Confused on how much and what to eat

Generally, focus on calories first and then pick one other thing (like hitting your protein target, or hitting your fiber target). Trying to get everything JUST RIGHT isn't necessary and will drive you crazy.

If you want to, take your protein goal for the day, divide it by the number of meals you eat, and then try to get that. Personally, it's easier to just say to myself "I need to get a protein rich food in every meal." So maybe greek yogurt for breakfast, a bit of meat with lunch, and a larger serving of meat, fish, or chicken with dinner.

My focus is to hit my calories (most important) and hit fiber (because if I'm getting 25 g of fiber, I'm probably eating generally pretty well).

First of all, if you are just starting out, don't try to do everything at once! Maybe calorie counting is enough for now. Once you feel like you've mastered that, then pick a target macro and try to get that to the level you want. Perfection is not a good goal, it's a trap. You want to stick with this for the long haul, so baby steps!

Here's what I'm doing and it's been working for me. I'm only a few weeks in, but I'm finding this feels good and is super-helpful, rather than a burden.

What I eat:
I'm aiming for around 1700 calories a day at the moment, and I do 3 meals a day at around 340 cals each, trying for 20 grams of protein. I eat 3 snacks a day of around 150 calories each and aim for about 10 grams of protein. I find that with those goals, my other macros are taking care of themselves. My sodium is still a little high, but I don't want to stress myself out trying to be perfect today, so I'm focusing on meal planning to hit my calorie and protein targets. Once I've been successful with that for awhile, I will see my doctor again and see if sodium is something I need to worry about, if it continues to be a problem. Also, I will eventually drop my calorie targets, but for now, this is working for me and keeping me satisfied.

How I do it:
I'm busy but not a mom, but I find the best thing I can do to meet my goals is planning... Before I grocery shop I figure out what I want to cook for the week, and look at what nights I won't have time to cook or what days snacking might be tricky, then make sure I have leftovers for dinner, or a box of protein bars for the tricky snack days. When I get home from the grocery store I put nuts and snacks in portion controlled containers before I put them away. When I make dinner, I pack a small tupperware of crunchy vegetables for my lunch the next day. Then in the morning if I don't have another lunch option planned, I can toss in pre-portioned crackers, hummus and veggies, along with a babybel, and there's my lunch.


If you have time for baking and stuff, you can make your own protein bars, hummus, etc. If not, buy products that fit in your calorie targets.

usmcmp wrote: »

Jgirlzin76 wrote: »

Thank you I have about 40-50 pounds to lose but I have been trying 1200, but I think it may be to low. I will try what you said.

1200 is pretty low for most of us and is really difficult to stick to. 1 pound per week sounds painfully slow, but you'll be amazed at how much easier it can be to stick to.

This ^
Those pounds add up FAST. You'll find yourself in a routine, a few months have gone by and you're already over 10lb lost!! That's about 1/4 of your weight you're looking to lose. Not too shabby at all.