A perfect day...

jenje46

I have been trying to figure how to have a perfect "eating" day (meaning to stay at the write calories, carbs, fats, protein, sugar, etc.) Does anyone have some examples of what a perfect, balanced 1200 calorie diet might look like?

SueInAz

One thing to keep in mind is that the MFP defaults for your macros, sugar, fiber, etc. are just guidelines. Personally, I found the protein goal to be too low and the carbs too high. Many people, myself including, have adjusted them to fit our eating styles, rather than adjusting our eating styles to meet those numbers.

vanessa40

I agree with Sue..i adjusted my macros also. Just remember everyone is different

cwolfman13

The default macro settings are just generic recommendations...they don't indicate "perfect"...many people adjust their macros to suit their needs. Personally since you're just getting started, I wouldn't worry about it and just hit your calorie targets...you can tweak things later.

AnnPT77

+1 to worry about the calorie goal first, then about getting your macros where you want them. For people without specific medical conditions or concerns, it's usually good to be over the default protein goal, and OK to be over the fat and sugar goals, as long as overall nutrition looks good, and you're hitting your calorie goal.

Once you're ready to start tweaking things, I'd suggest a process more than a meal plan:

Every few days, review your food diary. Look for things that contributed quite a few calories (relative to your goal), but that don't seem worth their calorie "cost" when you consider how nutritious, tasty, or filling they are. Reduce or eliminate those foods, replacing them with things that you enjoy, that better meet your objectives. Repeat this fine-tuning process until your way of eating is delicious, nutritious, and satiating for you.