10 Tips For Macro Diet Success
10 Tips For Macro Diet Success
So you're ready to get serious about your macro diet plan, and you can't wait to see your body transform, but you need a little help to nail those macro numbers. It can be hard at times, but knowing the simple ways of solving your daily food math calculation can be a game-changer. When you struggle coming up with macro numbers, you'll mentally and physically fail before ever seeing the amazing results macro tracking can bring.
It's no secret I love macro tracking. It has ultimately saved me from binge eating. Years ago, I began competing in fitness competitions. I was on a very restrictive diet for months on end. I would get super lean, step on stage, and then come back off the stage and eat everything in sight. I'd sign up for another show, jump right back onto restrictive eating, compete, and begin the binge all over again. It was a vicious cycle I partook in for years. Yes, I was lean and very successful with my competitions, but it ultimately destroyed my metabolism.
I was miserable. I had a terrible relationship with food, and I isolated myself from loved ones to stick with my diet. Once I began binge eating, I would go up in weight, feel horrible, and started mentally destroying myself. I knew there had to be a way to enjoy food again, love my body, and still have success with fitness competitions. Here's where macro tracking saved me. I was very skeptical when it was first introduced to me, but I will be forever grateful that I jumped in, with both feet, and quickly saw amazing results, all while enjoying food again.
I have to admit; I was terrible at it when I first began. When I first started, I never met my macro totals for the day. I was always extremely under with the macros I needed, total proof that I was previously living on a stringent diet, and I was slow at changing my ways. Then I began hoarding my numbers all day, and then go on a frenzy at night trying to meet my daily macros. It took me several weeks of many errors to finally learn the macro tracking ways. Once I settled into tracking, I was utterly amazed at how well my body reacted to these newfound food staples I was allowing myself to have. I can't say enough how much macro tracking has saved me both mentally and physically. I no longer avoid the foods I crave and love. I love having dinner out with my loved ones and no longer avoid get-togethers, all to stick with my goals.
In this journey, I've learned simple ways to get on track, stay on track, and meet all of my macro goals daily, without stress or frustration. I'm glad you're here so I can show you the easy ways to achieve your macro goals. It takes patience and consistency. I can promise you; it's well worth it, so stick with it. You'll soon see why so many love macro tracking. There will be days where you nail your macros and other days you don't, but it's those that get right back on track that succeed.
Use these simple tricks I've learned throughout my journey with macros to help ease you into it. Every little trick will help you tremendously with your calculations. You'll figure out smart ways on your own too. The possibilities are endless, and that's the beauty of macro tracking.
#1-TRACK EVERYTHING
The main point of macro tracking is, well, tracking! From everything you eat to everything you drink, all calories and macros have to be logged. Your macros should be calculated for your exact body type and specific goals. Therefore, you can't be lax with your macros. Your body requires a certain amount of carbs, proteins, and fats. If you're not tracking what you're consuming, there's no real way for you to know what you're consuming. If you're going over your total calorie intake, your body will not lose weight. If you're coming under your protein intake and doing a lot of exercising, your muscle mass will not grow. The magic in macro tracking is that it is specialized for you and what your body needs.
#2-TRACK AHEAD OF TIME
One of the ways to make macro tracking extremely difficult is to track as you go. I had to learn this the hard way. There I'd be at ten o'clock at night trying to get all of the macros in. I would be stressed, and I'd end up gorging food before heading to bed. Do yourself a favor and track the night before, so you know exactly what you need to eat and when you need to eat. By doing so, you'll make macro tracking a breeze. You will know what to pack with you on the go, or what to order if you have to eat out. Macro tracking gives you a lot of food freedom, but it does require planning to stay on track.
#3-PREP YOUR FOOD
To simplify your macro dieting game, buy your groceries in bulk, so you're stocked up and ready to prep your food. I like to buy big packs of chicken breast so I can bake a big pan on Sunday nights, place them in containers, and put them in the refrigerator, so I have no excuse not to meet my protein grams daily. Clean and cut up your fresh fruits and veggies and put them in containers or baggies so when you're feeling super hungry, you have food ready to eat and prevent you from grabbing a bag of chips. Can you tell I've been through this before? I've written an article all about how I prep my food for the week. Feel free to read it to give you easy tips to get your macros ready to consume.
#4-STICK WITH MAIN FOODS
Now, I'm a creature of habit and can literally eat the same exact same thing, every single day. However, many people struggle with that and need change. But to make life easier, stick with the staples that you not only enjoy, but ensure that you reach your macro goals. If you know that grilled chicken and veggies for dinner, keep you on track because you like to enjoy a few extra snacks in the evening, continue with that. If you need a change, swap out your protein source, but keep the serving size the same, depending on protein grams. Once you get the skeleton of your macro tracking needs, you'll easily pop different foods in and out, making life a whole lot easier.
#5-LOOKUP MENUS AHEAD OF TIME
One of the many luxuries of macro tracking is the freedom to eat out. However, restaurants can be a disaster when trying to stay on track with your weight loss goals. Temptations are everywhere. To be able to stay on point with your macros, look at the menu before you even head out the door. Decide on what meal you'll be having that helps you reach your macros. If you don't plan ahead of time and show up to eat super hungry, you'll quickly blow all of your macros for the day. Of course, we want to eat what we want, when we want it, but to reach our goals, we have to work on meeting our macros. Unlike most diets, we have to recognize that we're still able to eat the foods we crave, but within the boundaries of what our bodies need.
#6-AVOID THE BINGE FEST
You'll find there are times when you fall off the weight-loss bandwagon and splurge on foods that go way over on our designated macros. You'll have a Saturday night where you start gorging on everything in sight. It's ok. You're human. However, there's one thing I want you to remember, and that is to move on from it. You'll do it, but the only way to overcome it is to get right back on track. Now, you don't want to make this a bad habit but know ahead of time that it's possible. I found that allowing myself to have a treat every day tends to keep away from falling prey to binging anymore. This leads me to the next point.
#7-80/20 RULE
Like I just said, you need to avoid restricting yourself from every food you enjoy eating. Restriction leads to binging. So if you have a sweet-tooth, be sure to allot enough macros to allow you to enjoy a sweet treat when you can. I eat 80% of diet from fresh and lean sources, but I fit in 20% of my daily diet to be things that I crave, like cereal. Now, keep in mind, the cleaner you eat, the better you'll feel, but the point of macro tracking is so you can eat well, but still have foods that you've always loved. At night, I plug in all my food, for the following day, into my tracker, putting my snacks in first. Yes, first. I want to be sure I can have them, no matter what. Then I build the rest of my meals around those snacks.
#8-PROTEIN POWDER
Protein tends to be the hardest macro for most to reach. Carbs and fats are super easy for me to consume, that's for sure! Protein is critical when it comes to weight loss and sculpting a better body. Here's where I find a protein shake for lunch or breakfast helps me reach my protein goal. They are super handy when you're busy and on the go. All you need is a bottle of water and a shaker cup, and you're ready to go. You can blend them up with ice and fresh fruits and veggies. The possibilities are endless. I do not recommend using them to replace the whole, natural food sources, but they are perfectly fine for quick meals, once or at the most, twice a day. Remember, you need to track everything you put in your shake.
#9-SWAP YOUR SWEETENERS
You can save a ton of calories by using artificial sweeteners, fat-free creamers, and greek yogurt dressings. Look for ways to cut back on your calories by choosing a low-calorie option. Now, if you're sensitive to sweeteners, you can choose things like honey to sweeten up your foods. Artificial sweeteners can bloat some, so choose wisely. I don't recommend drinking soda, but if you're trying to cut back on your calorie intake to lose weight, and you're currently drinking sugary sodas, switch to diet soda. I'm not an advocate for diet foods, but if you're struggling with switching up your eating habits, start by using this technique. I am a big advocate for taking baby steps to lifestyle changes.
#10-CONSISTENCY
Like anything else, you have to be consistent. You can't do macro tracking Monday through Friday, and then wing it all weekend and expect results. You won't get any. You have to give your body a chance to respond to your diet efforts. If you're yo-yo dieting, your body will not react the way you'd hoped. When you're going by individual macro totals, you'll never know if your numbers are set correctly if you're always going on and off the diet. To understand what numbers work best for you and your body type, you must be consistent with your macro tracking. It takes time and patience to meet your weight loss goals, and the more closely you follow your macro tracking, the quicker you'll reach all of your goals. Commit to your goals and your macros, and your body will reward you!
Create a Nutrition Tip board on Pinterest, and pin this now! There will be days when you need a little guidance and support to keep your weight loss going!
I hope this has given you some helpful insights on macro tracking. Many people begin tracking and feel completely overwhelmed. They feel like tracking all of their meals becomes a full-time job, and it can be if you're not tracking wisely. Make a point every evening to take time to plan your following day out. Like everything, what you give the most attention to, will work the best. Beginning a healthy lifestyle takes time and patience and not throwing in the towel when it gets tough.
You'll win at reaching your goals if you continuously show up to better your health. Macro tracking will show you that no foods are off-limits, just the amount you're consuming. Embrace the challenge. You have a math equation every day that requires you to solve it. Make it fun. Try new foods, eat the foods you always thought were off-limits. Allow yourself to mess up, but learn how to get right back up and brush it off. That's fitness. It's a whole lot of doing things right and doing things wrong — the only difference between the ones that succeed and the ones who don't are consistency. If you consistently show up to track your macros and move your body, however you prefer, you'll succeed at your weight loss efforts.
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Aimee Schwinabart is the founder of The Purely Fit—online workouts, nutrition, and fitness coaching that actually work! She specializes in short (super effective) daily workouts combined with customized nutrition plans to help real people shed excess fat to reveal toned, lean muscles. The Purely Fit approach to looking and feeling great prioritizes small, steady, super efficient workouts and nutrition upgrades to help you stay with it once and for all!
