You guys look at sugar,fat,protein, etc? Or do you only track and care about calorie intake?

petergreen3522

Just wondering. Let’s say you eat 1700 calories, but most of it is fat, sugar and basically unhealthy food. Would you mark that down as a successful day?

Lietchi

Fat isn't bad necessarily, depends on the type of fat. If it all came from for example nuts, olive oil and avocado, I'd say that's pretty healthy (but perhaps not very filling).

Sugar isn't bad necessarily either, I would certainly distinguish natural sugars from added sugars. I've had high sugar days because I ate a lot of fruit, I don't think that's bad (unless you have health issues linked to blood sugar issues).

I only watch my calorie intake (my objective=starting within goal) and my protein intake (my objective=exceeding goal) but not necessarily on a daily basis, weekly average on target is good enough.

westrich20940

So... if you were really eating 1700 calories and all of those calories were from fat/sugar, then that wouldn't necessarily be good. Protein is an essential macro-nutrient which you aren't getting any of in that example. Which is extreme.

But realistically, focus should be more-so on calories vs. macros. Once you get a handle on how many calories you are consuming, you can start thinking more intentionally about your macro split.

Retroguy2000

Just calories and protein (grams).

glassyo

In the olden, just looking to lose weight, days just calories (and protein because I don't think I was eating enough of it). Now, in my "Nemesis, thy name is prediabetes" days, it's carbs. Which basically took care of my protein problem.

But, yes, if I hit my calorie target and lost weight, no matter what I'd eaten, I was successful.

AnnPT77

Calories are what directly determine weight loss, and if someone is very overweight, losing weight is one of the very best ways to improve health.

But nutrition is also important for good health. That generally means getting enough protein, enough healthy fats, and a good varied selection of veggies/fruits. In addition, under-nutrition can indirectly affect weight loss by tanking energy level, or increasing cravings.

Personally, I'm a fan of worrying about getting the right things into my eating, rather than worrying about getting reputedly bad things out. If I stick to my calorie goal, get enough of the good stuff (protein, healthy fats, veggies/fruits), other less nutrient-dense foods get reduced along the way. Hyperfocusing on eliminating them doesn't work as well for me. YMMV.

xrj22

I don't think it is necessary to hit a certain target on fats, sugars, or carbs. I think you should make sure that you get enough protein, and then make sure that you are eating HEALTHY. If it is whole, unprocessed, low-sugar food, the exact numbers won't matter. If the carbs are from things like beans, lentils, whole grains, sweet potatoes, they have a low glycemic index, so won't cause sugar or insulin spikes, rebound sugar lows, or cravings for more. However, if you are eating 1700 cal and a lot of it is junk food, then you almost certainly are not getting good nutrition or enough fiber. That is the real problem, not the # of carbs or fats.