cfreetenor, as a statistician I recommend that you make a much larger number of much smaller PB&J sandwiches which would increase the probability of your macro error balancing out over the course of a day.
cfreetenor, as a statistician I recommend that you make a much larger number of much smaller PB&J sandwiches which would increase the probability of your macro error balancing out over the course of a day.
I could. But then they'd be squishy and unpleasant.
My main concern is training. Any chance too much fat/carbs/protein would hinder my progress? My baseline assumption is if I go 200g over on carbs, say, I will still train optimally. Fats seem to be a different story. Essentially with my job activity level, if I stop intentionally stuffing my face I lose weight so I'm not worried about body comp.
If compliance is key, does it matter that much? Givin that weight gain is the goal and the basic nutrutional parameters are met (fiber, veggies fruit etc...)
Part of learning to measure your macros is creating habits surrounding meal preparation on a day-to-day/week-to-week basis. If you don't have that scaffolding in place, everything will seem about 100 times more of a pain in the ass or impossible. I think this is honestly the biggest challenge with eating efficiently, and it takes time to develop those habits if you've never done it before. I know it did for me. It takes time to learn what works best for your situation as well. I work about 60-70 hours a week, sometimes early mornings, sometimes late nights. I dedicate about an hour a day to prepping/cooking for the day/next day. On my day off, I spend as much time as I need to prep whatever I can, so that the coming week's meal prep and eating as easy as possible. This includes planning and shopping. I always know exactly what's on my menu, or what the potential items are. I have go-to meals I like and can whip up quick if I need to, and I already know what macros are in those meals. I never "suspect", I never don't know unless I'm out of town. Even then, you can choose to eat at restaurants that post macronutrients online. As you learn portion sizes and their macros, you can actually make a pretty good guess if there is no official way to know what you are eating macro-wise. In that case, it's always better to guess lower than you think in the carb and protein department. Having a whey and carb supplement available can be handy in those situations. So can having fat free greek yogurt, jerky and dried fruit.
Above all else, I make things that taste good after being reheated. If it doesn't taste good, you won't eat it. Sure, you'll put up with tough steak or overcooked fish for a week or two, but that is not a sustainable venture. I did that whole game for years - not worth it. For example, I really like steak, and skirt or flank hardly takes any time to cook and reheats well/tastes great after microwaving. It's also really easy to get consistent fat counts with each, as the marbling is pretty uniform. I get fancy organic stuff at the farmer's market on Saturdays for about $7 a pound (cheap) from a local farm and I buy it in bulk for the week. I freeze it until I need it the next day, letting it thaw in the fridge overnight, or I'll batch cook it after soaking it in a simple marinade the night before, then freeze it in an air-tight container. It's not hard, it's just strategy and habits.
If you like peanut butter sandwiches, look at the nutrition label of the bread. Look at the nutrition label of the peanut butter and jelly. Use a measuring spoon instead of a knife to put the stuff on the bread. Record your macros with a free app like "myfitnesspal" and see where it fits in to your daily allotment. It really is that easy, nothing to it but to do it.