How close do I need to get to my macro targets?

On Ep. 55, Nikkiey puts it simply. If your protein target is 130 grams, anywhere from 125 to 135 counts, and the same goes for carbs and fats. On Ep. 72 she says that landing plus or minus five in each category means you successfully nailed your macros for the day. Perfect numbers are not the goal. Consistency is.

She is just as clear that missing is part of learning. In your first three to four weeks, going over or under by more than five grams is normal and does not mean you're failing or that macros don't work for you. At the end of the day, look at how you could get a little closer next time. If you hit your targets the majority of the time, you're winning. She compares it to learning to ride a bike: you'll hit some potholes, and the answer is to get back on.

If you keep ending the day with 50 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein left and no idea what to eat, the fix is usually planning, not willpower. On Ep. 72 and Ep. 144, Nikkiey describes how tracking as she went left her over or scrambling every night. Pre-logging her meals the night before or that morning, and treating it like a game of Tetris, is what got her numbers into the plus or minus five range.

There is also a looser approach. On Ep. 55, Nikkiey says some people argue carbs and fats can fluctuate as long as you hit your total calories, and she agrees, though she sees it as better suited to more experienced trackers. On Ep. 35, coach Paula Ciarniello says that tracking calories and protein, letting carbs and fats float and eating whole foods about 90% of the time is what finally made it easy for her. Start with the five-gram range, and loosen up once tracking feels natural.