micros? Yay or nay

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jbboom23
jbboom23 Posts: 15 Member
edited September 2020 in Health and Weight Loss
Have you found it more beneficial to count micros?

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  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    jbboom23 wrote: »
    Have you found it more beneficial to count micros?

    Generally speaking people count calories, some count macros, but micros are really only something you monitor either because you need to or because you enjoy it for some reason.

    Unless a doctor tells me I am low on something I just eat a variety of food and my micros take care of themselves.

    For macros I maintain a decently high protein level and I make sure to get a minimum of fat.

    Fiber is the other things I watch and I usually get from 45 to 90 most days.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    jbboom23 wrote: »
    Have you found it more beneficial to count micros?

    Not required for me at all, I have a varied and large diet so micros take care of themselves and I don't have any medical conditions that make specific micro-nutrients a priority or needing monitoring.
  • jbboom23
    jbboom23 Posts: 15 Member
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    I'm not a person to count micros either but I do see the benefits in it tho...maybe I'm too lazy.
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    I track fiber and calcium since MFP gives you five things you can look at, but I think trying to make your macros and micros perfect for every single day would be utterly exhausting. I do use the MFP report function to look mine over on occasion to make sure there are no glaring holes. Also, if I feel a bit off, I'll check them - my iron might be low. But for the most part, if you're eating a balanced diet, they'll average out.
  • durhammfp
    durhammfp Posts: 493 Member
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    I like keeping up with my potassium only because it is hard for me to get enough. Also, potassium-rich foods include a lot of the foods I want to increase anyway--like greens, fruit, veggies, oily seafood, dairy, etc.

    But I do *not* need to track micros to manage my weight.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,506 Member
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    I do spot-checks occasionally to see if I'm on track with any I'm particularly concerned about (calcium, potassium, iron, B12, sometimes others). Every once in a while, my doctor will test for B12 (I'm vegetarian), D (I live in the North), iron (just because). I supplement some of those per doctor recommendations, too (B12, D, calcium).

    Mostly, I rely on eating really lots of varied, colorful fruits and veggies. That's how I most enjoy eating anyway, and it tends to cover the micronutrient bases pretty well, as a bonus.

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