IS IT NECESSARY TO WATCH YOUR MACROS IN ORDER TO LOSE WEIGHT

mrshill2007
mrshill2007 Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Wondering how many people actually watch the macros or how many people just worry about the calories... Help wanted...lol
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Replies

  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    I do not watch my macros, and I have lost just fine. I make a conscious effort to eat enough protein, but other than that, I don't pay too much attention. I am sure there are good reasons to watch them, but I haven't really.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    To lose weight? No. To be healthy? Yes.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Depends if you want to lose fat, or just weight.
  • ATOLLIT
    ATOLLIT Posts: 149
    I don't really pay that much attention to them and I'm losing weight, but to be honest when I bother to look, over the course of a week I'm usually not far off them just by eating fairly healthy meals with a few treats at the end of the day.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
    I'm mindful of them, but I don't stress over them too much. The only one I really pay attention to is sodium, because I know if I'm not careful that can shoot up really fast and make me retain water, which of course shows up on the scale. :(
  • My0WNinspiration
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
    I keep a close eye on my calories and protein.
  • fatcat0908
    fatcat0908 Posts: 5 Member
    I just try to make sure I keep up my daily fiber intake. I usually do that with beans and kashi cereals which rounds out my protien and keeps my carbs in check.
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
    I feel like you're missing the bigger picture if you don't focus on Macros. You can obviously lose weight by watching calories, but isn't the overall goal to be healthy?
  • LilMissDB
    LilMissDB Posts: 133
    As a person, I would say it can be interesting to have a look.

    As a dietitian, I would say that obsessing about numbers doesn't really lead to being healthy. Just use common sense, try to eat 'healthy' and focus on calories overall.
  • shaleyn
    shaleyn Posts: 125 Member
    I really try to eat more protein, and sodium does dreadful things to me. But while I'm eating healthier, I really have to work my way into it, so for now, focusing more on caloric totals vs macros. As I get closer to goal, I hope to be eating better and better. Just need this to be sustainable.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    No it is not necessary.

    But, there are benefits, and MFP tracks it automatically, so it doesn't make sense to me to NOT track it.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Calories = weight loss
    Macros = body composition (protein), healthy body functions (fat) and energy (carbs)
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Calories = weight loss
    Macros = body composition (protein), healthy body functions (fat) and energy (carbs)

    What Sidesteel and Sara said!
  • VeinsAndBones
    VeinsAndBones Posts: 550 Member
    If you wanna preserve lean body mass, you need to have protein in your diet, however I find that if you don't eat fat with sugars you don't really have to watch the macros so much, calories in vs calories out for weightloss regardless though
  • billthekill
    billthekill Posts: 90
    Calories = weight loss
    Macros = body composition (protein), healthy body functions (fat) and energy (carbs)


    ^^
    Pretty much this
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    No it is not necessary.

    But, there are benefits, and MFP tracks it automatically, so it doesn't make sense to me to NOT track it.

    This.

    And it is not necessary to make your title all caps to get us to answer you

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  • cbrrabbit25
    cbrrabbit25 Posts: 384 Member
    I have lost without worrying about macros but seem to lose more efficiently if i do watch the carbs column only.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    IS IT NECESSARY TO WATCH YOUR MACROS IN ORDER TO LOSE WEIGHT

    No.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    You do not have to watch your macros to lose weight.
  • PeachyKeene
    PeachyKeene Posts: 1,645 Member
    I have lost without worrying about macros but seem to lose more efficiently if i do watch the carbs column only.

    ^^ this
  • IamBlackMamba
    IamBlackMamba Posts: 229
    Why wouldn't you though, if you were on this site that is?
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
    Nope, not necessary (for weight loss) imo - I don't track anything but calories
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
    Not necessary.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    To lose weight? No. To be healthy? Yes.

    Not true. I remained healthy for half a century without ever tracking a macro. And for most of that time I was slim and fit as well.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    No it is not necessary.

    But, there are benefits, and MFP tracks it automatically, so it doesn't make sense to me to NOT track it.

    This ^^ . If you are going to take the time to input all your food, why not see the whole picture? I wouldn't obsess over it, but it is nice information to have.
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
    Calories = weight loss
    Macros = body composition (protein), healthy body functions (fat) and energy (carbs)

    This is why I just recently started paying attention.
  • coloradocami
    coloradocami Posts: 368 Member
    To lose weight? No. To be healthy? Yes.

    ^^^ this!
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    I watch them. But I can't say as I do much about them.
  • cjsacto
    cjsacto Posts: 1,421 Member
    I am concerned about my overall health so I really like being able to watch the macros, and I do adjust what I eat when I see I am low or high on a macro for the week.

    I watch percentages of the three macros by the week and saturated fat specifically. I am also concerned about getting enough potassium (not specifically a macro but it's tracked), and getting too much cholesterol - at one point my blood cholesterol levels tested borderline high. I think tracking macros and other nutrients is a real service on this site.

    At the same time, I do agree that if you know you are eating healthy, balanced meals, chances are your macros are going to look pretty good. But watching the macros, especially at first, helps you know what you need for balance.

    Edit to add: I love the way the macros and nutrients/vitamins are listed on the Android app. There's a pie chart you can see by the day or week, and it always shows you saturated fat vs. poly and monounsaturated, as well as fiber, potassium and several vitamins. The tracking on the website isn't as good.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I pay attention to them, but I don't obsess over them. I'm mindful of them, because I'm trying to eat more balanced, and it's a quick way to see if I'm achieving that. Also, if I've got calories left at the end of the day, and i feel like a snack after my walk/run, the macros will indicate which direction I should aim (would tonight be yogurt? an egg? maybe oatmeal?)

    I find that they generally balance our over the course of a week though. So some days I'm over on fat and light on carbs - the next day might be the opposite.

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