What do you track the most?

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carashirley
carashirley Posts: 169 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I mainly pay attention to my calorie & sodium intake. With a "secondary nod" to protein & cholesterol. What is the main thing you focus on with your food?
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Replies

  • bound4beauty
    bound4beauty Posts: 274 Member
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    Protein, Fat, Carbs and Fiber are the most important things to track, in my opinion. If haven't yet figured out how much protein and fat you need, you're probably making the weight loss process more difficult than it needs to be.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    calories and protein.. if you have those 2 in line, the rest falls into place easy.
  • explosivedonut
    explosivedonut Posts: 419 Member
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    calories and protein.. if you have those 2 in line, the rest falls into place easy.

    Me too!
  • carashirley
    carashirley Posts: 169 Member
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    Protein, Fat, Carbs and Fiber are the most important things to track, in my opinion. If haven't yet figured out how much protein and fat you need, you're probably making the weight loss process more difficult than it needs to be.

    I only pay attention to fat when it looks like I'm going over my limit per MFP. I don't really pay attention to fiber or carbs because I eat a fruit & veggie heavy diet which tends to keep my carb & fiber intake at a acceptable level. Thats why I look at my protein intake, sometimes I can be low on protein intake. I also look at my cholesterol because I tend to go over my limit when I up my protein. Still trying to find the right balance where those are concerned. My biggest issue staying under is my sodium. I go over more times than not it seems.

    I'm only 46 days into this journey & down 25lbs. I'm still trying to find the right mix & balance for me. I was mainly curious what others focused on.
  • bound4beauty
    bound4beauty Posts: 274 Member
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    Recent research has suggested the dietary cholesterol has little impact on your cholesterol levels. Your genetics and obesity play a bigger role there. Getting enough protein will help you maintain muscle and enough healthy fat will help keep you satisfied. You should shoot for .8 to 1 gram of protein per pound unless you are very overweight then use your goal weight. So for me, even though I currently weigh 184 pounds, my protein goal is 125 grams minimum.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    Protein.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    Calories and protein, with fat a close second.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Calories and Protein. I only pay attention to sodium to make sure it isn't skyrocketing, but I dont' care if it goes over now and then.
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
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    Calories, obviously, and like many here, PROTEIN! I am averaging about 150 g per day for the last several weeks. 15% is too low for most people, I shoot for 25-30%. I found it keeps me more satisfied and easier to stay within my calorie goal. Loss is slow but consistent, averaging just over a pound a week.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Haha, I assumed you meant most often and I was coming in to say COFFEE!
  • kimmymayhall
    kimmymayhall Posts: 419 Member
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    Calories, protein, fat, iron. In that order.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
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    red wine and Baileys.
  • perfect_storm
    perfect_storm Posts: 326 Member
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    Calories and protein.
  • Soccermavrick
    Soccermavrick Posts: 405 Member
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    When I was in weight loss mode; Calories and Fat 1st, with Carbs and Protein a distant 2nd.

    Now that I am switching to a Building and Toning mode Protein has moved up. So now it is; Calories, Protein and fat 1st, with Carbs a distant second. Of course if you have health issues you might want to track other things. (Luckily enough I have not had the need.) And MFP is only using suggested numbers, you may therefore need to see what fits you best, because I had to up the calculation for Protein and decrease the Fat Calculation.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Calories and protein are the only ones I really pay attention to on a day-to-day basis.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Haha, I assumed you meant most often and I was coming in to say COFFEE!

    :laugh:


    I thought that's what the OP was going to say too.
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
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    Calories, Sugar, Protein, Fiber.

    It is the sugar that gives me cravings and wrecks my diet. If I can keep sugar low, I can keep the rest in line.
  • carashirley
    carashirley Posts: 169 Member
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    So far I'm losing about half a pound a day. I know the smaller I get the smaller the loss will get too. I'm doing C25K 3 days a week & strength training another 3 days a week. I think I'll take my focus off sodium and put it on protein for a couple of weeks and see how that works for me!




    edited to correct spelling
  • louisemh28
    louisemh28 Posts: 29
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    calories, protein and fibre, with a glance at iron and calcium.
  • 75in2013
    75in2013 Posts: 361 Member
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    Calories only.

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