what is more important?

ali_92181

Just wondering what is more important. Following the calories exactly or follwing the types I.E fats, carbs, proteins etc. not sure about it and wondering if anyone has any advice.

melissatacker

I would put calories as the biggest one to watch followed by carbs, the rest do not seem to be as important.

VialOfDreams

They are all very important to follow. You could eat 1000 calories a day, but if you eat a load of sugar and bad fats, you will still gain weight.

Carbs need to come mainly from whole grains and vegetables.
Sugars from natural sugars from fruit, veggies, honey, agave or truvia.
Fats should be healthy fats. Absolutely NO hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, but olives, avocado and nuts.
Protein is extremely important in building muscle. You need to make sure to keep track of this as well. Excellent sources of protein include lean meats, nuts, beans, lentils, seeds.

You shouldn't ignore the above factors. The good thing about MFP, is that it (usually) add carbs, fats, protein in addition to calories, but keep in mind that sometimes people just input the caloric value of a meal, and forget to add the other nutrition facts, in which case you should keep track of the servings.

During my weight loss program, the nutritionist advised I ate at least 6 servings of veggies, 5 servings of protein, 3-5 servings of carbs (mainly from whole grains and vegetables).