How do you create a daily meal plan that meets your macros?

mommasharn58
mommasharn58 Posts: 6 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I am struggling with doing this. How do you find meals/snacks that all balance out to make sure you get your goal of fats, carbs and protein? It seems like every food I find is good on two of the categories, but will push me over the edge on one of them. Help!! And thanks.

Replies

  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
    I focus on calories and do my best on the rest. I don't obsess on the other macros. Personally, I'm trying to work on upping my fiber for my only digestion issues but the rest is no big deal to me.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    YOLO
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    Try planning out your protein first.

    With roughly 5 meals and a 100 gram protein target I need some protein every time I eat and usually at least one meal with chicken breast or turkey.

    Some fat usually tags along with many protein foods. Then figure out the rest.

    My usual evening snacks flex sometimes to fill in gaps; non-fat Greek yogurt, low-fat popcorn, sometimes beef jerky or raw almonds.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    It doesn't matter if you go over...as long as you get to the goals.

    For me I hit protein the rest I don't care.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I prelog my food for the whole day. I look at calories first and then protein and don't really worry about the rest. I am often under on carbs and a bit over on fats.
    You don't have to exactly hit every macro goal. They are suggested amounts. It won't keep you from losing weight as long as you have your calories right.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    edited May 2016
    You don't have to hit every macro goal. If you are trying to lose weight, the calories are the most important goal. I agree with the above poster that planning with protein is a good way to start. Eat plenty of lean meats and healthy vegetables and fats every day within your calorie goal, and it should all work out. Once you learn to start eating healthier foods, you can start tweaking amounts to try to get closer to your macro goals.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    I'm like the others above. I care about my calories and my protein. I try to stay lower on fat in general due to gallbladder issues. But all I care is hitting the protein (and I always struggle to do it).
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    Add me to the list! Calories and protein are my main concerns. I've recently started paying a bit more attention to the other two, but for the first year, those goals may as well have not been listed for as much attention as I paid them! Even now it's more out of a sort of curiosity/challenge that I see if I can hit my carbs and fats.. it doesn't really matter to me because I've been really successful while ignoring them.
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    Echoing others with pre-logging. It takes time to figure out what works for you as far as food choices go. Think about foods you like, your protein goals, in particular. Try to hit the protein goal, then adjust carb and fat intake accordingly. You can do the latter by switching to lower-fat meats and high fiber foods.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Being over on protein and fat is fine for me. Honestly I only look at protein really... so I just plan my main meals and pick my snacks to meet my macros.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I mostly focus on getting the protein right (hitting my minimum) and don't worry about the others If I found I was feeling hungrier on higher carb days (or higher fat days--more likely for me), then I'd focus more on that.

    In any case, what I think works is to eat how you normally do, and then see how you did. If low on something, think about ways to add more, including looking at where you were super low (if you get no protein at breakfast or in snacks, for example, or too little at lunch). If high (for example, cutting carbs), think of ways to reduce and replace with other things. Often this is a matter of adjusting a meal that is unbalanced (I think many people tend to eat high carb, low protein breakfasts) or reducing portions of one thing (say, rice) while increase portions of something else (say, your meat or other protein course).
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Are you trying to hit your goals overall or trying to hit percentages with every meal? Aim for gram goals for protein and fat and those are daily minimums. Then do whatever you want with carbs (i.e., let them be your remaining calories or eat a combo of carbs plus more fat/protein to use up your calories.) Focus on how it all sits at the end of the day, not how each meal/food plays out.
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