but I'm starting to think I should've stayed on the old one!

I'd like to figure out how to get the Food Coach to stop recommending Brussels Sprouts - I *hate* Brussels Sprouts.

 

Haha, me too, brussel sprouts are disgusting!

And the calorie coach has me losing less than a pound a week too, its ridiculous.

I have less than 40lbs to lose and it's telling me i CAN'T do it until 2009!!!!

that's like 11/2 years! thanks a lot! 

My coach has no faith in me, thinks it'll take me another year to lose 15 lbs. : (

I'm wondering if the Calorie Coach is the same clown who grades me on my food intake? My carbs/fat/protein ratios are nearly perfectly what they should be (51-26-23, respectively), my sodium is well below 2400, I upped my fiber, my cholesterol intake is below 300 g, and I'm getting a D+ (and that was AFTER I increased my fiber intake). Granted, I'm not done eating for the day, but CC Computer/Coach/Whatever: ARE YOU HIGH?

(Yes, I know better than to pay attention to my grades ;))

EDIT: Oh, yes, but I'm still getting a "Thumbs up" from the Calorie Coach. Whatevs.

I have been trying very hard to get an "A" everyday for my nutrition grade.  One might say that I am compulsive about it! (one might . . . everyone might . . whatever:!) Well I have managed to get an "A" or "A-" everyday except the day that I ate an ENTIRE Papa Murphy's Veggie Delight Pizza for supper - that day I did get a "B".  Here's the hillarious trick that I have learned - if I am getting an A- and I really WANT (NEED) an "A" everyday - I just add wine in the evening and BAM I have my "A"!  It's awesome!  I get the feeling of control and a nightcap - gotta love it!! 

ARGH.  Yes, I'm having the same issue w the Calorie Coach (and the Analysis, too:  why, when I'd hit 70% carbs and 10% booze, would I get an A???  I know I ate nothing of nutritional value, but somehow it's tricked by rice.  Or it's stoned).

 Right now, Coach says I will take FOURTEEN MONTHS to lose 10 lbs.  FOURTEEN MONTHS.  WTF.  And this is with an estimated calorie expenditure of 2k each day, and I'm consistenly eating <1600.  Check your math, Coach.

Hell, I think I'm gonna FIRE my Coach's a$$...

Maybe it's reverse psychology . . . .

Nadarine, I get good grades too the one night a week my husband and I split a bottle of wine. Maybe the Calorie Coach is a closet liquor distributor?!?

I've been trying to turn some of these things off--like that stupid Calorie Coach and the Food Recommendations--but I haven't figured out how yet--I hate them! I've plateaued for the past week, but have continued getting A or B+ nutrition grades...yesterday, I didn't do any exercise because I wasn't feeling well, and today I get that snarky thumbs down sign and the information that I'm not going to hit my goal until Jan. 2008 now! Well, my goal date isn't until May 30 2008 anyway--AARGH! This is supposed to encourage you?! And that stupid food recommendation thing--for the past two days I've been concentrating on drinking lots of water, and now it's recommending I drink tomato juice with added salt instead of water!

Something I miss from the Classic site--you used to be able to see how many calories you burned just by being awake and breathing, along with the breakdown for activities, but now I can't seem to find that, just the running count in the Activity Meter with the overall total estimate for the day. I suppose I could do the math, but I liked seeing the breakdown of everything, how many calories I burned "resting" and how many activity calories burned, for the day.

Well, this is a Beta site, so maybe they'll eavesdrop on our conversation here and do some tweaking!

LOL! What's all the fuss? It's just a guide, not perfect certainly, and i love it! It helps me keep on track. If you don't like it, don't look at it!

Brussels sprouts? I love the things....but my grandma wouldn't eat them...called them "kitten heads" LOL!

oh yes, the food recs:  it wants me to give up olive oil and replace it with canola.  Eew.

And stop drinking water and replace it with salty tomato juice, and replace cafe au lait with a whole-milk latte.  And replace skim milk with 2%.

Not because I'm having trouble hitting my goal calories for the day and need MORE- I'm always at my goal of 1600, if not a little over on occasion.  (Like the wine occasions...)

I 've been tracking for two weeks and have lost 2.5 lbs.  Not great but it's a loss.  My coach says I won't meet my goal until 1/26/08 and gave me a thumbs down.  I hoped to be at goal by 12/29/07.  Whatever, so he thinks I need another 4 weeks (holiday weeks I may add), but does he have to give me a thumbs down.  As if I'm not frustrated enough....I could do without that kind of coaching. 

 

ya, the coach is super weird, it says losing more than 2lbs a week is unhealthy... but, my track coach at the beg. of season, would have us drop 5lbs in a week, to get us into shape.. and clearly my coach isn't going to put me in danger.. kinda lame it wont let me change food settings to lose more than 2lbs a week.. yet, it'll let me set my target caloric intake at 500? Kinda weiiird.