Do you pay more attention to calories?

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mcm1988
mcm1988 Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
I never seem to be right on track with carbs, fat, and protein but usually stay within my net calorie goal. I've only been back at this for two days but just wondering if the most important thing to begin with is mainly watching calories?

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    If your main goal is to lose weight then yes, calories are key.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
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    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.

    Agreed!
  • alexis831
    alexis831 Posts: 469 Member
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    ^What Beachlover317 said.

    I am a carb freak... just saying. Mine are never fully "correct" but I always have a huge deficit.
  • Blokeypoo
    Blokeypoo Posts: 274 Member
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    Aside from good core foods plus treats and trying to eat lots of protein to keep me full I didn't complicate things with macros until maintenance and I don't get too excited even now. Sustainability is more important than getting bogged down and giving up.
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
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    I only ever focus on my calories and recently have been trying to increase my protein because I've started lifting.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Calories are what matter for weight loss. As long as you stick to your calorie goal and you are accurately tracking what you eat you should still lose weight. Depending on how your goals are set up, you can even eat a little more than MFP's number and still lose weight for the week, albeit a little more slowly.

    Macronutrients (fat/protein/carbs) help with various things. Protein and fat both help keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied. Protein helps to rebuild and retain your lean muscle mass. Fat is good for you and helps with everything from hormone control, vitamin absorption, cell growth, etc. And carbs give you energy. You can be over or under on any of them and still lose weight as long as your calories are okay. Finding the right macro ratio depends on your goals, medical history, workout routine, etc. Don't be afraid to adjust MFP's defaults to better suit your routine. MFP tends to set it's protein default too low anyway.

    Sugar and Sodium are the other two default nutrients tracked and I honestly don't know why they picked those two. Excess sodium may cause you to retain water weight, which can cause a jump on the scale, but if you don't have any health issues neither is strictly necessary to track for weight loss. Tracking them or ignoring them will, again, depend on your personal goals.

    Don't be afraid of the red and green numbers in your food diary. Red doesn't always mean bad and green doesn't necessarily mean good. They're just an indicator of whether you're over/under the goal MFP has set for you.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.

    all that matters.
  • AHack3
    AHack3 Posts: 173 Member
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    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.

    Agreed!
    Also Agree
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    Calories, but remember nutrition is pretty important to health, so try to make good choices with your calories.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
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    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.

    all that matters.

    dont you have an "approving nod" gif somewhere? :happy:
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
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    I look at calories as a "must" to hit 5 out of 7 days.

    I view the macros and "extras" (water, exercise goals) as things I want to try to accomplish for the sake of better health...but if I don't get in my 3 strength days a week or if I'm under a glass of water, I don't panic. I also don't kick myself if I'm over on salt or sugar, etc. I do try to not go TOO crazy with it....but hitting all of those is a lot tougher than just meeting my overall calorie goal. Sodium is usually my killer...I really don't think I could do it if I was told I needed to do a low-sodium diet for medical reasons. All the more reason for me to lose the weight and be healthier overall...so I can have my salt. :bigsmile:
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
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    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.

    all that matters.

    dont you have an "approving nod" gif somewhere? :happy:

    What a great suggestion - get on that trog!
  • DaveInFL
    DaveInFL Posts: 84 Member
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    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.

    Would agree with this. I have only been doing this for 4 weeks and by watching my calories I have lost 5lbs. I am now focusing more on my macros and trying to up my protein.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Options
    1) Get your calories in check.

    2) Work on meeting your macros.

    all that matters.

    dont you have an "approving nod" gif somewhere? :happy:

    What a great suggestion - get on that trog!

    Will do.

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