IIFYM

Best tip I could possible give you is that you don't need to hit all your macros every day. People have ruined IIFYM by making others think that's even remotely necessary to hit all 3 macros on the nose. Before the acronym IIFYM was coined on bobdybuilding.com that method of eating was known as flexible dieting. People were too dumb to figure out macros on their own so the IIFYM calculator was born. That was when the flexibility came out of flexible dieting. The truth is, you don't need a carbohydrate target. The way IIFYM was originally (and meant to be) practiced worked like this. You established a calorie goal, you established a protein minimum, you established a fat minimum. To have a successful day you simply had to stick to your calorie level while eating at or above your protein level and at or above your fat level. Carbs were flexible depending on if you wanted more fat or protein that particular day. It's a little harder to explain then using the calculator is but its SOOOO much more flexible.

I have a full playlist of YouTube videos I made explaining how to set your own macros without the calculator and track them the way I explained. It completely removes the need to meal prep or spend time trying to figure out what to eat. The idea of the IIFYM in the first place was to make things easier and now a days people have overcomplicated so much its actually become quite restrictive.

Playlist: http://goo.gl/zqIv6H

Just so I'm getting this correct, carbs are irrelevant??

No, they are relevant in terms of meeting your calorie goals. For example, I maintain weight at around 3000 calories. My protein minimum is 180 grams. My fat minimum is 80 grams. If you add up the calories those minimums make I wind up with 1440 calories. So if my goal is 3000 calories I have 1560 left. I can eat protein, carbs or fat to fill those remaining calories. If I choose to use my entire surplus of calories for carbs I can (that would be 390 carbs). But if I want 220 grams of protein and 85 fat on a particular day, I can. I simply eat less carbs to compensate. Carbs aren't irrelevant using this method, they are simply flexible. The only things I must do every day are meet the protein and fat minimums and stay within my calorie goal.

Just so I'm getting this correct, carbs are irrelevant??

No, they are relevant in terms of meeting your calorie goals. For example, I maintain weight at around 3000 calories. My protein minimum is 180 grams. My fat minimum is 80 grams. If you add up the calories those minimums make I wind up with 1440 calories. So if my goal is 3000 calories I have 1560 left. I can eat protein, carbs or fat to fill those remaining calories. If I choose to use my entire surplus of calories for carbs I can (that would be 390 carbs). But if I want 220 grams of protein and 85 fat on a particular day, I can. I simply eat less carbs to compensate. Carbs aren't irrelevant using this method, they are simply flexible. The only things I must do every day are meet the protein and fat minimums and stay within my calorie goal.

I would further add to both excellent posts that one's macro goals are also going to be dependent on certain performance and fitness goals. For example, a marathon runner is going to have an optimal macro ratio that is much different from a body builder. Contrary to popular belief due to the basterdization of the entire concept, there is no singular, optimal macro ratio...thus the YOUR in IIFYM.