Just calories? Or sugar and fat too?

jsae06

Some days I focus mainly on total calories consumed. Other days, I stay within my calorie limit, but try to not exceed my sugar, fat, or sodium goals. Do you guys focus on calories consumed only? Or do you watch your nutrient goals as well?

IsaackGMOON

Depends on your goals and medical conditions...

If you want to lose weight; count calories.

If you want to lose weight but have to monitor your sugar intake; do both.

jgnatca

I make sure I get enough protein. I measure my fats carefully only because they add up so quickly. If you have insulin resistance/diabetes, then tracking carbs is important.

juggernaut1974

I don't think it's an either/or proposition.

Sticking to your calorie goal is of primary importance for weight management (loss/gain/maintenance)

Monitoring macro and micro nutrients is of great importance for a healthy/fit/functioning body.

DeguelloTex

Calories are what matter for weight loss. That doesn't mean they're the only things that matter overall, but , barring a medical issue, you'd lose weight eating under your TDEE regardless of sugar or fat.

TeaBea

jgnatca wrote: »

I make sure I get enough protein. I measure my fats carefully only because they add up so quickly. If you have insulin resistance/diabetes, then tracking carbs is important.

This^

Protein is #1

No medical issues for me. I only watch added sugar because with fewer calories to work with....added sugar doesn't give me a lot of satiety. Fruits have fiber and nutrients....no need for me to limit those.

You can tweak your trackers. I track fiber and not sugar.

ntinkham88

I focus on fat, protein and carbs since I'm on a low carb diet but calories are also important. Just remember to eat whole good and stay away from processed. That's what I really focus on

janejellyroll

ntinkham88 wrote: »

I focus on fat, protein and carbs since I'm on a low carb diet but calories are also important. Just remember to eat whole good and stay away from processed. That's what I really focus on

If OP's goal is to lose weight, focusing on calories will be a much better plan than eliminating processed food. There is no reason why someone losing weight can't include some processed foods in their diet.

Ang108

I make a 50/50 effort to stick to my calories and to get as close to the maximum nutrients I can. But since I always have eaten a healthy diet I don't sweat it if my numbers are sometimes over or under.
Since I had a heart attack in April, I watch my cholesterol ( even though it is in the normal range, or maybe because it is normal ) and have never been over. That for me is important. The rest works itself out almost by itself, through eating a healthy and varied diet.

WBB55

I don't much think about sugar or fat. Just calories and trying to get a minimum of protein. As a byproduct, I suppose I eat less sugar. But fats make up like 50% of my intake by calories lately while I've been losing weight this year. We'll see how the doctor feels about my blood work next week!

janejellyroll

WBB55 wrote: »

I don't much think about sugar or fat. Just calories and trying to get a minimum of protein. As a byproduct, I suppose I eat less sugar. But fats make up like 50% of my intake by calories lately while I've been losing weight this year. We'll see how the doctor feels about my blood work next week!

My blood work actually got better when I increased my fats (about 30%). Totally anectotal though . . .

juggernaut1974

ntinkham88 wrote: »

I focus on fat, protein and carbs since I'm on a low carb diet but calories are also important. Just remember to eat whole good and stay away from processed. That's what I really focus on

Meh...no reason to stay away from processed foods as long as you account for them within your daily limits.

Moderate them? Maybe...but not eliminate them.

melonaulait

I eat mostly carb and unless I've been snacking on junk my fat is nothing to worry about... Personally I don't care about how much protein I have. I try to stay somewhere under my maintenance calories and so far that's been working.

WBB55

janejellyroll wrote: »

WBB55 wrote: »

I don't much think about sugar or fat. Just calories and trying to get a minimum of protein. As a byproduct, I suppose I eat less sugar. But fats make up like 50% of my intake by calories lately while I've been losing weight this year. We'll see how the doctor feels about my blood work next week!

My blood work actually got better when I increased my fats (about 30%). Totally anectotal though . . .

But you're team veg, right? I added regular eggs, chicken liver, and beef back into my diet this year. Don't honestly know if I'm happier, but I sure do get more iron these days and ran my first 5k this past Sunday!

janejellyroll

WBB55 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

WBB55 wrote: »

I don't much think about sugar or fat. Just calories and trying to get a minimum of protein. As a byproduct, I suppose I eat less sugar. But fats make up like 50% of my intake by calories lately while I've been losing weight this year. We'll see how the doctor feels about my blood work next week!

My blood work actually got better when I increased my fats (about 30%). Totally anectotal though . . .

But you're team veg, right? I added regular eggs, chicken liver, and beef back into my diet this year. Don't honestly know if I'm happier, but I sure do get more iron these days and ran my first 5k this past Sunday!

That's true, but according to everything I'm reading recently, eggs and meat aren't necessarily going to make you unhealthy (obviously, I am not a doctor, haha).

Congratulations on the 5K! Iron makes all the difference for running, I think.

lemurcat12

I focus on eating a healthy diet, and part of that is keeping my protein above a certain level (to try to minimize fat loss). I don't really look at the nutrient goals on MFP (I set my own macros but don't stress about carbs vs. fat), although I might if I hadn't reassured myself my potassium and fiber is fine. Instead I focus on eating adequate and varied vegetables and things like that.

For weight loss calories are what matter.

janejellyroll

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I focus on eating a healthy diet, and part of that is keeping my protein above a certain level (to try to minimize fat loss). I don't really look at the nutrient goals on MFP (I set my own macros but don't stress about carbs vs. fat), although I might if I hadn't reassured myself my potassium and fiber is fine. Instead I focus on eating adequate and varied vegetables and things like that.

For weight loss calories are what matter.

I think you mean "maximize" fat loss. I know what you mean, but newer users might not.

WBB55

janejellyroll wrote: »

WBB55 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

WBB55 wrote: »

I don't much think about sugar or fat. Just calories and trying to get a minimum of protein. As a byproduct, I suppose I eat less sugar. But fats make up like 50% of my intake by calories lately while I've been losing weight this year. We'll see how the doctor feels about my blood work next week!

My blood work actually got better when I increased my fats (about 30%). Totally anectotal though . . .

But you're team veg, right? I added regular eggs, chicken liver, and beef back into my diet this year. Don't honestly know if I'm happier, but I sure do get more iron these days and ran my first 5k this past Sunday!

That's true, but according to everything I'm reading recently, eggs and meat aren't necessarily going to make you unhealthy (obviously, I am not a doctor, haha).

Congratulations on the 5K! Iron makes all the difference for running, I think.

Well, we'll see if the whole "dietary cholesterol doesn't raise blood serum cholesterol" thing holds true for me. If my LDLs went up at all, the liver and beef are back in the store refrigerator, for me personally.

goldthistime

janejellyroll wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I focus on eating a healthy diet, and part of that is keeping my protein above a certain level (to try to minimize fat loss). I don't really look at the nutrient goals on MFP (I set my own macros but don't stress about carbs vs. fat), although I might if I hadn't reassured myself my potassium and fiber is fine. Instead I focus on eating adequate and varied vegetables and things like that.

For weight loss calories are what matter.

I think you mean "maximize" fat loss. I know what you mean, but newer users might not.

I was thinking she meant minimize muscle loss.

lemurcat12

janejellyroll wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I focus on eating a healthy diet, and part of that is keeping my protein above a certain level (to try to minimize fat loss). I don't really look at the nutrient goals on MFP (I set my own macros but don't stress about carbs vs. fat), although I might if I hadn't reassured myself my potassium and fiber is fine. Instead I focus on eating adequate and varied vegetables and things like that.

For weight loss calories are what matter.

I think you mean "maximize" fat loss. I know what you mean, but newer users might not.

Heh -- I meant minimize muscle loss, but maximize fat loss works too.

Thanks for the correction!

Kalikel

I focus much more on vitamins and minerals at this point, but it started out with watching nothing, just eating healthier. Later, I watched calories and took a look at protein, then came watching the micros and learning to eat a well-balanced diet.

I look at what I want to do, then I get into the details of how to do it. It's taking a long time, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

goldthistime

To weigh in on the "just calories? Or sugar and fat too?" questions, calories are what count for weight loss but I still watch fat and sugar too. For one thing, they are my problem areas. Overeating fats and sugars was the way I fattened up to begin with. I can overeat them without feeling uncomfortably full. It's also nice to see how much you can eat and still stay at reasonable levels. Keeping them reasonably low may mean you will feel fuller. As has been said before, I like to keep an eye on my micros as well as macros and calories.

kshama2001

If I don't eat sufficient protein in relationship to carbs, I get the munchies and want to eat and eat and eat. It's much easier for me to stay in a calorie deficit when I have increased protein and decreased carbs.

I have found that I lose weight despite going over my fat just about every day.

lemurcat12

kshama2001 wrote: »

I have found that I lose weight despite going over my fat just about every day.

I just changed my fat macro to be where I wanted it -- a bit higher than the default.

Same with protein.

When I add lots of calories back due to cardio, like on a big running or biking day, I typically eat more carbs as a percentage of total calories, however. And if that means I go over my carbs, assuming I got my min protein, I don't care.