How to Build a Nutrition Plan That Actually Works
Knowing your calories and macros is only half the job. The other half — the half most people get wrong — is turning those numbers into meals you can actually hit, day after day, without thinking about it.
This is the nutrition system I use with coaching clients: a repeatable way to build meals, track accurately, and fuel your training so you lose fat while keeping (or building) muscle. If you haven’t set your calories and macros yet, start with the Fat Loss Blueprint first — then come back here to put them into practice.
Build every meal in the same order
Protein → Carbs → Fats
Every meal follows the same three-step structure. It removes the guesswork, simplifies decisions, and makes accurate tracking repeatable — so eating to your targets becomes automatic instead of a daily maths problem.
- ◆Protein first. Start with a high-quality, animal-based (HBV) protein. It’s the foundation of the meal — anchor every plate with it before anything else.
- ◆Carbs second. Check the carbs already present in your protein source, then add carbohydrate sources to hit your target for that meal.
- ◆Fats last. Review the fat already in the meal, then add fat sources only as needed to reach your target. Fats are dense — small errors here move calories the most.
Key takeawayAnchor every meal with protein, then build carbs and fats around it.
Not all protein counts the same
HBV vs LBV protein
Here’s something most coaches never explain. Protein comes in two grades. HBV (high biological value) protein is animal-based — meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, whey — plus a few complete plant sources like soy. It contains all the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle, and it’s the only protein that counts toward your daily target.
LBV (low biological value) protein is the incidental protein in carbs and fats — grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables. It’s incomplete, so while it adds to your total intake, it doesn’t count toward your target. That’s why the protein number in your tracking app will read higher than your HBV target. That’s expected and correct.
Hit your target with HBV
HBV (counts): meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, whey/soy protein, tofu, tempeh
LBV (doesn’t count): grains, bread, rice, nuts, seeds, most vegetables
Aim for ~1.8–2.2g of HBV protein per kg of body weight
Key takeawayHit your protein target with HBV sources. The rest is a bonus, not the count.
Track like a planner, not a diary
Plan the day before you eat it
Accurate tracking is the engine of results — and the biggest mistake is using your app as a diary, logging food after the fact. Flip it: use the app as a forward planner. Build your day in the morning so every decision is already made before you’re hungry and tired at 7pm.
Weigh everything raw, in grams. Cooked weights vary wildly and quietly wreck your accuracy. Save any meal you eat regularly as a recipe so it’s one tap next time, and if a food isn’t in the database, create it from the label once and reuse it forever.
- The tracking rules
- ◆Plan ahead. Log meals before you eat them — structure the day in advance.
- ◆Weigh raw, in grams. The only way to stay accurate. Cooked weights drift.
- ◆Save meals as recipes. Add a regular meal once, then log it with one tap.
- ◆Create missing foods. Build it from the label once; it’s there for good.
- ◆Track everything. Only water and free vegetables are exempt.
Key takeawayA consistent plan tracked loosely beats an optimal plan tracked not at all.
Fuel the work that builds muscle
Intra-workout carbs — training days only
On training days, sip fast-digesting carbs through your session. Start about 20 minutes in and finish roughly 5 minutes before you’re done. Around 30g of simple, low-fibre carbs keeps your performance and intensity up without adding fatigue or hurting recovery — which is what actually drives the muscle that protects your physique in a deficit.
On rest days there’s no intra-workout fuel, and carbs come down to match the lower energy demand. Simple, not complicated.
Intra-workout target
~30g simple carbs · 0g fat · 0g protein · ~120 cal
Easy options: jelly lollies, energy gels, fruit juice, sports drink, or honey in water
Training days only — none on rest days
Key takeawayFuel the work that builds muscle. Skip it on the days you don’t train.
Make it effortless
Systems beat willpower
The best plan is the one you can run on autopilot. Cook in bulk twice a week — a longer prep to cover the training week, a shorter one to cover the weekend — so the food is always ready and the decision is already made. Lean on free foods (aim for 100–200g of vegetables, three times a day) for volume and fullness without tracking.
And keep the two daily non-negotiables locked in: weigh yourself every morning under the same conditions and judge progress on the weekly average, and hit 10,000 steps a day. Those steps drive your NEAT — a meaningful calorie burn without the recovery cost of extra cardio.
- ◆Bulk cook 2× a week. Prep ahead so the right choice is the easy choice.
- ◆Daily weigh-in. Same conditions every morning; track the weekly average, not the daily number.
- ◆10,000 steps. Non-negotiable. Steps drive NEAT and recovery-friendly fat loss.
- ◆Free foods for volume. Vegetables, herbs, water, black coffee — eat freely, no tracking.
Key takeawayMake the right choice the easy choice, and consistency takes care of itself.
Common questions
What is HBV protein?
HBV stands for high biological value — complete, animal-based proteins (meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, whey) plus a few complete plant sources like soy. They contain all essential amino acids and are the only protein counted toward your daily target. Plant proteins in carbs and fats (LBV) add to your total intake but don’t count toward it.
Should I weigh my food raw or cooked?
Weigh raw, in grams. Cooking changes a food’s weight as it loses or absorbs water, so cooked weights are inconsistent and lead to tracking errors. Weighing raw is the only reliable way to hit your macros.
Do I need carbs during my workout?
On training days, around 30g of simple, fast-digesting carbs sipped through your session helps maintain performance and intensity without hurting recovery. Start about 20 minutes in and finish ~5 minutes before the end. None is needed on rest days.
Why does my app show more protein than my target?
Because your carbs and fats contain incidental LBV (low biological value) protein, which adds to your total but doesn’t count toward your HBV target. Seeing a higher total than your HBV number is normal and expected.
What foods don’t I need to track?
Water and free vegetables. Aim for 100–200g of vegetables three times a day for volume and fullness, plus herbs, spices, black coffee, plain tea, and a few other zero-impact extras — none of which need to be logged.
Want this built for you?
This is the system. A plan with your exact macros, meal structure, and food choices — built around your goals and your lifestyle — is what makes it effortless. Book a free consult and let’s map it out.
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