Macros!

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stephaniemarie416
stephaniemarie416 Posts: 49 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone. So I have just began tracking my food again after a little hiatus and I'm loosely following "If If Fits Your Macros". (Even though I'm attempting to follow this plan, I still don't use it as a "free for all" and don't eat any fast food, eat limited highly processed food, etc...) Since I've been tracking again, I've noticed that I've been having a difficult getting the amount of protein I need in every day without getting up or or going over my fat macros. I know part of the problem is my lifestyle because I am "on the go" a lot between my jobs and school so I don't always get to eat "real" food. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can up my protein without overdoing it on my fat?

Here's a little more background info that may help.
-My macros that I actually try to follow are a little different than what my diary shows. They are : Fat 41g, Carbs: 160g, Protein: 102g
-I have just started tracking using MFP again yesterday so that's why my diary info is so limited. I know there isn't much for you all to see
-I have reached my target weight a while back and am currently looking to gain muscle while hopefully losing that last little bit of body fat I want to shed
-I do have protein shakes (or sometimes Quest Bars) every time I strength train which contain about 25g of protein when mixed with water, however I'd rather not rely on them every day to fit my macros

I'm looking for high protein, low fat options that i can eat daily. Ideally, they would not involve a TON of prep time. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions?

Replies

  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Personally, I'd recommend this:

    Have stuff you can fit in your purse. Bananas, protein bars, ect. Have healthier options when you're on the go.

    If you can sit down for a meal, do one giant food prep each week, or twice a week. Cook up some chicken (I have a great low fat buffalo chicken recipe that would go great on a salad if you're low carb). I just cooked up 2lbs of chicken that will be good for at least 8 meals for me; around four days. All I have to do is add them to whatever I want, and go out the door. Makes meal preps during the week when I'm busy so much easier.

    Definitely make time to prep food in advance, plan what you need for yourself, and to find portable options to keep on you all the time. This will help keep you on the wagon and making good choices in the long run.
  • stephaniemarie416
    stephaniemarie416 Posts: 49 Member
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    Thank you
  • stephaniemarie416
    stephaniemarie416 Posts: 49 Member
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    Thank you ! I love the idea of prepping a bunch of chicken during the weekend. I try to eat a lot of chicken since it's exactly what I am looking for (high protein, low fat) but I often run out of time to thaw, prepare, cook, etc.) I could definitely bring that to work to throw in a salad, wrap, etc.

    Just curious, do you eat protein bars? If so, which kind?[

    quote]
    Personally, I'd recommend this:

    Have stuff you can fit in your purse. Bananas, protein bars, ect. Have healthier options when you're on the go.

    If you can sit down for a meal, do one giant food prep each week, or twice a week. Cook up some chicken (I have a great low fat buffalo chicken recipe that would go great on a salad if you're low carb). I just cooked up 2lbs of chicken that will be good for at least 8 meals for me; around four days. All I have to do is add them to whatever I want, and go out the door. Makes meal preps during the week when I'm busy so much easier.

    Definitely make time to prep food in advance, plan what you need for yourself, and to find portable options to keep on you all the time. This will help keep you on the wagon and making good choices in the long run.
    [/quote]
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    Under IIFYM fat is a minimum, not a maximum. So is protein. After meeting these, you can get the remainder of your calories however you please.

    By the way, IIFYM is not a free for all. That is a common misconception. IIFYM still pushes getting a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables. It just doesn't demonize any particular food or nutrient, and allows for treats so long as all nutritional needs are met and your calorie limit can accommodate.
  • stephaniemarie416
    stephaniemarie416 Posts: 49 Member
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    Thank you for that clarification. I definitely misunderstood the concept of the macros being a minimum. I was wondering how people were able to make it work without ever going over any of their macros.

    I definitely do not think that IIFYM is a free for all, but it seems like some people who claim to follow it do, and often when I tell people I am trying to use IIFYM as my eating plan they just laugh and say "so you eat whatever you want.." which is absolutely not true.

    I love the concept of it though because I am not the type of person who has zero self control with food, but most of the "diets' i have tried just make me feel guilty and awful when I decide to eat a cupcake once every two weeks. I don't feel like that's a healthy way of living for most people, at least not psychologically.

    Anyways, thanks so much for offering up some insight on IIFYM for an inexperienced newbie! I've been slowly but surely figuring all of this out.
    Under IIFYM fat is a minimum, not a maximum. So is protein. After meeting these, you can get the remainder of your calories however you please.

    By the way, IIFYM is not a free for all. That is a common misconception. IIFYM still pushes getting a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables. It just doesn't demonize any particular food or nutrient, and allows for treats so long as all nutritional needs are required and your calorie limit can accommodate.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Options
    Thank you for that clarification. I definitely misunderstood the concept of the macros being a minimum. I was wondering how people were able to make it work without ever going over any of their macros.

    I definitely do not think that IIFYM is a free for all, but it seems like some people who claim to follow it do, and often when I tell people I am trying to use IIFYM as my eating plan they just laugh and say "so you eat whatever you want.." which is absolutely not true.

    I love the concept of it though because I am not the type of person who has zero self control with food, but most of the "diets' i have tried just make me feel guilty and awful when I decide to eat a cupcake once every two weeks. I don't feel like that's a healthy way of living for most people, at least not psychologically.

    Anyways, thanks so much for offering up some insight on IIFYM for an inexperienced newbie! I've been slowly but surely figuring all of this out.
    Under IIFYM fat is a minimum, not a maximum. So is protein. After meeting these, you can get the remainder of your calories however you please.

    By the way, IIFYM is not a free for all. That is a common misconception. IIFYM still pushes getting a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables. It just doesn't demonize any particular food or nutrient, and allows for treats so long as all nutritional needs are required and your calorie limit can accommodate.

    Always happy to help. I also strongly suggest these guys as a great source of knowledge -

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    In fact, this could be serendipity. Sarah posted this, just yesterday -

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

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