Can you hit your macros perfectly?
Will you do it everyday forever?
Then, why do you expect that from yourself?
The most successful people are those who have cultivated a robust “grey area” with all their habits – including nutrition.
So if your year is marked by oscillating between [eating like you disrespect yourself] and [perfectly hitting your macros] you don’t need a new and novel program. You need to figure out your personal “grey area” with nutrition and commit to at THAT most of the time.
What will you risk if you continue with that pendulum swing? Try: a healthy humming metabolism, happy hormones, effortless weight maintenance, a lean strong body composition, and a sense of calm confidence that what you eat is working for you, not against you.
My personal grey area? It includes things like:
>> when in doubt, eat a real food macro-balanced meal
>> estimating my macros is better than not tracking at all, even if it’s just in my head and especially if there’s a specific goal I’m chasing
>> wine is not a meal substitute, neither are chips + salsa
>> reach for protein heavy options when choice is limited
>> eat until 80% full, not 120%
>> look at menus ahead of time to make mindful decisions outside of social + environmental influence
>> load up on deep and dark colored fruits + vegetables
>> read labels for continued education + awareness
>> honor hunger signals even when they show up in a non-traditional ways like irritability, tired feelings, or munchie cravings
Here’s what I know: people tend to underestimate what they can accomplish in a year and overestimate what they can accomplish in 6 weeks.
Don’t let that be you. Play the long game.
