Do you worry about MFP nutrients and macros?

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  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    Calories first, cause that's how you lose weight.

    Then protein and fiber, cause that's how I feel full.

    I don't have to worry about fat, that seems to take care of itself, lol.

    What she^^ said. :)
  • srosenthal1225
    srosenthal1225 Posts: 44 Member
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    I am first concerned with calories, I also do not track per se my macros but definitely watch them..I will not allow myself to go over in Carbs..thats for sure
  • RUNucbar
    RUNucbar Posts: 160 Member
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    I didn't look at anything other than calories until quite recently. My asthma and epilepsy medication can mess with the bodys potassium stores and liver function so I have blood tests quite often to make sure things are OK. The most recent blood test showed I had very low iron levels so I started to pay more attention to what I was eating beyond just the calorie value and macros was part of that.

    I guess it is different for everyone though.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    I used to, but now I can't really be bothered. As long as I'm getting the min RDA for protein, I'm happy with that, and it's pretty hard to go below that. I do track calcium and iron, and make sure I get enough Vitamin C with my iron to aid adsorption.
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    How do you track your vitamins, iron etc? In my diary it only shows the calories and carbs ... sugar. Do you have to have a paid membership to see the other numbers?
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Calories first, cuz I want to lose weight.
    Protein next cuz I want more of the weight lost to be fat lost
    Fiber next as I have "issues" if it goes too low.

    I will look at sodium, mostly to warn me the scale may go up for a couple of days.
  • RUNucbar
    RUNucbar Posts: 160 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    How do you track your vitamins, iron etc? In my diary it only shows the calories and carbs ... sugar. Do you have to have a paid membership to see the other numbers?

    I don't see vitamins but am not a paid member. I use the list of iron-rich foods the GP gave me after the diagnosis and use MFP to make sure one portion of iron rich food fits my goals. I also look at the recipes section of the site to find new ways to cook and eat those foods. A list for one portion of the food, MFP to make sure it fits my goals and tastes good. A mix of methods but it works for me.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    How do you track your vitamins, iron etc? In my diary it only shows the calories and carbs ... sugar. Do you have to have a paid membership to see the other numbers?

    The app shows them better, but you can switch out your macros for nutrients on the web site. Settings>Diary settings and make what changes you want.
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    How do you track your vitamins, iron etc? In my diary it only shows the calories and carbs ... sugar. Do you have to have a paid membership to see the other numbers?

    The app shows them better, but you can switch out your macros for nutrients on the web site. Settings>Diary settings and make what changes you want.

    I didn't know that, thanks!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Fully depends on my goals.

    I eat for my needs.
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    Wow, just changed those settings to show Vit A, C, iron and calcium and it does it even for the past. I am now shocked to see how vitamin deficient my diet has been. I've been on this only a good 2 weeks and have been mostly trying to get my protein up to at least reach the recommended number, since you seem to need that to prevent too much muscle loss while losing weight. I've never taken supplements, but now I wonder how you can get your vitamins on a calorie deficit while concentrating on enough protein? This is getting more and more complicated!
  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
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    I'm not super strict, but I do keep an eye on them. I eat pretty healthy, so most of the time I don't need to worry.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
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    I'm one of those people who finds macros make a huge difference for me in terms of satiety and adherence, so I adjusted my macros based on what works better for me and I keep a close eye on those, but definitely calories as well. However, I'm also somewhat flexible. If I have a super "hungry day" I might eat a bit more but just try to keep it below maintenance calories. I have other days where I don't have as much of an appetite so it tends to balance out.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    Wow, just changed those settings to show Vit A, C, iron and calcium and it does it even for the past. I am now shocked to see how vitamin deficient my diet has been. I've been on this only a good 2 weeks and have been mostly trying to get my protein up to at least reach the recommended number, since you seem to need that to prevent too much muscle loss while losing weight. I've never taken supplements, but now I wonder how you can get your vitamins on a calorie deficit while concentrating on enough protein? This is getting more and more complicated!

    I take drugs pills. Centrum 50+ for men, Omega 3, Vitamin D and lately an antihistamine. I still end up low on Iron most days but am fine for most other things.
  • junodog1
    junodog1 Posts: 4,792 Member
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    I only track calories. It is work enough to find valid entries in the data base for calories. I do eyeball the entries in my diary daily for macros, sodium and iron and wonder if the values are correct. If I decide to track other things one day I will probably have to make a lot of "My Foods."
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,369 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    Wow, just changed those settings to show Vit A, C, iron and calcium and it does it even for the past. I am now shocked to see how vitamin deficient my diet has been. I've been on this only a good 2 weeks and have been mostly trying to get my protein up to at least reach the recommended number, since you seem to need that to prevent too much muscle loss while losing weight. I've never taken supplements, but now I wonder how you can get your vitamins on a calorie deficit while concentrating on enough protein? This is getting more and more complicated!

    Keep in mind that the crowd-sourced MFP food database may be even less accurate for micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) than it is for calories. Some of the micronutrient data is optional, not required, on food product labels in the US, and folks who aren't tracking micronutrients may not be motivated to research it beyond the food label (if they even pay that much attention) when they put the food in the database.

    Before you panic, you might want to do some research on sources for your nutrients of concern . . . you may already be eating more than you think based on your food diary results.

    Also, note that in the MFP web version, there's a "Reports" link you can use to get a multi-day report of various nutrient levels - not as useful for analyzing day by day as the Nutrition link in the phone/tablet app, but handy for longitudinal looks.

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