“Planning is key!” You have probably heard us here at Macrostax say this a thousand times before. Learn more about our top 5 reasons on why you should!
1. You’ll hit your macros all week long.
Planning your meals ahead of time really does help you get those green thumbs up. Do you remember starting the program and trying to hit your macros on that very first day? You probably logged foods you ate that morning, taking your best guess at the right portion sizes. Then, by the time you got to the end of the day, you realized you have not been getting enough protein and were already over your fats!
Planning your day on-the-fly usually never results in a perfect day of macros. That is because hitting your macros involves a lot of back and forth and adjusting serving sizes to make everything fit. Would you buy furniture for your house without measuring first? Didn’t think so. Plan ahead to guarantee you’ll hit your macros.
Macrostax makes this easy with our app’s meal-building tools like Custom Recipes, Custom Foods, and the food database. Don’t forget you can also use the Copy Foods tool to make planning easier for multiple days at a time. Even better than all these tools is our free nutrition coaching. If you ever want a nutrition coach to help you hit your macros, they are right there in the app, just a click away.
2. You’ll save money.
Nowadays, we all know how easy it is to press “Order Now” on DoorDash. Food comes right to our front door! Keep in mind, however, that tracking your macros can be extra tricky when you order out. Not only is it difficult to weigh and measure a finished dish, but you also do not have the full ingredients list. Many restaurants also add a lot of oil or butter for extra flavor, which means hidden fat macros for you.
Plan and prep your own meals at home, and not only will you be more accurate with your macros, but you will be able to save a lot more money (we see you, delivery fees!). Our app’s recipe library also contains hundreds of healthy and macro-friendly alternatives to common restaurant and comfort food favorites.
Lightened Up Cheeseburger Casserole
3. You’ll save time.
Have you ever started making dinner, and the next thing you know, it is almost 8 p.m. and you think, “Where did my evening go?” With macros planned out for the week, make your meals in advance so when that 6 p.m. dinner time hits, simply pull out your meal prep and reheat! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the dinner box too. You can literally save hours each day by meal prepping your breakfasts, snacks, and lunches, so you can get back to TikTok (ahem, we mean that important Zoom meeting)—or even get outside for a quick workout!
Check out some of our favorite timesaving, batch recipes below.
Peanut Butter Banana Protein Muffins
Southwestern Meal Prep Quinoa Bowls
4. You’ll have more variety in your meals.
Are your dinner rotations feeling a little repetitive? Wish you had something other than plain egg whites to finish your protein for the day? Planning ahead gives you the opportunity to explore all those new and exciting dishes you have been wanting to try … maybe even desserts!
Instead of plain chicken and veggies for dinner, log some Slow Cooker Ziti along with a slice of our Red Velvet Protein Cheesecake. How’s that for Italian night?
5. You’ll strengthen your mental game.
If you ever feel like you have had a hard time sticking to diets, you are not alone. A common misconception is that diets are just about cutting out “bad” foods and eating “good” foods. But Macrostax is a flexible and sustainable nutrition lifestyle. It is about building new habits that set you up for a better, healthier, and longer relationship with food—not exactly something you will accomplish in just a couple of weeks. Planning ahead is just one of the things that will set you up for success. (And remember, here at Macrostax, success is not a number on a scale. Success is the way you feel, the healthier choices you make, your small steps forward, your new achievements at the gym, your attitude … the list goes on!)
Let’s say you planned ahead one week at a time, three different times. That equals three weeks … almost an entire month under your belt of hitting your macros! They say it usually takes about a month for habits to start sticking. Imagine how quickly that first month will go by, and you will be on your way to achieving your BIG goals. So let’s kick things into gear. Pick a goal from one of the below:
- Goal 1: I will have tomorrow’s meals planned out ahead of time.
- Goal 2: I will have three days of meals planned out ahead of time.
- Goal 3: I will have one week of meals planned out ahead of time.
These represent different levels of goal-setting (there’s no right or wrong here). Select one that you think you can reasonably accomplish and start there. Accomplish that goal and celebrate your win! Then, repeat that goal and celebrate again, or try kicking it up a notch to challenge yourself. Just remember each new goal and action—no matter how small—is a step in the right direction.
With meal-planning on your mind, look no further than our Macrostax Meal Guides. These downloadable PDFs include:
- 5 pre-planned meals a day for 1 month
- Recipes that are included in the app
- Weekly shopping lists
- Macro-hitting tips from our nutrition coaches
Check out our regular 30 Day Meal Guide, or the Meal Prep Edition with printable recipes!
