Macros and Meal Planning

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smophielou
smophielou Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey thar -

I'm having some trouble matching my macros with my meal plans.

I'm looking for around 2000kcal a day from clean healthy foods. My macro split is about 40 -45% Carbs, 20 25% Fats, 30% Protein. I weight train 3 times a week following a full body workout for around an hour. I also will be doing a 45 min pilates session every tuesday eve.

I dont really take in hard carbs after around meal 4, tend to keep it to veg/lactose etc (I like to eat 6, the last ALWAYSSSS being cottage cheese! Yum!)

Can someone suggest a simple meal plan to help me fit my macros over the course of the day? Its carbs I struggle with, always able to hit my protein and fiber, fats are usually okay...

Trying to gain weight&muscle and it's really hard without the adequate calorific intake I get from my mashed up meal planning!

Any help/advice will be so very much appreciated!!!
Thanks xx

Replies

  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    Outside of planning meals to fit your life schedule or help with your athletic performance (which is dictated by personal preference i.e. some would rather train on an empty stomach and some can't), meal timing/frequency is irrelevant. There is no reason to eat 6 meals a day or limit carbs after meal #4. Overall caloric and macronutrient intake is the most important factor in building muscle, not meal timing or frequency.

    Get adequate protein. Hit your macros each day. Get enough sleep. Repeat.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
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    Outside of planning meals to fit your life schedule or help with your athletic performance (which is dictated by personal preference i.e. some would rather train on an empty stomach and some can't), meal timing/frequency is irrelevant. There is no reason to eat 6 meals a day or limit carbs after meal #4. Overall caloric and macronutrient intake is the most important factor in building muscle, not meal timing or frequency.

    Get adequate protein. Hit your macros each day. Get enough sleep. Repeat.
    Q4T
    and bold added for emphasis.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
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    Sorry I'm not much more help. I don't know anything about clean eating. But if it's carbs you need, is fruit clean? Popcorn? Yogurt? Potatoes? Rice?
  • smophielou
    smophielou Posts: 9 Member
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    Outside of planning meals to fit your life schedule or help with your athletic performance (which is dictated by personal preference i.e. some would rather train on an empty stomach and some can't), meal timing/frequency is irrelevant. There is no reason to eat 6 meals a day or limit carbs after meal #4. Overall caloric and macronutrient intake is the most important factor in building muscle, not meal timing or frequency.

    Get adequate protein. Hit your macros each day. Get enough sleep. Repeat.
    Q4T
    and bold added for emphasis.

    I know there's no need, I generally just tend not too. Protein in every snack - nommy. I'm kind of asking if anyone has any sample meal plans or a rough guide with macro breakdowns for me to follow - more so that I know I'm eating enough really...

    Thanks for your input though!
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
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    If you go to rippedrecipes.com, you can fill in you desired macros and it will give you recipes based on that. Does that help at all?
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    Have you estimated your TDEE? If your current goals are to build muscle and gain weight, you will need to be in a caloric surplus. How much of a surplus you are in above your TDEE will determine how fast you put on weight (not sure you would want to add mostly fat by dirty bulking at 1000+ calories over TDEE, but that's personal preference). A site like iifym.com can help ballpark your TDEE and bulking macros/calories (as well as breakdown macros per meal if that's your thing), but it isn't exact. You'll have to rely on trial and error.

    As far as meal plans are concerned, I can't help you there. I don't believe in them (although, I have been eating much of the same thing for over a month due to my current schedule). I'm sure others on the site can share some with you.
  • smophielou
    smophielou Posts: 9 Member
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    iifym.com is pretty good for macros etc, and rippedrecipes.com has some sweet ideas for meals. Just need to sort it into a plan!
    I was pretty much there with TDEE, it's just difficult sometimes to account for my activity levels - they change so much day-to-day!

    Yeah I guess I'm pretty anal about meal schedule/timing etc, but If i'm not, I just wont eat enough!
  • smophielou
    smophielou Posts: 9 Member
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    Does any one have any plans? or meal/snack ideas?
  • JessieSky
    JessieSky Posts: 79
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    If you go to rippedrecipes.com, you can fill in you desired macros and it will give you recipes based on that. Does that help at all?

    That looks like a great resource...thanks for sharing it :).
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
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    the rippedrecipies.com looks great. Thanks for the info. I've been following my macros this week since i saw a dietitian. It seems to be making so much more of a difference in terms of hunger and i know i am dropping weight already. Calorie count is about the same as i was following but the macros seem to be giving me a push. Hard to realize the importance of the recommendations of this site at times until you don't follow them!

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