Slightly Confused abou all of the targets

ChrisM8971

I guess this is a balancing act that everyone goes through but I am struggling to balance all of the targets in my food diary. My first reaction was to remove salt because I decided that I cannot do everything in one go and added in fiber because I was fairly certain that I wasn't getting enough/

While I am working hard to remain below my calorie and fat target whenever I can but then I notice the protein has gone red!

Is it important to monitor the protein as well or do other normally just stick to a couple of targets and remove the rest

thisismeraw

For calories you should be trying to get as close to the goal as possible (including the extra calories from exercise). For protein, your goal should be to get as much as you can... try to get more than the goal you have (especially if you have the default settings). You need protein and more is not going to do any harm. More protein means feeling fuller for longer.. it helps to retain muscle (along with lifting and a small deficit), etc. Personally I would track salt because high sodium days can lead to a gain on the scale.. but remember the sodium amount is an upper limit, not a goal to get to.

I pretty much only pay attention to calories and protein these days.

beattie1

the protein has gone red!

Don't worry about being over on protein unless you have kidney problems. Some people see MFP's recommendation on protein as a minimum. I just try to get close-ish and don't worry about that nutrient at all. Swopping sodium for fibre seems good to me. Another one I don't follow is sugar - if you have milk, fruit and veg (all important in a healthy mixed diet) you're bound to go over. It's only ADDED sugar that you need to worry about unless you're a diabetic. I monitor saturated fat instead as I think MOST sources reckon that an excess of that is bad for you.

Chemburly12

When I first started I only looked at the calories. It was a lot to take in all at once and I had a long way to go. Focusing just on the calories made it a bit easier for me. After a few months I started paying attention to my fat and making sure I got enough protein. Now I'm obsessed with my sodium intake. I try to eat as little added salt as possible. I figure by the time I hit my goal weight I'll be able to properly manage all my targets for the day. :laugh:

ChrisM8971

Thank you all for those ideas, they are very helpful. I will have a play with the settings, and look to maintain my current protein levels or even push higher.

Eventually I will start to monitor Sodium but will ignore while I am getting used to balancing my diet. Also although I am not diabetic as far as I am aware I guess it wont hurt to monitor my sugar as both my parents, one brother and my sister all developed Type 2 diabetes so it wont hurt to be careful

419er

For calories you should be trying to get as close to the goal as possible (including the extra calories from exercise). For protein, your goal should be to get as much as you can... try to get more than the goal you have (especially if you have the default settings). You need protein and more is not going to do any harm. More protein means feeling fuller for longer.. it helps to retain muscle (along with lifting and a small deficit), etc. Personally I would track salt because high sodium days can lead to a gain on the scale.. but remember the sodium amount is an upper limit, not a goal to get to.

I pretty much only pay attention to calories and protein these days.

This.