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Calories VS. Nutriants

Win_1
Win_1 Posts: 16 Member
edited November 16 in Debate Club
I usually have 600-800 calories left in my goal when I already reach my fat/carb/Suagr etc. goals. Should I not worry about that and just get my calories in?

Replies

  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    Don't worry about that - if your goal is weight loss and your doctor has not told you to restrict fat / carbs /sugars, then keep on till you use up your calories. I for one am jealous, I can never meet my fat goal and stay under my calories too. Keep in mind that good fat is necessary for a healthy body. Fat, sugar, and carbs do not make you gain weight, excessive calories do.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • born_of_fire74
    born_of_fire74 Posts: 776 Member
    edited March 2017
    I suggest altering the foods you eat to make sure that you are hitting or getting very close to your protein goal without going over on your carbs. So, instead of a PB sandwich or granola bar, have some chicken breast, a piece of cheese or an egg, that sort of thing. Protein is the most important macro to concern yourself with if you do not have any underlying health issues like diabetes, kidney problems etc. Personally, I switched sodium for fibre in my tracker and don't pay much attention at all to fat or sugar as long as I'm within my calorie allowance, under on carbs and getting all my protein.

    This advice is from my trainer and I have seen it dispensed by plenty of members on here but I'm not a trainer or dietician or anything myself so take what I've said with a grain of salt.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    Yes meeting your protein goal is important IMHO - if you meet protein and fat you probably won't have hunger issues!
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    How are you meeting your macros (I'm assuming all of them?) and not meeting your calories? Sounds like incorrect entries are being used?
  • HEATHERB500
    HEATHERB500 Posts: 78 Member
    I agree with the poster above. It is very important to consume at least 0.8 GM's of protein/lb of body weight. 1 GM per pound if you work out regularly. I use whey protein shakes to help meet my protein goal. Are you loosing weight with what you are doing?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    How are you meeting your macros (I'm assuming all of them?) and not meeting your calories? Sounds like incorrect entries are being used?

    This was my thought - there is no way to be over on protein, fats and carbs but that much under on calories,unless you're using incorrect entries.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    How are you meeting your macros (I'm assuming all of them?) and not meeting your calories? Sounds like incorrect entries are being used?

    This was my thought - there is no way to be over on protein, fats and carbs but that much under on calories,unless you're using incorrect entries.

    I've had it happen on bulking days when I was using a lot of protein bars and veggies to hit kcals. Since fiber is counted in the total carbs on US labels, it can throw things off by huge amounts if you take in upwards of 250g in a day. Yes, I do this often.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    edited March 2017
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    How are you meeting your macros (I'm assuming all of them?) and not meeting your calories? Sounds like incorrect entries are being used?

    This was my thought - there is no way to be over on protein, fats and carbs but that much under on calories,unless you're using incorrect entries.

    I've had it happen on bulking days when I was using a lot of protein bars and veggies to hit kcals. Since fiber is counted in the total carbs on US labels, it can throw things off by huge amounts if you take in upwards of 250g in a day. Yes, I do this often.

    Interesting. Did not know this!

    Edit: I'm not in the US.
  • Win_1
    Win_1 Posts: 16 Member

    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    How are you meeting your macros (I'm assuming all of them?) and not meeting your calories? Sounds like incorrect entries are being used?

    This was my thought - there is no way to be over on protein, fats and carbs but that much under on calories,unless you're using incorrect entries.
    Well I don't actually meet my protein or carb goals either but I always meet my fat and sugar goal and I don't like going over on that.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    How are you meeting your macros (I'm assuming all of them?) and not meeting your calories? Sounds like incorrect entries are being used?

    This was my thought - there is no way to be over on protein, fats and carbs but that much under on calories,unless you're using incorrect entries.

    I've had it happen on bulking days when I was using a lot of protein bars and veggies to hit kcals. Since fiber is counted in the total carbs on US labels, it can throw things off by huge amounts if you take in upwards of 250g in a day. Yes, I do this often.

    Interesting. Did not know this!

    Edit: I'm not in the US.

    removing fibre from carb counts on calorie labels is what results in stuff being annotated as "net carbs" - drives me crazy, because I want all carbs and not just sugar carbs/non-fibre carbs to be counted (and I think its misleading to folks trying to loose weight, if they think the are only eating a 4g carb bar, when really its 4 net g crabs, but might be 15g overall)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2017
    It's way more important to meet calorie and protein goals (especially since MFP protein goals can be on the low side) than not to go over fat/sugar unless you have a medical reason.

    If you are consistently going over fat/sugar you may want to adjust your diet. (But there may be no reason to.). For example, if we are talking about healthy fats and sugar from nutrient dense sources, like salmon and avocado and tomatoes and bananas, I personally wouldn't worry about it one bit. If it means a high percentage of the diet is cookies (high in fat and sugar), I'd probably make a change, but eating fewer other foods wouldn't help.

    Also, there shouldn't be any conflict here or reason to stop eating way below calorie and protein goals anyway. There are sources of calories/protein that aren't particularly high in fat or sugar--beans, white fish, chicken or turkey breast, vegetables, oats, etc. And again if you had additional fat/sugar from nutrient dense sources I don't know why that should bother you.

    Good advice, I think, is to focus on hitting calories and protein (exceeding protein is fine) first and maybe fiber and only then, if you want, decide what your other macros should be. Personally, so long as I get a healthy diet I don't care about carbs/fat and my sugar wil be mainly from nutrient dense sources so I don't care about that either.

    That's nutrition, though. For weight calories are what matter and for maintaining muscle getting enough protein and calories.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited March 2017
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    How are you meeting your macros (I'm assuming all of them?) and not meeting your calories? Sounds like incorrect entries are being used?

    This was my thought - there is no way to be over on protein, fats and carbs but that much under on calories,unless you're using incorrect entries.

    I've had it happen on bulking days when I was using a lot of protein bars and veggies to hit kcals. Since fiber is counted in the total carbs on US labels, it can throw things off by huge amounts if you take in upwards of 250g in a day. Yes, I do this often.

    Interesting. Did not know this!

    Edit: I'm not in the US.

    removing fibre from carb counts on calorie labels is what results in stuff being annotated as "net carbs" - drives me crazy, because I want all carbs and not just sugar carbs/non-fibre carbs to be counted (and I think its misleading to folks trying to loose weight, if they think the are only eating a 4g carb bar, when really its 4 net g crabs, but might be 15g overall)

    Honestly, fiber shouldn't be counted. Because of the way it's broken down (in a true fiber not isomaltos and crap like that), your body doesn't actually digest it. The bacteria in the colon do, and what's released isn't glucose, but short chain fatty acids and various gases. The amount released by the bacteria is lower than the potential energy that exists in the fiber you can't digest.

    Essentially, it's the same thing that happens with lactose in people who lack the enzymes to properly digest it. It's why both soluble fiber and lactose (in those people) tend to cause one to blow off farts that can peel paint.
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