macro's vs meal plans

1morris_muscle

how many of you count macro's daily with various foods vs just having a meal plan to follow. curious how your results have been with each method.

AnnPT77

I have macro goals, minimums I try to exceed for protein and fat (literally don't care where carbs fall); eat boatloads of varied, colorful veggies and fruits which tends to put me well over micro/fiber needs that MFP tracks; and use a calorie goal as a guide, usually come close (I'm in maintenance, and calorie bank so I can indulge sometimes). I loosely pay attention to the mix of fats, too (mono- and poly-unsaturated, saturated; and Omega-3/Omega-6 balance).

Results? So far, so good. Weight loss from class 1 obese to a healthy weight happened in a bit less than a year (50-some pounds lost), and I've been at a healthy weight for 6+ years since. Athletic performance is about as adequate as I can expect for a li'l ol' lady age 66, and would predict from my level of training commitment. Health markers all looking good these days (had borderline to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, when I was obese; now they're all normal). My Garmin (laughably) estimates my fitness age as 20, and my VO2 max as 38 (not bad for a woman my age, especially one with early stage COPD).

I don't much care which foods I eat that add up to decent well-rounded nutrition at weight-maintenance calories. IMO, good overall nutrition is The Big Thing. I also think it would be tough to get to that without including a wide range of foods typically individually considered "healthy". But I don't eat foods I don't enjoy at least tolerably well (life is too short for that!), and do eat some less nutrient-dense treats.

I eat some chocolate nearly daily, the occasional rich dessert, pizza in amounts/frequencies that fit in, some adult bevs. Happiness is important, too. I don't eat meat or fish, but I haven't (not intentionally anyway!) for 47+ years, during which time I went from thin to fat to obese then back to thin again . . . so I think vegetarianism is not a trigger for weight loss or health, just another eating style that can have varied results depending on calories and nutrition.

I did this:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

I'm not saying that's the right approach for everyone (we're all individuals), but it worked/works fine for me, and that's the question you asked.

Lietchi

I lost weight purely looking at my calorie intake at first. After perhaps 6 months, I noticed my protein intake was low, so I increased that, but that's about all the macro planning I do since I naturally get enough fats and carbs aren't really relevant for me.

I just ate the foods I was used to, but by logging I did become aware of certain foods where the calorie to pleasure ratio was skewed and my choices shifted a bit (different proportions and /or frequency). My diet was pretty balanced to begin with, lots of home-cooked foods but also treat foods on a regular basis, within my calorie goal, since deprivation really isn't my thing.

Meal plans really aren't for me, flexibility and freedom is key for me. And even if I could manage following a meal plan for a few weeks or months, I certainly couldn't long-term. Which means it's not a viable strategy for me.

How well I did? Down 70+lbs from obese (August 2019) to mid-range normal BMI now and currently inching down very very slowly to a goal weight I have yet to discover. And it's been pretty effortless, since I still eat the foods I like and since I aimed for a slower rate of loss (more food while losing weight, yum 😉).

JBanx256

I'm not too keen on meal plans personally. I enjoy cooking and experimenting with different recipes and combinations of foods and coming up with meals that I'm going to enjoy without having someone who doesn't even know my preferences tell me to eat this much X with that much Y. I know my macro goals so work with the foods I like in combinations I like to achieve them. Flexibility and sustainability for me.