How strict are you with macros?

Blacktie.

So personally I've never been too strict. I've tryed counting my macros before but it quickly becomes problematic when eating out or buying certain foods that don't come with nutritional info so it kind of falls apart. Though I've never really been on a cut so I never considered it important. I do however track my protein intake and try to keep it about 1g/lb even if this does overshoot how much I really need.

So do you have macro goals and if so how strict are you with hitting them?

Does it have a big impact on your day to day life and do you feel it greatly effects the gains you make?

And lastly do you think it's more important on a bulk or a cut?

ronanc15

I'm relatively strict with my macros.

It has impacted my day to day in that I need to do a little bit more planning and preparation but hey, nothing worthwhile is ever easy!

And yes, for me, it has had a dramatic effect on my body composition/gains/training/mentality.

xgtdec

Im not strict at all, im a believer in concentrating on the quality of my food rather than macros, Obviously i eat high protein etc, but overall i find high quality food and no alcohol coupled with changing up my training every 6 weeks does the job for me.

harvester of sorrow

Used to be very "loose" with counting macros before and used to only concentrate on protein,and hence my gains in size or strength where very poor to say the least.
Nowadays im way more strict on hitting my daily macro targets on all 3,and i have seen a huge improvement in strength,recovery.

spodoinkle

Strict enough but everything I eat seems to fall in and around at the end of the day, I aim for at least 180p around 50-70f and the rest carbs, depending on if Im aiming for a deficit or surplus, foodwise Im not strict at all, I usually have a large bowl of cereal/ice cream/pop-tarts in the evenings.

Blacktie.

For people whoa re strict how do you deal with eating foods that don't have nutritional info?

I assume you're measuring everything you cook and then portioning it off?

Stench Blossoms

Blacktie. wrote: »

For people whoa re strict how do you deal with eating foods that don't have nutritional info?

I assume you're measuring everything you cook and then portioning it off?

What kinda foods?

I'm fairly strict. I aim to have my protein goal met everyday but I'm not hugely concerned if I'm over/under with fat or carbs (usually if I'm over one I'm under the other).

Inspector Coptoor

I'm very strict at the moment.

Keeping carbs under 20g per for 9 days, then a refeed.
Lipid is 90g
Protein is 290g

I weigh everything I cook at home & when I eat out I get food with like as few ingredients as possible.

Yesterday I had lunch out & had chicken breast & broccoli.

After a while you get good at looking at a portion of food & estimating quite accurate portions.

thegreatiam

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

I'm very strict at the moment.

Keeping carbs under 20g per for 9 days, then a refeed.
Lipid is 90g
Protein is 290g

I weigh everything I cook at home & when I eat out I get food with like as few ingredients as possible.

Yesterday I had lunch out & had chicken breast & broccoli.

After a while you get good at looking at a portion of food & estimating quite accurate portions.

Do you track it anywhere? Id like to see the 9 day plan if you have it

Blacktie.

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

What kinda foods?

I'm fairly strict. I aim to have my protein goal met everyday but I'm not hugely concerned if I'm over/under with fat or carbs (usually if I'm over one I'm under the other).

For example there's these chicken tortilla wrap things that the local butchers do. I have a few a week as a snack but I have no idea about the nutritional content. There's a bit of cheese, a bit of chicken, some kidney beans and then the tortilla wrap. I couldn't even begin to estimate how much each part breaks down to. And then there's dinner back at the folks house. I think my mother bribes me with food to visit fairly often!

Keeping carbs under 20g per for 9 days, then a refeed.
Lipid is 90g
Protein is 290g

I have no idea how you keep carbs under 20g. Sounds pretty horrible but I have heard the benefits. I try to minimise carbs by keeping bread and rice to a minimum. I don't eat pasta anymore.

After a while you get good at looking at a portion of food & estimating quite accurate portions.

How long did it take you get good at eyeballing portion sizes?

thegreatiam

Blacktie. wrote: »

How long did it take you get good at eyeballing portion sizes?

5/6 minutes ish ;-)

start weighing every thing for a week. if you buy a wrap to eat then take it apart and weigh it.

soon you'll know what 15g of cheese looks like, or 150g of chicken. It's pretty easy to do.
If youre in the butcher then you can ask him whats in it (if they make it on site)
things like tortilla are pretty standard. 7"/8" usually, 9" and 10" versions are pretty big.

It's all just practice.

Inspector Coptoor

thegreatiam wrote: »

Do you track it anywhere? Id like to see the 9 day plan if you have it

Picture should be attached there

Inspector Coptoor

I cant answer the question on eyeballing food any better than that.

Buy yourself a digital weighing scales would be my top tip

Blacktie.

thegreatiam wrote: »

start weighing every thing for a week. if you buy a wrap to eat then take it apart and weigh it.

soon you'll know what 15g of cheese looks like, or 150g of chicken. It's pretty easy to do.
If youre in the butcher then you can ask him whats in it (if they make it on site)
things like tortilla are pretty standard. 7"/8" usually, 9" and 10" versions are pretty big.

Not a bad idea actually. Never considered breaking it up.

thegreatiam

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Picture should be attached there

Thanks, I had managed to get down to 50g of carbs for the last week, aiming at 30g. Was just curious as to how others were doing it.

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Buy yourself a digital weighing scales would be my top tip

lidl had a good one for less than €20 recently, may still be around. If not argos does a good one cheap.

Stench Blossoms

I am brutal at the eyeballing thing so I generally just cook my own food so I know exactly what I'm eating.

That's not to say i don't ever eat out. I usually have a cheat meal a week where I've no idea of the macros or calorie amount BUT I wouldn't be eating anything too 'bad'.

avfc1874

thegreatiam wrote: »

Thanks, I had managed to get down to 50g of carbs for the last week, aiming at 30g. Was just curious as to how others were doing it.




lidl had a good one for less than €20 recently, may still be around. If not argos does a good one cheap.

i bought one of the digital ones from argos, its great, really accurate, after a while you can more or less quess the weight of food just by eye balling it. but its great to have

mdwexford

Bought this one yesterday for €15, seems excellent.
Loving being able to track exactly how much food im eating.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/8422219/Trail/searchtext%3EKITCHEN+SCALES.htm

Blacktie.

How do you handle sauces on foods? Because there's always going to be some left on the plate or left in the pan... Just take a bit away from the packet amount?

Inspector Coptoor

I use a sauce like Frank's Hot Sauce.
So few kcals you can ignore it completely.

Blacktie.

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

I use a sauce like Frank's Hot Sauce.
So few kcals you can ignore it completely.

But what if using some marinade you got in a shop thats one or two hundred calories? Or is that the only sauce you use?

Inspector Coptoor

I use some marinades, usually tomato based with not many kcals.

On a cut, I'd be using spices & franks only

dor843088

Franks hot sauce , 1cal cooking spray, herbs , spices, garlic powder, doritos salsa dip . All godsends when on a cut.

Inspector Coptoor

dor843088 wrote: »

Franks hot sauce , 1cal cooking spray, herbs , spices, garlic powder, doritos salsa dip . All godsends when on a cut.

Nutrition
Typical values per 100g
Energy 141kj
Energy 33kcal
Protein 1.2g
Carbohydrate 6.6g
of which sugars 4.1g
Fat <0.1g
of which saturates<0.1g
Fibre 1g
Sodium 0.55g

Much better profile than I thought actually.
Cheers, didnt even think to use it.

Only downside is the jars are 300g, I can usually never put the top back on one of them!

dor843088

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Nutrition
Typical values per 100g
Energy 141kj
Energy 33kcal
Protein 1.2g
Carbohydrate 6.6g
of which sugars 4.1g
Fat <0.1g
of which saturates<0.1g
Fibre 1g to
Sodium 0.55g

Much better profile than I thought actually.
Cheers, didnt even think to use it.

Only downside is the jars are 300g, I can usually never put the top back on one of them!

I put it on a lot of things tbh sambos wraps and the like. Try the spicy one with chicken , rice, veg , garlic powder and chilli powder. Tastes like chinese food.