Macros vs Meal Plans

Macros or Meal Plans?

I have a lot of people ask me about how macros compare to meal plans. So what are my thoughts?

Macros > meal plans, hands down. Why?

Counting macronutrients (macros) gives you food freedom and flexibility. It encourages you to educate yourself about food and is a tool that can be used for the rest of your life, if need be. In a world when so many decisions are made for you, why not have full control over what you put into your body?

When you count macros, you are forcing yourself to educate yourself in the area of nutrition. You learn to recognize how certain ratios of nutrients affect your physiology, and are able to make customized changes to fit your unique needs. A meal plan however, is generally a generic plan that's recycled from one client to another.

Oftentimes, meal plans are accompanied by restrictions. Eat this, not that. Well, what if you're part of larger household? This lifestyle may work for an island of one, but if you have other members in your household, you don't want to spend time creating different meals.

If you have a craving for something not on the meal plan, you can actually eat it! There are no food group restrictions with macros. You're simply counting fats, carbs, and proteins (which can be tweaked).

With meal plans, someone is telling you exactly what to eat. The meals are oftentimes recycled (which can get boring), and you’re not in control of your food choices. You lose all autonomy in what you're putting into your body. The worst part? When you’re done with your meal plan, you’re forced to go back out into the real world and fend for yourself. You'll have to make your own choices again, and your knowledge base is limited to what was in your meal plans.

Your body is smart and will let you know what it needs. But if you're allowing someone else to make those decisions for you, you're underestimating your own and your body's ability to function.

Most people that do meal plans, gain a bunch of weight back when they’re forced to interact with the world again, because being told what to eat and when to eat it, isn’t normal.

The choice is yours, but choose longevity of the plan vs temporary ease.