Just hit your macros.

SideSteel · January 2015

Well technically you could do well just hitting your macros, but this post goes beyond that a bit. We posted this on our Eat Train Progress facebook group today but I wanted to add it here in case it helps a few people.

Tracking calorie and macronutrient intake is a fabulous tool that works quite well for some people. Since you're reading this on MyFitnesspal it follows that most of you are likely tracking intake.

Tracking is a great awareness tool but I do think it's important to not let tracking become the only tool that you use to regulate food intake. In my opinion, both for myself and for my online clients, building and/or establishing habits that are in alignment with your food intake is a great plan. Fortunately it's something that you can do WHILE you are tracking intake -- it's not an either/or scenario where you can EITHER track intake OR work on habits.

There's several habits that I think can be helpful and there's also plenty of context dependent ones that aren't going to be universally applicable. But some that I think are worth exploring would be regularity with fruit and fibrous vegetable intake, ensuring adequate protein intake both in terms of total daily intake but also establishing some regularity with protein feedings strictly for satiety purposes, limiting/monitoring discretionary calories to find the right balance of junk food without going overboard and yet also without entirely eliminating these foods, and I also find great value in managing food environment.

Certainly there's many other habits and the intent of this post isn't to list them all (not sure that's even possible given individual variability), moreover it's to bring about the concept.

Track intake to build awareness. Keep tracking if it's a good method for you by all means. But don't neglect to establish good food habits that make the process of hitting those nutrient targets easier. In many cases those habits can allow you to not track (should you choose to take a break from it or use habitual methods in the future) and in many cases you'll have a much easier time executing the plan.

That's my opinion on this for now anyways.

SuggaD · January 2015

I agree 100%. It's all about changing our relationship with food. If we learn good habits, tracking isn't necessary. I've been maintaining for a long time without tracking and I eat out a lot. I don't want to track for the rest of my life nor is it necessary. I also don't want to always think about everything I put in my mouth in terms of calories. I focus more on a way of eating which allows me to eat out often, indulge when i want.

Sabine_Stroehm · January 2015

Great post as always SS.

jgnatca · January 2015

I hear you. I am just back from my six month post-surgery appointment with my dietitian. I have good news all around on my progress. One challenge for for post-surgery bariatric patients is getting enough protein. I am easily hitting all my targets. I credit my diabetic training (which I take seriously), to always include protein in my meals and snacks. If protein is always there, I will always hit the target. Easy peasy.

Sabine_Stroehm · January 2015

Wow. After four hours I'm surprised this great post hasn't gotten more replies.

Phoenix_Down · January 2015

I lurve this post

Walter__ · January 2015

Good post.

Unknown · January 2015

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TimothyFish · January 2015

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

Wow. After four hours I'm surprised this great post hasn't gotten more replies.

Maybe because it takes four hours to read it.

whatyouwill · January 2015

Spot on post.

Many people seem to be so fixated on the tracking element that they lose sight of what good habit forming can do for you in the long run. The way I look at it, tracking is the best route towards successful habit forming (for me at least).

If I track 3 meals a day, with a snack, the likelihood is I will be more used to sticking to this . That's a good habit.

MelodyandBarbells · January 2015

So, track your calories and macros but also eat good?

Sued0nim · January 2015

I have half an eye on macros, but mainly on calories .. as long as my protein is busting through the 100g I feel fine about it all - the percentages meh, not so bothered

I know you're right - but I'm not there and don't think I'll ever be really

I've formed the good habits though I think

we'll see

jesiann2014 · January 2015

Intelligent. Knowledgable. Appreciable lack of sarcasm.
Thank you, SS. I hope this post reaches the new guys. There are people here who just wish to help.

hupsii · January 2015

Great post - I have an idea perhaps MFP can give you a star or something for any fruit and veg you are eating - sounds perhaps childish but would look nice in your diary ...

Liftng4Lis · January 2015

Awesome as usual SS!

MakePeasNotWar · January 2015

Thanks for the great post. I hope you don't mind if I quote you when the "macros vs healthy food" arguments come up (over and over, lol). I try to eat mostly nutrient dense "healthy" foods, splurge occasionally, but still mind my macros and I don't find the concepts hard to reconcile at all.

Eat, Train, Progress was one of the first groups I joined on MFP, and it's helped me immensely. Thanks to both you and Sarah for being awesome!

Sabine_Stroehm · January 2015

MakePeasNotWar wrote: »

Thanks for the great post. I hope you don't mind if I quote you when the "macros vs healthy food" arguments come up (over and over, lol). I try to eat mostly nutrient dense "healthy" foods, splurge occasionally, but still mind my macros and I don't find the concepts hard to reconcile at all.

Eat, Train, Progress was one of the first groups I joined on MFP, and it's helped me immensely. Thanks to both you and Sarah for being awesome!

Not hard at all to reconcile. Well put.

dopeysmelly · January 2015

This is a great post.

I personally found it really clicked when I started focusing on macros (+ fiber). Mentally, it meant I was "eating up" to meet my protein, fat and fiber targets, rather than "eating down" to a calorie target. I was adding healthy things into my diet, rather than taking away calories. It also makes the whole logging process more interesting IMO.

tulips_and_tea · January 2015

JaneiR36 wrote: »

So, track your calories and macros but also eat good?

In a way, yes. OP said: "Track intake to build awareness." I will add "Track intake (log here or wherever) to build awareness - NOT for dependency." Use tracking as a tool to teach yourself what foods fit your macros, proper portion sizes, and correct calorie intake. If you learn from it you don't necessarily HAVE to track forever.

I think this is important for everyone to know, particularly because I've seen many threads with the topic: "Am I going to have to log forever?!" No, not if you learn from tracking and teach yourself proper intake.

tulips_and_tea · January 2015

jgnatca wrote: »

I hear you. I am just back from my six month post-surgery appointment with my dietitian. I have good news all around on my progress. One challenge for for post-surgery bariatric patients is getting enough protein. I am easily hitting all my targets. I credit my diabetic training (which I take seriously), to always include protein in my meals and snacks. If protein is always there, I will always hit the target. Easy peasy.

Awesome! Glad your 6 month check-up went well. You are a very smart, determined person and as asset to these forums!

SideSteel · January 2015

JaneiR36 wrote: »

So, track your calories and macros but also eat good?

Yes but it goes beyond that unless "eat good" encompasses a huge variety of food related habits.

So for example one thing I would have people do would be to pay attention to the general structure/composition of their meals. Are you eating a mixed meal with adequate protein, enough food volume per calorie, an appropriate amount of fat intake for satiety but not so much that you're blasting through your calorie intake?

I would have people pay attention to whether they prefer a bit more carbs and less fat, or less carbs and more fat and how that impacts adherence and satiety and I'd structure food choices to align with that.

I'd have people pay attention to meal size and meal frequency and meal composition with respect to satiety to get some sort of regularity going with meal habits (note -- I'm not suggesting people need to all have the same frequency, I'm suggesting that some people do much better with fewer, larger meals and some people do better snacking). So I'd recommend diligently observing this relationship and trying to optimize it.

I'd have people utilize environmental strategies with food placement to reduce cravings and mindless eating.

There's all kinds of other behaviors and habits too.

So yes I think people also need to "eat good" but there are other food related behaviors that will vary from person to person but that will also impact satiety and adherence and make the process of maintaining a given calorie intake easier, when you discover how to optimize those variables to suit your preferences.

HeySwoleSister · January 2015

dopeysmelly wrote: »

This is a great post.

I personally found it really clicked when I started focusing on macros (+ fiber). Mentally, it meant I was "eating up" to meet my protein, fat and fiber targets, rather than "eating down" to a calorie target. I was adding healthy things into my diet, rather than taking away calories. It also makes the whole logging process more interesting IMO.

Fiber is a great target. At times when I have been not-too-focused on nutrition but wanting to eat better, I've played a little game with my diet where I aim for at least 30g of naturally occurring fiber per day. (So, no, supplements don't count) I'd almost always end up slimming down, not because fiber is some kind of space age miracle food that Dr. Oz will be selling in capsule form any day now (probably already is), but because foods that are naturally high in fiber also tend to be low in calories and fat and sometimes higher in protein. (whole grains, for example, are higher in fiber and protein than their refined white cousins)

The other "I'm not fussing" game I like to play is to try to include a large number of VARIETIES of vegetables and fruits in a given day. No, 5 servings of one veg vs 1 serving each of 5 different veg won't differ much calorically...but, it will deliver a wider range of micronutrients and also keep it in your mind to try to add more and more veg to your daily diet.

Sabine_Stroehm · January 2015

When I travel, which is unfortunately often, fiber is my mental target. It gives a great microcosmic view of ones diet. In a pinch.

Just hit your macros.

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