plan plan and plan. I found it helpful to log a bunch of stuff that I normally eat into a random day in the past, just to understand what the macro content is, kind of like an index of my normal menu...then, think about the day ahead of time and understand how all the puzzle pieces can fit into my targets. planning, and being prepared for each day is the key. meal prep helps immensely, and knowing ahead of time if you are going to splurge for a meal, so you can plan the rest of the days intake around that meal is always a plus.