Calculating Macros On Your Busy Schedule

Counting macronutrients is an excellent starting point for a healthy, adaptable diet. Meal restrictions are based on the number of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats consumed, leaving you with a wide range of delicious options. When you don't have time to cook on a busy day, you can technically go to the drive-through for some fast food (if it fits your macros). However, be cautious because this adaptability may render your efforts ineffective.

Learning how to improve your eating habits in a way that fits your lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to achieve (and keep) the results you desire. While it may take a few weeks to optimize the process for your schedule, learning how to fit your diet into your life (rather than changing your life to fit your diet) is the smart way to see long-term results.

On the Go Macros Counting

Deciding to begin a healthy diet is a big step, but it is often the simplest. When you commit to a specific food-based lifestyle, such as macro counting, you may discover that sticking to the commitment is more difficult than you think.

You may spend the majority of your time at work in an office, be constantly running around between client appointments, or simply lack the energy or time to cook, making it difficult to stick to your macros. When you factor in the very real cravings for comfort food, snacking, and carb-heavy cheating, your macros become the furthest thing from your mind. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to simplify macro counting so that it becomes a natural part of your daily routine.

Have a Macro-Backup Strategy

Fast food may be easy to incorporate into your macros, but these meals will not necessarily help your body feel energized. Car food, while it may be a convenient option, will eventually kill your macro-counting diet. Learning a few hacks and tricks can help you avoid this and empower you to stick to a healthy meal plan despite your hectic schedule.

Look for nearby restaurants where you can order takeout and select a healthy option from their online menus. You can easily find something to eat for around $10 by looking at lunch specials and smaller portions, which are likely to be close to what you would spend at a fast-food restaurant.

When fast food is your only option, go to Taco Bell and order a Fresco Style taco or burrito to stay within your macro count.

Medium also compiled a fantastic list of healthy options available at other fast-food restaurants:

• Taco Bell – Chicken Burrito Supreme® and a Fruit Cup Chick-fil-A – Grilled Chicken Sandwich and a Fruit Cup

• Starbucks offers a reduced-fat turkey bacon and egg white breakfast sandwich as well as an unsweetened Grande iced coffee.

• Chopped Farmhouse Salad with Roast Turkey and a Roast Beef Classic from Arby's

• Chipotle – Burrito Bowl Counting Macros McDonald's – Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad and a Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait

When Going Out to Eat

Dining out is an essential component of many social interactions, such as getting together with friends or going on a date. It not only counts the calories from each food group, but it also ensures that you are getting enough healthy calories to avoid feeling tired and hungry.

Though this app is useful for counting macronutrients in all of your meals, it is especially useful when dining out. According to the Huffington Post, almost all restaurant entrees exceed the nutrition recommendations set by the United States Department of Agriculture. Excessive portion sizes can lead to poor dietary choices, all of which could have been easily avoided. Even if the dish you want to order is large, you can eat half of it at the restaurant and save the rest for another meal.

It not only counts the calories from each food group, but it also ensures that you are getting enough healthy calories to avoid feeling tired and hungry.

Create a List

Make a plan ahead of time to avoid arriving at a restaurant and discovering there are no healthy options available. Most restaurants post their menus online, giving you plenty of time to peruse them and find options before you arrive. You can also call ahead for the menu if they don't have it. You'll get better at recognizing which dishes you can and cannot eat as time goes on. In the meantime, as you order, make a list of restaurants and dishes that fit your macro count to make it easier the next time.

This trick also applies to food items purchased during a particularly hectic day, such as at a vending machine or a gas station while on the road. The longer your list grows, the easier it will be to stick to your macro count when you're in a rush or traveling.

At the Office, Counting Macros

Because you probably eat at least one meal at work every day, your work meals have a large influence on your diet. It is critical to ensure that the meal you pack for work fits within your macronutrient requirements and is made up of whole foods, foods that have undergone minimal processing and contain no additives or artificial ingredients.

Meal Preparation

It may appear to be a chore, but meal planning does not have to be stressful or time-consuming. You can make meal planning easier by doing the following:

• Make a shopping list so you know exactly what you need.

• Purchase the most recent ingredients available.

• Set aside a weekend day to prepare foods to package and freeze ahead of time.

• Freeze-prepared meals that can be cooked in a crockpot while you are away.

• In order to support your macro tracking, the Lifesum diet planning app can help you find meal plans that include natural and nutrient-rich ingredients. Once you've decided what you're going to make, you can go shopping and prepare enough food for a few meals that you can freeze and eat later.

This means you won't have to cook every day in order to get ready for work. You can also look for easy-to-cook meals that can be made in a crockpot or meals that don't require any cooking at all.

Macros Counting at Home

Just because you have a hectic schedule doesn't mean you don't have time to unwind and unwind. On a lazy day at home, you might spend a few hours in bed watching TV, which will most likely tempt you to pair your screen time with snack time. This has the potential to devastate your macro requirements. To avoid this, you should prepare by stocking your fridge and pantry with foods that contain more balanced macronutrients than typical snack foods, such as:

• Bananas

• Walnuts

• Eggs

• Low-sugar yogurt

Simple Recipes

Meal planning does not have to be a difficult task, nor does preparing a single macro-friendly meal at home. When you're hungry and need to prepare something for yourself, try making healthy meals with few ingredients. Fewer ingredients mean less prep, cook, and clean time, which means you can be back on your comfy couch eating a healthy meal in no time.

You can also prepare something that does not require cooking in your kitchen. When you don't want to cook, there are a plethora of recipes available. They typically include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

These recipes are great for snacks or meals; just remember to assess and track them using your macro calculator. Eating portioned meals is an important part of macro-counting, but it does not imply that you can eat whatever you want on the side.

Counting macronutrients can be a great way to incorporate a healthy diet into a healthy lifestyle, but it can be time-consuming at times. You can maintain your macro diet without sacrificing your busy schedule, social life, or downtime if you use the tools and resources available to you and have the right mindset.

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