tracking food question

hrmom26

which things do you watch the most? in reference to tracking your food which ones in order of importance do you watch the most? i have found that i am messing up on at least one every day lately. I watch my calories first but then i find near the end of the day I'm over on one or 2 other things like carbs, or protein, or sugar but i have calories left so i hunt for something to eat that has no this or that but i don't find it and i end up a lot of times saying to hell with it and eating something that sends my,for example carbs over even more or maybe worse i don't eat anything and end the day with the MFP saying i am eating to few calories so what do you do? Do you always hit the food tracker just right and if so how lol or do you let some things go but never others and if so what ones are the most important to you? thanks in advance

peachstategal

All I worry about is the calories. I usually have too much protein, but, that's OK with me.

Shawneb66

I pay attention to carbs and fat, protein is good for you and makes you feel full!

Phrick

calories are most important to me right now, but I do pay attention to carbs/fat/protein/sodium and once I have a better handle on things I'm going to try getting those to line up in addition to keeping my calories in check.

WBB55

My daily thought process is like this:

In the A.M.: How much protein, fiber and salt is in that?
In the P.M.: Do I have enough calories left for a bottle of beer?

Dark_Roast

My daily thought process is like this:

In the A.M.: How much protein, fiber and salt is in that?
In the P.M.: Do I have enough calories left for a bottle of beer?

Mine is similar to this but substitute wine for beer. :drinker:

Riallus

If you're attempting to lose a large amount of weight, the biggest hurdle (as most of us have tried to lose weight before) is the psychological component. We've been so indoctrinated by so many places - and we are so susceptible due to our yearning for achievement and acceptance - that we need to watch our calories, diet, exercise, have more of this, less of that, buy this, not that, all at the same time as attempting to integrate this new lifestyle into our current life.

Stop. Relax. Focus.

Fundamentally, if you're overweight, that is a function of overeating (assuming no medical problems). Focus on that, and that alone. Start there, succeed there, and then start worrying about all the other components that you can turn your attention to once you feel you've gained control and confidence. Create a positive feedback loop - a psychological bulwark that develops from achievement and that shields you from the daily temptations.

Scrutinize your calories first. Hold fast to them, and don't be afraid to adjust them up or down depending on how you feel, and whether or not you're seeing success on the scale. If you're eating 1200 calories, are miserable and not losing weight, then try increasing by 50 - 100 calories per day and see what your results are. Be patient, find what works for you.

"But the app told me I need to eat 1200 calories!"

Yes, but all our bodies are different. We have different muscle mass, different metabolisms, different stresses, different genetics. I defy any resource, without extensive testing, to pinpoint to me the exact calorie count that will have me losing 2 - 3 pounds a week. You know who can figure that out? I can. Because I'm with myself all the time. If I track what I put in my mouth, and I track my weight, I will arrive at the right number to get me where I want to be. Is that a more complicated and longer process? Yep. It's also iron-clad, provable and repeatable. Again, patience and focus. You're not going to lose all your weight overnight (much as we hope it would just happen). Be patient with yourself, forgive yourself, and commit to getting yourself out of the hole you've created.

Focus on calories first. Succeed there. Then worry about whether or not you're meeting arbitrary 'recommend daily intake' numbers.

Best of luck. You can do this.

Lizzy622

I focus on my calories and then look at the %'s for carb, fats and protein and try to keep those in line( by a few points). I also look at my iron. It has been one of my biggest problems when dieting in the past. My iron would go low and I got fatigued. Now if I have a couple of bad iron days I take a supplement just to keep me safe.

brainfreeze72

My focus has changed over time. I pay attention to calories of course but over time noticed I was getting way too much sodium so I started tweaking my diet to cut down on my sodium...then I noticed that I wasn't getting enough protein so I looked for ways to get more protein with minimal sodium...then I noticed that I'm seriously lacking in iron every day. I tried all natural ways to get more iron but wound up buying a multivitamin with iron as a supplement. For me it's about small sustainable changes for lifetime improvements.

atrebor18

I check the pie graph thing for my protein, fat, and carbs constantly. I'm trying really hard to keep my carbs at 40% and protein and fat at 30%. I've been doing okay with that and that means I focus on eating things with more protein and less carbs because in my dream world I would eat pasta and bread all day long and not cottage cheese and yogurt.

hrmom26

thanks everyone, my biggest hurtle was the mental, you know switching the, i live to eat, to, the eat to live thing. i will admit the mental side messed me up for years and years. i am proud i have gotten control of that. i find it's not hard to maintain the 1250 calories i have gone over about 25 , 30 here and there but that's the most.

So now that i have a handle on that for the most part, i am now starting to watch the other stuff and realizing i am going over on them i think i will start just watching the carbs, fat and sodium then once i get that under control, I'll maybe add sugar or what ever.

i guess like everything else it's one step at a time right?