Meal planning strategy

Nutrition Planning

Step 1: Plan your meal based on 7 rules

• Habit 1: Eat every 2-3 hours.
• Habit 2: Eat complete, lean protein with each feeding opportunity.
• Habit 3: Eat vegetables with each feeding opportunity.
• Habit 4: Eat veggies/fruits with any meal. Eat “other carbs” only after exercise.
• Habit 5: Eat healthy fats daily.
• Habit 6: Don’t drink beverages (soda, beer, etc.) with more than 0 calories.
• Habit 7: Eat whole foods whenever possible.

But actually I would start with personal audit. I’d like to write meals for 1-2 weeks, which I use to eat every day. The average frequency would be my comfort number of meals.

Next, I’d create number of meals from that log and update it with habits above.

This would be my initial plan.

Then I’d like to calculate macros based on that plan. If necessary I’d like to normalize it, so all macros was distributed equally.

Step 2: Plan investigation

Right now I want to identify whether this plan suits me. I don’t want to set the goals with bulking/cutting, just my preferences investigation.

So I have a plan with initial nr of meals normilized with habits and macros. I’m going to execute this plan for 2 weeks.

First, I need to create a table where I would mark success with the plan:

Where:
X - meal has been eaten
0 - Missed that meal
* - cheat meal

In the comments I’d like to write everything that I think would be important for the plan improvement.

During the free time or special inspiration I can design more meals which conforms to my nutrition needs.

Step 3: Plan evaluation

When 2-nd week finished, I have to evaluate my plan.

1. If my number of X is 90% of times - my plan succeeded, so I can move to the Step 4 and set the goals with cutting or bulking
2. If my number of X lower than 90% - read comments, adjust plan and repeat Step 2

Step 4: Goal setting

Now I want to bulk or cut or improve my performance. This step would contain info only about cutting or bulking (because I don’t have an info about meal and performance yet).

I set the goal. And do measurements:

1. Photo
2. Measurements
3. Weight

Then I adjust my meals (for example I (de/in)crease every meal with 10% or the whole day by 250 kcal) and writing a plan, which I’m going to follow next 2 weeks.

Then I’m calculating the number of * by the formula

nr_meals_per_day X 14 (2 weeks) X 0.1 = total nr of cheatmeals per 2 weeks (plan execution).

Draw the table form step 4 and evaluate with step 3.

Conclusions

In the end I’d have comfortable number of meals which I like to eat and I can easily modified. Yes, candies included.

As part of the investigation I can do:

• How different type of meals can influence my performance (sleep, sport, brain)?
• How much time I need to bulk/cut 1-2 kg? For the competitions for example
• What can I do (strategies) if I get into situations where I can’t follow the plan (social activities, vacations, etc)?

Resources:
Tailor-Made Nutrition 3 parts