I didn't think I'd do it.

DISCLAIMER: All of the below information I Googled. I found several sources and made some assumptions as well. And not all grams are to the exact decimal. 

I didn't start this fitness journey wanting anything more than being being healthier, feeling stronger and just overall get a handle on my health.

It became apparent maybe because I'm turning 40 soon (Jan., 2022 if you want to send a gift lol).

And I guess I just don't want to feel and look...old. Not that 40 is old! I really don't think it's old because hell, I don't feel freaking old! It's so crazy how that is. 

Anyway.

I took some time to figure out my macros. It's changed a bit from what I calculated a few months ago, but based on my recent calculations, here's where I think I should be in term of macros:

Total Daily Energy Expenditure - right around 2,012 calories per day.

If I want to lose weight, I need to be in a calorie deficit consistently. 

Now, I've said before that my goal is NOT to lose weight exactly. It's been a nice side-effect of my other priorities.

However, in counting macros, it's actually quite hard to keep up with the RIGHT kinds of foods to maintain the right levels.

So, if I want to stick with a 1,500 calorie diet, it'd look something like this:

Protein: 112 grams (30% of the total calories)

Carbs: 150 grams (40% of total calories)

Fat: 50 grams (30% of total calories)

I used this site's calculator to figure this all out.

Here's what I recorded and where I am at by 3pm. It's VERY difficult to eat as much protein as I need! 

Here's where I am at 5pm. I ate 2 sources of protein due to the fact that I didn't eat breakfast. I shouldn't eat eggs, since I'm allergic and I haven't been to the store to get my gluten free bagels/cream cheese, so I didn't eat breakfast. 

And because I'm me, I made an excel sheet with a "Menu" tab and a "Daily Journal" tab. That way I can easily copy and paste to see where I'm at. I put the things I mainly eat on my Menu tab and add to it whenever I need to. 

So for day 1, as you can see, I'm doing OK in both Carbs and Fats and in overall calories. 

Where I'm lacking the most? Protein. By like 30 grams. Fuck. 

I will need to look into protein supplements, I think. This is so I can lose fat (not to be confused with weight loss) but maintain muscle growth. 

I honestly don't want to do this shit everyday. Like WHO HAS THE TIME? 

Maybe I can keep up for a few days - or maybe I can just keep an eye on what I know is "about right" but up my protein by adding a shake or something. We'll see how it goes. I really don't want another thing to obsess about right now.

Ok, break in time here. I've been tracking my macros for about a week now.

It's incredible what I'm learning. 

It's very difficult to get my protein intake where it needs to be without going over on calories or on carbs and fats. So I've added two protein shakes to my day as snacks. I usually have one right in the morning, after my shower, before my coffee. I throw it back, too. It tastes fine/good, but I really like my coffee in the morning - and I only mix it with about 8oz of skim milk, so it's not a ton of liquid, but it does add to my overall caloric intake for the day. 

I also did get a new shaker cup because...I needed the little shaker ball to break up the clumps. Muuuuch better. It also has a rounded bottom like my Ninja cup so there are no little corners for stuff to get stuck in. 

I have another cup from this brand and really like it. Plus, this was like $6. Score! 

Notice the lack of clumps on along the sides? So much better. 

Down the hatch.

Here's an example of a really good day! 

So my goal for tracking this isn't really for anything other than kinda keep an eye on things. If I'm craving something, I'll kinda see if it'd fit into my daily allotments. Sometimes I say fuck it and eat it anyway.

It's really helping me understand portion control and understanding what my body needs to build lean muscle while losing fat.