Most Important to you - Calories, Fat or Carbs???

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nomorecakeKP
nomorecakeKP Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My goals are set on myfitnespal in terms of calories, carbs, fat, protein and so forth. Just wondering if you are trying to stay in line with ALL categories, or do you focus mainly on one thing, like calories? I've been trying to watch my carbs and find that I generally stay under calories when I do that, but am curious to know what everyone else focuses on. Thanks :)
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  • bigsistruck
    bigsistruck Posts: 125 Member
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    I focus mainly on calories first, and then look at the fat, then the carbs. Tried the low carb diet and it didn't work any better than my traditional diet so I really don't pay too much attention to them anymore.
  • sweetbamaTLC
    sweetbamaTLC Posts: 170 Member
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    Calories, then carbs.
  • olivelilly
    olivelilly Posts: 3 Member
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    Really at the end of the day, calories IN - calories OUT = weight gain or loss. If youre a bodybuilder trying to sculpt, then yes carbs, fats proteins start to matter a while lot... but if youre looking to lose weight (and not bodybuild) then just burn more calories than you take in.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    I focus on calories first. After that, I focus on hitting my protein goal. Then I worry about fat and fiber, and the carbs kind of hammer themselves out. I'm not usually too out of line that way.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    They're all important for different reasons. That being said, if I had to rank them in order of importance, it would be calories, protein, fat, carbs.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
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    My goals are set on myfitnespal in terms of calories, carbs, fat, protein and so forth. Just wondering if you are trying to stay in line with ALL categories, or do you focus mainly on one thing, like calories? I've been trying to watch my carbs and find that I generally stay under calories when I do that, but am curious to know what everyone else focuses on. Thanks :)

    1. Calories
    2. Protein
    3. Fiber

    If you're meeting your protein and fiber needs and keeping within your calorie targets, your fat and carbs will work themselves out just fine.
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
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    I focus primarily on overall calories. I treat the protein number as a minimum amount and the fat number as a maximum amount.

    Whether carbs wind up being a maximum amount, a minimum or a target amount depends on that day's and the next day's workout - ie if I have a long run/ride or a race the next morning, carbs are a minimum amount....if I'm lifting or doing yoga or have a short workout, or if I'm doing my workout after work (vs in the am before breakfast), carbs are a maximum or a target amount.

    I don't "low carb" because as a triathlete doing gobs of cardio every week, I would get "hangry" and likely kill someone LOL! :laugh:
  • IconStillFree
    IconStillFree Posts: 262 Member
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    I wing it, I count calories and try to get high protein.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Personally carbs. If I have too many of those the other 2 don't fall in to place!
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,466 Member
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    Calories, protein, fiber/fat, in that order.
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    In the 80's I did LOW FAT and didn't lose weight.
    In the 2000's I did LOW CARB and lost weight ... then regained it.

    I'm now LOW CAL for life. All that matters to me now is calories compared with volume / satiety. Everything else follows from that.
  • Rocket_Man44
    Rocket_Man44 Posts: 896
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    Macros - Protein carbs and fat. But I've set my own ratios for them as per my activity needs and fitness goals.

    Whilst adhering to said calories.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Calories and protein. If I meet my protein minimum I'm generally close on fat and carbs without needing to think about it, and if one is a bit high and one a bit low on a particular day I don't care.
  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
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    Calories. I don't worry when I go over in fat, and I rarely get up to my limit in carbs (not purposely low carb), but I do try to get enough protein most days.
  • mabelbabel1
    mabelbabel1 Posts: 391 Member
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    Calorie intake is my main priority then the only other target I really try to meet is fibre, the rest fits in each day according to how I feel, what exercise I am doing and what I fancy to eat.
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
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    I focus on calories and protein. Re: fat or carbs, I lump them together as simply energy for your body, although I do mind to keep my carbs in line with my low carb regime. When I go back to maintenance, I will only care about calories and protein, letting the fat and carbs fall where they may.

    I will add though that I don't do any intense cardio of any sorts, so don't have to worry about carbs for fuelling those sorts of activities, if I did, I would be more mindful of ensuring my carbs were sufficient around such training. As things stand, for all my walking and the small amount of resistance training I do, I am having no problems fuelling those activities purely through the fat in my diet presently.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I focus on calories first. After that, I focus on hitting my protein goal. Then I worry about fat and fiber, and the carbs kind of hammer themselves out. I'm not usually too out of line that way.

    ^This is me, too, since my protein minimum is the hardest for me to reach. As long as I'm hitting protein and fat as minimums and keeping my calories in line, the carbs will fall into line.
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
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    calories is the most important to me and what i track.

    with that said nutrients and whole foods are important to me so even though i don't pay attention from a tracking perspective to nutrients fat and carbs i try to be aware of a balance. so something fresh or whole is always on my plate with every meal so I'm eating well rounded.
  • NextPage
    NextPage Posts: 609 Member
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    Definitely calories first. I also pay attention to the other macros for different reasons. For carbs, it is the quality and timing I'm worried about (nutrition and energy for workouts). For protein I I try to get a bit in for each meal and most snacks because , it helps the most in preventing hunger and overeating and encouraging muscle gains. Fat is important too but seems to take care of itself without any special monitoring on my part. At the end of the day calories in/out is important and the rest, for me personnally is more about health/energy for workouts and a mix of macros that will make it less likely for me to fall off the wagon and overeat.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I focus on calories first. After that, I focus on hitting my protein goal. Then I worry about fat and fiber, and the carbs kind of hammer themselves out. I'm not usually too out of line that way.

    This^

    Unless someone has medical issues there is no reason to go low carb.

    OP - Eat the way you expect to in the future.....except get enough protein so you can hang onto lean muscle while dieting. Protein, fat, and fiber keep you full longer.......carbs are just energy.

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