Throughout years of macro counting, or flexible dieting, I’ve learned to start honoring my hunger and cravings when they come. This is so important in life! Being able to listen to my body in combination with having macros as a guideline has been everything to me. This is how I come up with iheartMacros Method, because I wanted to be able to stay on track with my goals even during weekends and holidays and times where I just felt “off”.
Introducing the iHeartMacros Method
The iHeartMacros Method begins with a baseline of set calories based on goals. I then set my protein. After that, I allow myself to choose my carbs and fats everyday.
If you struggle with tracking all 3 macros or you're ready to reverse and take the gas off a little bit while maintaining control, I definitely suggest giving iheartMacros Method a shot. If you need help figuring your macros, email me or click here to purchase a customized program.
This way of eating is 100x easier and more flexible than trying to track protein, carbs, and fats and trying to make sure all those 3 numbers line up at the end of the day. In my opinion, it is the perfect summer time lifestyle because it gives you more flexibility while being able to maintain the figure you've created.
What it isn’t? The ihm Method is not an “eat whatever the heck you want” buffet. The goal is to stay on track with your calories and protein. You won’t be able to achieve those two goals if you’re going off the rails with carbs and fats.
My Top Tips for Utilizing The iHeartMacros Method
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Keep This Method In Your Back Pocket
We all have times in our lives when staying perfectly on track seems like an insurmountable task. Ladies… I don’t know about you but that time comes as frequently as once a month for me! So my first tip is to keep this method in your back pocket as your secret weapon for this difficult times.
Some days I enjoy more fats like whole eggs, avocado, dark chocolate, peanut butter etc. THEN, I have days that I want rice, oats, all the fruit and chocolate rice cakes to dip into my protein shake. I feel more balanced and am able to honor myself in choosing the foods my body is telling me to eat.
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Make sure your protein is on point.
I put the emphasis on protein because it’s one of the main factors that determine whether someone maintains or gain muscle. I aim for at least .8-1.2g per pound of body weight when figuring a clients macros. I am very adamant about my clients eating their protein daily! It’s crucial.
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Healthy choices are key.
You still need to be mindful of what you’re eating and try your best to eat mostly whole, nutritious foods. And no, this isn’t the little control freak inside of me saying you need to eat clean and eat 6 meals a day. My point is, if you want to maintain optimal performance (both mentally and physically), and just be healthy human being, then you should be eating a lot of whole foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, rice, oatmeal and lean meats.
A Day In The Ihm Method Life
Don’t stress! For example if you have 1600 calories and 150g protein you are eating, THEN focus on these two numbers today! Let your fat and carbs fluctuate, while keeping an eye on your overall calories. So for days like this, I eat high protein the meals. It will most likely look like this:
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ihm protein pancakes for meal one - 51g protein.
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A quick snack would be a iheartMacros protein shake with cashew milk and PB2- 29g protein.
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Small lunch would be some turkey deli meat(4 slices) wrapped up in a cauliflower pizza crust with Laughing Cow Cheese- 36g protein!! -
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Can you believe I am already at 116 protein for the day, only 39c and 15g of fat! - - This leaves me 845 calories left over for whatever I want and only 30g of protein that I need to eat! I can live with that!
So doable, right? This method has saved me in tricky situations and I’m so excited to be sharing it with you!