Which goals are minimums and which are maximums?

lettopoll
lettopoll Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm new to myfitnesspal today. I'm a little confused over which goals are minimums and which are maximums, as I'm sure I wont hit all exactly (or indeed be close when I look at the spread).

For example, I know that my calorie goal for the day is a maximum, I shouldn't go above 1,390 calories for the day.

However, I presume, for example, my goal for Vitamin A is a minimum - i.e. I should consume at least the goal amount, and not less.

Is it safe to assume from the nutrient profile that everything that is a number is a maximum consumption level and everything that is a percentage is a minimum consumption level?

So my next question. So far today, I have had breakfast and only breakfast. It was a bowl of chopped fruit, topped with yoghurt and I had a glass of orange juice. In total it was 296 calories and I feel quite a healthy option. When I look at my "Total Carbs", I have had 58g from my daily goal of 191g, all good so far. However, the breakdown shows that my "Sugars" are 52g of that, compared to my daily goal of 28g. I have eaten 24g of Sugars too much for the day, after just breakfast (fruit). Do I need to worry about that?

Replies

  • featherbrained
    featherbrained Posts: 155 Member
    I can't answer your first question. Perhaps someone else will. On your second question, those sugars/carbs will only be a problem if the rest of your day is high. Fruit, juice and yogurt are all high-sugar, and personally, the only one I would consider cutting is the juice. Juice has all the sugar of fruit without the fiber to help you metabolize it. And depending on your choice of juices, they even often have added sugars.

    If I want juice, I typically go for an unsweetened cranberry juice; still high, but gives you some good stuff too.

    Greek yogurt is lower in sugar/carbs, as well, if you go for the plain stuff and add in your own goodies.

    Labels are your friends! Good luck!
  • littlexbug
    littlexbug Posts: 13
    In my opinion, if you are just getting started, I would not get caught up in all the numbers (sugars, carbs, etc.). Once you get comfortable with the change in your routine, then break it down further. This is the way I'm doing it so I don't get so overwhelmed with all the numbers. Right now, I'm focusing on just my calories and exercise.

    With regard to your sugar, it could be the combination of fruit and (especially) the OJ. You could cut out the OJ, but that is totally up to you. I don't think what you've eaten is unhealthy at all. Just remember, you are just starting out. Take your time, develop a routine and then tweak it.

    All the best to you and have a great day!
  • lettopoll
    lettopoll Posts: 3
    Thanks for your responses.

    When I say I'm just getting started, that's with myfitnesspal. I have been dieting for about 30 months now, with mixed motivation/results. I have an excel graph with daily weigh ins tracked over this period (I dont get too hung up about the daily variance, but just focus on the overall trend) - I'm about 8kg down on where I started, but about 12KG up on the low I reached. So I want to do this the best I can from the off. Exercise is difficult (i'm 67 years old and have just had a knee replacement and my mobility is not great), so I'm focusing on diet.

    You're both right in the Orange Juice being substantial - it accounts for 21g of the sugars, so even without the OJ, I'm still over my sugars total for the day, after just breakfast. My main reason for drinking the Orange Juice is for my "one of five a day" - however maybe I should knock it on the head.

    I'll give the Greek Yoghurt a try - thanks for the suggestion.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Don't sweat the macros unless you have some specific reason to need to track something or are working on a particular goal. Just keep your calories in line and it will all work out.
  • littlexbug
    littlexbug Posts: 13
    Sorry for misunderstanding :)

    If you don't mind me asking, what kind of fruit did you eat with your yogurt? I was looking at the different sugar contents of fruits and depending on what you eat, you could be eating a bit of sugar....for instance, bananas are pretty high (1 med is 14g of sugar).

    I don't know if any of this helped haha! I wish you a speedy recovery with your knee :)
  • lettopoll
    lettopoll Posts: 3
    Here's the full breakdown of my breakfast (as recorded in myfitnesspal)

    http://s10.postimg.org/zecme62kp/Capture.jpg

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