Calories or Macros?

chollands29

I'm a new member and starting to track calories as well as the recommended protein, sugar, fat etc levels the myfitpal suggests. Do you get discouraged if your calorie count is where it should be but say your sugar level is -38 of what is recommended?
I am not sure how close I should be monitoring the specific values of those other categories. Has anyone noticed how this affects their weight loss goals.
Also forgive my diary. I literally just started and haven't gotten the healthy eating down yet. I wanted to be honest and really track what I ate to motivate me to do better.

Pearsquared

I think calories are more important for weight loss than what your macros are. It's still good to keep them fairly balanced, but you'll have days where you go over or under on certain things.

Also, don't worry about sugar, especially if most of it comes from fresh fruit and you don't have blood sugar problems (which I assume you don't). Most people tend to go over because MFP doesn't track added sugars separately from natural sugars like fruits. Just count them as part of your carb load.

Carnivor0us

Macros are more important to me than overall calories. I've lost weight on both calorie restriction and macro restriction, but I've had best results on macro restriction only.

prattiger65

Calories!!!! Macros will come as you gain knowledge and get a handle on your calories. My personal belief is that many people give up early on because they try to do too much, get overwhelmed and just quit. Keep it simple to begin with, count your calories and go for a walk.

kirstyfairhead

I would say focus on your calories first. This is the most important thing for weight loss....assuming that is your goal. You can look at macro's more as time goes along and they can be a good secondary goal to have that may help with making good food choices. I have tended to use them more as a general guide than sticking to them religiously and I've lost 34lbs so far.

I've now changed my macro's and increased my protein as I'm lifting but as for sugar, I go over this on my macro's pretty much every day. Eat some fruit and have a little dairy and bingo, your sugar macro will be busted...... I tend to focus on making sure it doesn't go too over the top and that the sugar is coming from 'natural' sources.

prattiger65

Macros are more important to me than overall calories. I've lost weight on both calorie restriction and macro restriction, but I've had best results on macro restriction only.

You lost weight because you were eating at a calorie deficit.

Carnivor0us

Macros are more important to me than overall calories. I've lost weight on both calorie restriction and macro restriction, but I've had best results on macro restriction only.

You lost weight because you were eating at a calorie deficit.

I lost weight because I was controlling my insulin response. I DID lose some weight at calorie restriction, but it was faster and more dramatic with macro restriction.

Its amazing how many people scoff at the idea of hormones having any effect on fat storage. Read some science, please.

chollands29

thanks everyone for the quick replies. I think the suggestion to focus just on calories for now will be most successful for me. I thought I was doing well and then seeing the red in the macros sort of freaked me out and discouraged me.

However I do like the idea of being more aware of what is going into my body and making (hopefully) better choices.

mom2dzbnwe

MFP's sugar number ALWAYS throw me. If I eat an apple and a banana, I'm over! What?!?!?! I know sugar is sugar, and calories are calories...and I've had a lot of progress with my focus primarily on calories. I look at the macros as a game and I try to do what MFP says, but I've found the sugar is unrealistically low and I think I need more protein some days than what it recommends, and I'm never upset about going over on fiber!! I can have days where I go over in everything and don't even come close to my calorie goal!

bound4beauty

I don't worry about the sugar macro because the bulk of mine comes from fruit and a tsp. of honey daily. Instead, I track fiber. I think making sure you're getting enough fiber is way more important than tracking the sugar.

Timshel_

Caloric deficit. My macros always get jacked up and I still can lose weight. Healthiness is debateable, but weight loss isn't.