When life gets in the way, how do you stay on track? Don’t let a busy schedule stop you from reaching your goals. Here are our top three tips for hitting your macros no matter what! 

1. Plan, Plan, Plan Ahead

It may sound cliché, but the TRUE secret to macro success is planning ahead! Logging your meals and snacks in advance takes that last minute guesswork out of hitting your macros. It also prevents under- or over-eating throughout the day, so your dinner isn’t a super-sized meal for four or a few crackers.

Would you ever approach a work project or trip without a little bit of prep? Why should your nutrition be any different? If you need some help getting started, try making a few small changes such as: 

• Aim to always have tomorrow’s meals logged before you go to bed. For a food scale that’s functional and affordable, here’s one we recommend.
• Use our “Copy Food” feature to fill in your week using pre-planned days as a template
• Use our recipe filters to find meals – search for high protein, quick combo, slow cooker, kid friendly and more!
• Pick a set day of the week for meal planning, shopping, and food prepping (and stick to it!)
• Pro tip: Log at least one workout day and one rest day for the week in advance – you’ll be covered either way!

Macrostaxers who plan ahead are usually more successful and see faster results than those who don’t. Why? Because they’re able to ensure they hit their macro targets daily. And daily consistency is the biggest factor in seeing progress! While advance planning may sound like extra work, taking five minutes today will save you way more time tomorrow. 

2. Stock Up on Smart Ready-to-Eat Foods

Stocking your fridge and pantry with easy macro-friendly food is key to staying on track when things get busy! Most of us don’t have time to prepare every single meal and snack from scratch. And that’s okay! Time is valuable when you’re on the go. This is where shopping smart comes in.

There are plenty of ready-to-eat foods that hit your macros and taste good too. A few of our go to’s are:

• Jerky
• Store-bought hardboiled eggs
• Individually portioned nonfat Greek yogurts
• Cottage cheese with fresh fruit
• Protein shakes
• Protein bars
• Tuna pouch with crackers
• Dried fruit

Or if you’re up for a bit of prep, a couple of our favorite snackable recipes are:

• High Protein Energy Bites 
• 1-Bowl Zucchini Muffins 
• Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon
• No Bake Protein Bars 
• Berry Simple Smoothie
• Morning Glory Macro Bread
• Turkey Avocado Bagel Sandwich

3. Be Realistic

Are you chronically overambitious? Did you plan out six recipes for the week, but rarely cook? Do you work out only half as often as you intend to?

If this is you, you’re not alone! It’s totally normal to start out the week (or month, or year) with big plans that are meant to stretch your limits. But if over-promising and under-delivering becomes a trend, it may be time to take a step back and reevaluate what is realistic for you. 

For example when it comes to exercise, it’s better to start out the day knowing whether you should follow workout or rest day macros. If you always “think” you’re going to the gym, but rarely do, you’re probably hitting the wrong macro targets for more than half of your meals and snacks. Not to mention, your activity level setting may be inaccurate! 

Being realistic with yourself is crucial for success. Some of our top tips for tailoring your macro plan to fit your life are:

• Think carefully about how much time your schedule allows for exercising, meal prepping, and eating, and make sure your intentions reflect this
• Don’t get bogged down with trying to do everything “perfectly”, the best goals are achievable ones!
• Think simple –  complicated or fancy isn’t usually better
• Plan your number of meals and snacks to fit your lifestyle and schedule – the main goal is to hit your daily macros
• Embrace past successes and failures as learning experiences. If something didn’t work three weeks in a row, change your approach! 

Healthy eating and life shouldn’t get in the way of each other. It is possible to be successful at both, it just takes a little extra advance planning and determination. With a little bit of practice, a kitchen stocked with macro friendly foods, and StaxChat at your side, anything is possible!