Are you using MFP to track macros or calories?
summery79
Posts: 116 Member
I haven't been on the message boards in awhile but it seems like the interest in low-carb has really exploded since I first joined MFP in 2013. It seemed like we were all mostly using the app for calorie tracking at that time. Have things changed with the increased interest in keto/LCHF/low-carb? Just curious. I have maintained my goal weight 5+ years so I plan to keep on keepin' on either way.
2
Replies
-
When I started in 2014, low carb (particularly super low carb/keto) was not nearly as hot as now, but counting macros was popular. I recall people talking about it and discussions about how to set macros (with a focus on protein, but I think there was more focus on fat and carbs being specific numbers/percentages than there is now among non low carbers).0
-
When I first started in 2007 it was all I could do to stay within calories.
I tried to keep eating the same way that had led to my being obese, and was surprised at how little protein and how much in carbs I was eating.
The journey to balanced macros was a long one for me. I changed the way I eat, but not without a struggle.
Now I try to hit my macros pretty closely, as I found I feel better if I do and it's easier to maintain my weight loss when I get enough protein, fat, and fiber. I just use the default macros.2 -
Right now neither. But sometimes I do use it to track my daily protein or do a calorie check.
In the past I used to enter my food (I did not weigh or measure just picked random entries), then to help me gain I tracked more accurately at one point.2 -
calories only0
-
Calories, protein, and fiber for me. Calories to lose weight, protein & fiber for satiety and health. I wasn't active on the forums back then, so I can't compare.2
-
When I started in 2014, low carb (particularly super low carb/keto) was not nearly as hot as now, but counting macros was popular. I recall people talking about it and discussions about how to set macros (with a focus on protein, but I think there was more focus on fat and carbs being specific numbers/percentages than there is now among non low carbers).
^ This is how I remember things as well.
For me personally: I count calories for weight management, hit my protein, fat tends to take care of itself and carbs fall where they may (usually 150+).1 -
I track calories and let the macros fall where they may. That's kept me maintaining my goal weight for coming up on 18 years. I know protein has been centered as very critical to hit a minimum, but right now, I'm not.0
-
I'm tracking everything that is free to track. Trying to get healthier, control my type 2 diabetes and lose weight. I also wanna see how what I'm eating is affecting my blood sugar. Low carb anything or high fat is indeed the new thing to do. I tried LCHF and keto because they were the new thing.0
-
I primarily track calories, but some days I will check my carbs so I don't go over the percentage I have it set at.0
-
I feel like low carb was big long before 2013 (remember the Atkins craze?), but it seems to always go through cycles where it dies and then comes back to life in a new iteration. The last year or so, Keto has gotten really big, so there is more of that in the community now.
MFP always seems to strike an interesting balance, since calories in/calories out is its main thing, but it makes a lot of its money from selling people on premium memberships, where being able to set your own macros is a big benefit of it. So it has to also cater to those type of diets.0 -
Calories, protein, and fiber for me. Calories to lose weight, protein & fiber for satiety and health. I wasn't active on the forums back then, so I can't compare.
Same priorities for me for my own tracking. My recollection of the 2013 forums is that the volume of discussion on macros was roughly the same, but that it was more focused on protein or how important and how much room for their error there was in hitting one's macro percentages, rather than aiming specifically for LCHF or keto allotments.0 -
In terms of macros, I only pay attention to protein. I routinely get more than enough fiber, but if I didn’t, I’d keep an eye on that too. However, calories are still the top priority for managing weight.1
-
I have been logging my food and it keeps track of calories and macros, so both. But I mostly care about calories.0
-
I feel like low carb was big long before 2013 (remember the Atkins craze?), but it seems to always go through cycles where it dies and then comes back to life in a new iteration. The last year or so, Keto has gotten really big, so there is more of that in the community now.
MFP always seems to strike an interesting balance, since calories in/calories out is its main thing, but it makes a lot of its money from selling people on premium memberships, where being able to set your own macros is a big benefit of it. So it has to also cater to those type of diets.
OK, but in what way do you see MFP (the entity that hosts the site and sells premium memberships) catering to particular types of diets? Any changes in the food database entries are crowd-sourced at this point. The community forum discussions are pretty much all crowd-sourced except for the occasional shutting down, cleaning up, or moving threads by moderators (who, as I understand it, are MFP-approved volunteers, not MFP employees). I don't see any big shifts in software features, much less any such changes that seem aimed at a particular diet. About the only place MFP could be catering to one diet or another would be in the MFP-created or curated blog posts. I can't make a judgment about them since I haven't read them for years and turned off the email delivery, because there was just way too much hooey in them for my tastes. ("Hooey" is the old folks' term for "woo.")0 -
I use MFP primarily to track calories. I do use it to make sure I’m getting enough protein as well though.0
-
I haven't been on the message boards in awhile but it seems like the interest in low-carb has really exploded since I first joined MFP in 2013. It seemed like we were all mostly using the app for calorie tracking at that time. Have things changed with the increased interest in keto/LCHF/low-carb? Just curious. I have maintained my goal weight 5+ years so I plan to keep on keepin' on either way.
Both, because I've been assigned a per meal and daily carb limit to manage T2Dm0 -
Calories. It's helped the last 8 months.0
-
Same. Calories first and foremost, and protein is the only macro I really pay any attention to. I have no problems getting enough fat and fiber, and just let the carbs fall wherever they fall.In terms of macros, I only pay attention to protein. I routinely get more than enough fiber, but if I didn’t, I’d keep an eye on that too. However, calories are still the top priority for managing weight.0 -
I feel like low carb was big long before 2013 (remember the Atkins craze?), but it seems to always go through cycles where it dies and then comes back to life in a new iteration. The last year or so, Keto has gotten really big, so there is more of that in the community now.
MFP always seems to strike an interesting balance, since calories in/calories out is its main thing, but it makes a lot of its money from selling people on premium memberships, where being able to set your own macros is a big benefit of it. So it has to also cater to those type of diets.
You can change what's being tracked as well as edit your macro percentages from the default settings without having a premium membership. It's accessible from your "Daily Nutrition Goal" page and is suitable for most members. If you want different percentages on different days, however, then, yes, Premium gives you that ability.1 -
-
When I started in 2014, low carb (particularly super low carb/keto) was not nearly as hot as now, but counting macros was popular. I recall people talking about it and discussions about how to set macros (with a focus on protein, but I think there was more focus on fat and carbs being specific numbers/percentages than there is now among non low carbers).
^ This is how I remember things as well.
For me personally: I count calories for weight management, hit my protein, fat tends to take care of itself and carbs fall where they may (usually 150+).
Yeah, same here. I watch protein, watched fiber until I was comfortable it wasn't an issue because I was consistently hitting it, and tend to eat to preference with fat and carbs (which is more often than not slightly low carb, but not always and I don't care).
When I started my focus was eating healthfully and to my calories but not to any macros, but I learned that watching protein would be a good idea. Just cutting back on snacking/emotional eating and adding some protein to my breakfasts was basically what I needed. I think often the usefulness of macros is just adding structure, and understanding foods better, but for some I think it makes a difference to satisfaction or satiety -- fat doesn't really sate me, fiber and protein do, but I find it's important for having a sustainable diet for me due to satisfaction/pleasure.0 -
Calories, carbs, protein, fats, fiber and sodium.0
-
When I started in 2014, low carb (particularly super low carb/keto) was not nearly as hot as now, but counting macros was popular. I recall people talking about it and discussions about how to set macros (with a focus on protein, but I think there was more focus on fat and carbs being specific numbers/percentages than there is now among non low carbers).
I came in towards the end of 2014 I think, and that's how I remember it. I remember some LCHF people, but not much in the way of keto (if any).
I do remember a lot of IIFYM and people explaining what it really was as opposed to what people thought it was.
For me personally? I hit a calorie goal, know that I want to eat a lot of protein because it's satiating for me, know that I need a lot of vegetables because I feel better when I do and I like fiber, know that I need some starch with both of them, and then round that out with some fat. My macros are pretty much dictated by food choices which are made knowing those things about myself.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions