How to "calculate" your meal?

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sikes09
sikes09 Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
Hey people!

Most likely a stupid question:

When I am preparing my last meal for the day, finding the right portions of the single components.
I am using rule of three to find the perfect amount of food and macros, starting with proteins then carbs and fats are last.
This way, I am getting fairly close to my needed macros.

Problem is, that the calories of the last meal are perfectly fitting but the macros are sometimes a little off.
For example: I am getting more carbs than i should or more protein than I should at the cost of too little fat, but everything is blending in the calories nicely.

Now the question:
Is there an easier method of finding the right amount of food for my macros?
So I am receiving 100% needed macros.

Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks. :)

Replies

  • tequila5000
    tequila5000 Posts: 128 Member
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    Hmmm, I'm certainly not an expert on this, because I see this as a tricky predicament to solve, so my advice would be to try to hit your macro target over the course of a week. So for instance, if today you are "too high" on your carbs, then perhaps tomorrow you make an effort to have a bit fewer carbs, so that over the week, it would average out more to what your macro goal is.

    I hope that someone else will chime in and offer some better advice...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I personally wouldn't got through all of the trouble and hand ringing to hit your macros perfectly...use them as a guide. Where weight loss is concerned, calories are what is important, not macros.
  • snoringcat
    snoringcat Posts: 131 Member
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    I try to hit my protein macro, to ensure muscle repair after exercise (as well as hitting target calories as well of course!). Fat and especially carbs can fall where they will.
  • sikes09
    sikes09 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks people, that was some quick replies. :)
    I agree that 5g off are like nothing to be concerned about for the average lifter.

    Is there another method apart from rule of three?
    Hate having my calculator in the kitchen all the time
  • alwilkey
    alwilkey Posts: 14
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I personally wouldn't got through all of the trouble and hand ringing to hit your macros perfectly...use them as a guide. Where weight loss is concerned, calories are what is important, not macros.
    I think that is a matter of opinion still...

    snoringcat wrote: »
    I try to hit my protein macro, to ensure muscle repair after exercise (as well as hitting target calories as well of course!). Fat and especially carbs can fall where they will.
    This is exactly what I do. If you aren't hitting 100% because your fats are off, I would personally think that is something to smile about. If you are hitting your protein and you're eating lots of your veggies and fruits in your day, then most likely your fats will be low.
    For me, I like to make sure my WEEK is hitting goals...not necessarily my day to day. Sometimes I am too high on carbs, other days I am high on proteins...at the end of the week I like to look back and see that way. Sometimes I balance out, other times I'm off and I look to see what went wrong more in detail then go from there with a more achievable goal the next week. I've done tried dieting by tracking just my meals, then by daily and also by weekly. Weekly has by far helped me the most lose and not be depressed by the end of one bad meal or one bad day. Helps me see the overall goal.
    Hope this helps:)
  • tinascar2015
    tinascar2015 Posts: 413 Member
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    I'm also trying to stay in the ballpark with my macros, so I log my dinner or biggest meal first. Then breakfast, my favorite meal. I then tweak my lunch choices and snacks to get close to my macro numbers.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I only bother about my protein and try to hit 0.8g per lb LBM daily

    The rest can fall where it will, although I now keep half an eye on fats too
  • sikes09
    sikes09 Posts: 3 Member
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    Alright people thank you for all of your help! :)
    I am gonna go ahead now create a meal plan, splitting my daily cutting macros in three parts.
    I rather sit down, have this done for an hour instead of carrying my calculator around all day :D

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