Question about planning your meals

jmr5681
jmr5681 Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do you plan your meals, snacks to keep you Macros and Nutrients in balance throughout the day? Usually I eat more protein in the morning and less carbs toward the end of the day. I also try to use only about 80-85% of my daily calories.

Replies

  • AwesomeOpossum74
    AwesomeOpossum74 Posts: 106 Member
    Not I. I eat what I want. I don't want to get strict on what I allow myself to eat, as that would make the process not fun. Mostly just count the calories and exercise in the app. I do, however, try to veer for the more healthy options at times; baked or grilled vs. fried; veggies instead of fries.

    If my calorie deficit is pretty big I might grab one of my kids for an ice cream run, but this happens maybe once every couple of weeks.

    I also take multivitamins to supplement my nutrient needs.
  • jmr5681
    jmr5681 Posts: 24 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    No, I don't try to be balanced throughout the day -- my goal is just to meet my nutritional needs overall.

    Is there a reason why you only want to use 80-85% of your calories?

    I am trying to lose weight about .5 lbs per week and even only using 80-85% I am not really hungry. I still eat enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner and still eat good amount of snacks.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,893 Member
    jmr5681 wrote: »
    Do you plan your meals, snacks to keep you Macros and Nutrients in balance throughout the day? Usually I eat more protein in the morning and less carbs toward the end of the day. I also try to use only about 80-85% of my daily calories.

    Yes, since I realized protein satiates me more than carbs, when I create new meals or snacks I prelog so I can look at the protein/carbs mix and tweak as needed. Also, some carbs can make me sleepy so I save them for the end of the day.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I plan in order to eat balanced and tasty meals and not too much; I don't track nutrients anymore because I have learnt what constitutes balanced meals, and I weigh myself daily so I know I'm eating enough but not too much. I aim to reserve around 10% of my calories for treats too.
  • jmr5681
    jmr5681 Posts: 24 Member
    All very helpful so far, thank you.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,012 Member
    Nutritionally, I just try to hit my minimum protein and fat goals daily, and eat 5+ minimum servings of veg/fruit (preferably 10+) every day. I don't worry about when I eat which things, for nutrition. But satiation-wise, I've found I do better if I get a solid amount of protein in each meal, and some volume.

    I've seen some research suggesting aging people might benefit from spreading protein through the day, which might make me inclined to do that just to bet the odds (I'm 62), but I'm already inclined that way for satiation anyway.

    Hunger may not be your best guide about whether you're eating enough calories - for most of us who gained weight in the first place, our satiation signals may not be super duper reliable guides. Better rule of thumb, IMO, is not to lose more than 1% of your bodyweight weekly on average, and less than that as you get somewhere within 25-50 pounds of goal.

    I accidentally under-ate for a while (MFP underestimated my calorie needs), and felt great . . . until I didn't. Then it took a few weeks to recover from the weakness and fatigue, even though I'd corrected intake as soon as I realized I was losing too fast. Be careful! :)
  • jmr5681
    jmr5681 Posts: 24 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Nutritionally, I just try to hit my minimum protein and fat goals daily, and eat 5+ minimum servings of veg/fruit (preferably 10+) every day. I don't worry about when I eat which things, for nutrition. But satiation-wise, I've found I do better if I get a solid amount of protein in each meal, and some volume.

    I've seen some research suggesting aging people might benefit from spreading protein through the day, which might make me inclined to do that just to bet the odds (I'm 62), but I'm already inclined that way for satiation anyway.

    Hunger may not be your best guide about whether you're eating enough calories - for most of us who gained weight in the first place, our satiation signals may not be super duper reliable guides. Better rule of thumb, IMO, is not to lose more than 1% of your bodyweight weekly on average, and less than that as you get somewhere within 25-50 pounds of goal.

    I accidentally under-ate for a while (MFP underestimated my calorie needs), and felt great . . . until I didn't. Then it took a few weeks to recover from the weakness and fatigue, even though I'd corrected intake as soon as I realized I was losing too fast. Be careful! :)

    Thanks. What I mainly cut out is anything that they sell in vending machines and also sweet stuff like pies, cakes, ice cream and chocolate. I was 225 lbs in December and before even starting MFP I lost 10 lbs (over 5 months) just cutting those things out. I just want to lose another 10 lbs and then maintain my weight. MFP mainly helps me to be conscious about what I eat.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    edited July 2018
    A little. I tend to try to have a little protein every time i eat, and veg or fruit too.

    The thing that helps me with weight loss is to have lighter meals in the morning and a big heavier meal at night because I am always starving at night( no matter what I eat during the day).

    If I do not do that, I always overeat at the end of the day when I am really hungry.

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