Suggestions to Improve the site

SparkPoints: (25,975)
Fitness Minutes: (27,322)
Posts: 1,152
6/17/13 11:54 P

I weigh virtually EVERYTHING in grams. If you don't have one already, get a digital scale that is capable of weighing either ounces or grams. That way you never estimate; you precisely know the calorie count. A good digital scale is a priceless tool.

Spark On!

SparkPoints: (43,214)
Fitness Minutes: (12,716)
Posts: 8,267
6/17/13 2:55 P

RJSAMS, the fitness tracker does have its limits; that's why it allows you to enter your own calorie burn. :) For the most accurate tracking, I would suggest investing in a heart rate monitor. You can enter your own entries, your own calories, and skip the generic entries.

current weight: 187.4

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Posts: 196
6/17/13 2:34 P

I really agree with OceanGirl about the fitness tracker--it needs A LOT of improvement!!

If I do an interval run workout, for example, the system simply takes my total minutes and total elapsed time and gives me a calorie count number and estimated pace per mile. That pace and calorie count have absolutely NO relationship to an interval workout, which would be far more intense a workout than the averaging reflects.

Also, the system automatically indicates whether it considers a workout pace "jogging" or "running" based upon your speed. The speed of your run does NOT indicate the intensity. Someone running 12 minute miles may be running just as intensely for their current fitness as someone else running a 7 minute mile. Using the word "jogging" to refer to the pace is considered insulting in runner's circles.

I'd like to be able to track more details about my workouts--I need to do hill or interval workouts, long runs and easy runs according to a training plan. I cannot input my training plan, and the fitness tracker just smooths all of that out into an average pace and number of minutes. What good is that for evaluating the effectiveness of my plan?

Don't get me started on the failures of the fitness reporting!!! I would like to be able to use SP for fitness tracking, but it is really useless as-is.

Posts: 7
1/8/13 10:50 P

It would be really helpful if the Sparkpeople Nutrient Counter included the number of fruit or veggie servings in each food and a total for the day at the bottom. ;-). I know it can depend, but that is true with the actual nutrients in any food or dish.

SparkPoints: (2,622)
Fitness Minutes: (1,992)
Posts: 24
1/8/13 8:01 P

When I add a food to favorites I would like MY serving info. to be saved. For example, saving 1/2 cup of milk rather than 1 cup. I am constantly having to change the amounts.

Pounds lost: 6.0

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SparkPoints: (546)
Fitness Minutes: (120)
Posts: 15
1/7/13 3:14 P

I wish there was a way to designate a preference for a gluten-free diet plan. There is a way to check that tofu be eliminated, but not wheat, which is a much more common thing for people to need to avoid.

Also, it would be great if you could check a low-carb diet and not get a lecture on why carbs are necessary. For some people, eating too many carbs, especially those associated with grains, is not particularly healthy, and there are lots of studies that are starting to show that eating a diet that is sparing of carbs and focuses more on good fats and protein does have merit.

Not everyone is the same, and the "recommended" amount of carbs might be too high for some people.

current weight: 207.6

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SparkPoints: (23,493)
Fitness Minutes: (9,139)
Posts: 1,364
12/11/12 6:13 P

I like the new nutrition tracker feature. Thanks!!!!

Pounds lost: 42.0

0 11.25 22.5 33.75

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SparkPoints: (12,788)
Fitness Minutes: (4,733)
Posts: 438
12/8/12 6:40 P

Please add more emoticons! also, some of them are hard to see, why not have an explanatory rollover?

SparkPoints: (3,410)
Fitness Minutes: (1,999)
Posts: 34
12/7/12 3:37 P

Funny, I came back here to edit my post because I finally figured it out, but I was too late! Thanks!

current weight: 156.5

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Posts: 15,379
12/7/12 3:35 P

I change my amounts all the time. I click the item I added, then edit the amount.

SparkPoints: (3,410)
Fitness Minutes: (1,999)
Posts: 34
12/7/12 1:37 P

I would like to be able to change the serving size after you've tracked your item. For example, I tracked one egg but later decided to eat two. So I had to re track the egg instead of just being able to change it to 2 servings.

Also, what's up with the conversion calculator. I want to add a food item to my favorites but instead this conversion calculator shows up and doesn't allow me. The conversion calculator is completely useless to me and is annoying since it keeps me from adding food items to my favorites.

Otherwise, it's great!

current weight: 156.5

160 156.25 152.5 148.75

145

Posts: 15,379
10/21/12 11:35 A

"For example how many servings of vegetables does 3 slices of eggplant equal? "

Depends!
That is why you need to measure your food, not try to guess what three slices equal.

Posts: 10
10/21/12 10:41 A

Maybe I'm overlooking it but I'd like a way to enter the times I ate, any moods at that time, or just add a note to a particular food item. I also would like for this to show and print on any report. This is important to track when you are trying to assess how often you are or not eating and any special triggers.

current weight: 243.0

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Posts: 36
10/2/12 3:59 P

I have been using spark people for a while now and have some suggestion to make the site more user friendly.

I find that it can be difficult to estimate the number of servings of fruits and vegetables that you ate through out the day. When you look on the internet there are several different answers. Since all of the fruits and vegetables are entered into the nutrition tracker is there a way for the tracker to estimate the number of servings based off the amount that was entered? For example how many servings of vegetables does 3 slices of eggplant equal? It has estimated the number of calories based on the recipe, can it also estimate the servings of vegetables.

I also find the fitness tracker to be very difficult to use and get an accurate calorie estimate. When you set your exercise goals you can not pick different work outs for diff days. On days I run my workout is shorter and fewer calories are burned than when I swim laps for an hour. It would be more accurate if you could pick and exercise and time when setting your fitness goals. For example: Mon run 30 min, Tues strength training, Wed Swim 60 min etc. Then calculate goal fitness minutes and calories burned from that.

When I swim laps I do a different workout every time. Is there a way to enter a work out into the fitness tracker...For example: 1 x 400 free, 1 x 400 free pull 4 x 100 drill etc. instead of only entering swimming 1 hour with an estimated calories burned that I have no idea if it is accurate for what I did that day.

I also find the strength training tracker to be difficult to use. When I manually enter in an exercise with the number of sets, reps and weight the tracker automatically calculates 5 min for each exercise but does not calculate calories burned. The only way it calculates the calories burned is if you search for the exercise that you did in the database and it calculates the calories burned from the time and not the weight or number of reps. For example if I look up the bench press and enter 3 sets of 10 at 50 lbs it will calculate calories burned based off the time. I can change the weight and number of reps but that will not affect the estimated calories burned. Most of the time I can not find the exercise in the database. Is there a way to get a calories burned estimate off of the weight lifted and number of reps done and not based of the number of minutes per set.

Another Suggestion I have is there should be a place where feed back can be left for the staff. For example I took the diabetes quiz today and there are answers that as a health care professional I disagree with. I will not get into the specifics here. If there is someone on staff that would like to discuss it with me I will be happy to e-mail them.

Thank you for your time