Eighteen days of mostly honest, increasingly accurate logging shows a real signal underneath the day-to-day noise. Average calories across 15 logged days are ~2,580 kcal, about +180 kcal/day over the 2,400 target — a sensible, modest surplus for a lean muscle-building phase, not an aggressive bulk and not maintenance. Average protein at 140g sits squarely inside the 120–150g range, and has been in range or above on 10 of the last 12 logged days — this metric has gone from a coaching focus in week one to essentially solved by week three. Average carbs at 294g sit almost exactly at the midpoint of 270–345g despite real day-to-day swings from 216g to 415g — the range system is doing exactly what it was designed to do here.

Fat is the one macro that hasn't followed the same trajectory. Average 97g against an 80g ceiling, in range on only 4 of 14 logged days. But the pattern behind every single miss is now well understood and consistent: it is never one food, it is always two or more rich items (sour cream + brownies + pizza, garlic bread + cashews, pizza + shawarma) landing on the same day. That is a fixable, specific, well-diagnosed problem — not a sign the plan isn't working.

Today adds a second, smaller thing to watch: protein and total calories both falling meaningfully under target on the same day. One occurrence isn't a trend, but it's the opposite failure mode from the fat-stacking pattern, and worth naming early — a 56-day muscle-building phase needs the surplus and the protein floor hit consistently, not just "not exceeded."