MACRO-TRACKING ADVICE FROM THE EXPERIENCED
A few weeks ago, I asked both current and past clients in my Facebook group the following question:
If you could give one piece of advice to those who are new to tracking macros, what would it be?
The responses received and conversation that followed were so very valuable. Those with months (or even years) of experience were able to share their insight into what has worked for them, and those new to tracking were able to glean some new advice and share what has been helpful to them so far. Today I wanted to share a few of those tips with you!
1 || PRE-LOG YOUR DAYS.
The overwhelmingly most common answer given by those who shared their best tip for tracking macros. Taking 5-10 minutes to sit down and pre-log your day either the night before or morning of can be a complete game changer - and not just for those who are new to tracking. Those extra 5-10 minutes will end up saving you tons of time during the day and, more importantly, can help you spread out your macros across the day so you’re not ending your night with 15g of fat and nothing else to spare. Pre-logging doesn’t limit your flexibility; you can still change up your day if something comes up and rearrange numbers to add in an unexpected treat or snack. It will just serve to give you an idea of what the day could look like so you can save time and make choices that align with your macro goals.
2 || MEAL PREP & PORTION OUT FOODS
Life is busy and not everyone wants to meal prep and portion out every single meal for the week. Luckily, that’s not necessary for hitting your goals! Just batch prepping and having easy protein sources on hand and pre-measured carbs and fats can be super helpful for both those new to tracking and the OGs. Take some time out of your week to prep protein options (crockpot chicken, ground turkey, hard boiled eggs, etc.) and easy carbs (rice, muffins, chopped veggies, pre-measured servings of crackers, chips, cereal, etc.) so that you can cut down on food prep throughout the rest of the week.
3 || BE PATIENT & TRUST THE PROCESS
Just like any new lifestyle or habit change, this is a learning process and it may take a little time. A past client gave this suggestion along with these wise words: “understand that it’s a journey where you never really get where you are going.” That doesn’t mean you won’t reach your goals! It just means that you will continue to learn as you go and your goals will continue to shift and evolve.
4 || DON’T KEEP TRIGGER FOODS IN THE HOUSE
While flexibility is the name of the game here, there may still be trigger foods that you can’t currently consume flexibly. If a specific treat makes you feel ravenous and like you need to eat everything in sight, it may be best to stay away from it for now. This doesn't mean forever - but it does mean that it's best to avoid that trigger as you continue working on balance and changing old habits.
5 || RECOGNIZE THAT PROGRESS IS MORE THAN THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE
I could talk about this one until the end of time. Your daily weight is a product of SO many factors - hydration, digestion, the timing of your meals, water retention, stress, sleep, activity levels, the timing of your workouts, etc. You can expect to see fluctuations in your daily weight and for that reason it’s best to look at the trend in average weight across a week rather than daily weight, and pay even more attention to other measures of progress like changes in body composition, measurements, and how your clothes fit.
6 || Learn how to delay instant gratification
This one was from my super intelligent husband (who is constantly giving me this wise advice): “Look for opportunities to do things that contribute to long term success rather than short term desires. Patience and consistency over a long period of time are the only things that will lead to changes.” It’s the truth. If you can’t have just one piece of candy without one piece turning into 100, then maybe it’s best to sometimes just have none at this present moment. It’s difficult, but shifting the focus towards long term success over immediate desires can be integral in helping you reach your goals sooner so that you can then move forward with a more moderate approach (where there may be more candy involved.)
7 || ASK QUESTIONS & HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM
We’re obviously big fans of having accountability over here (all of our coaches have our own coaches that we rely on for this same support!). Whether you have a coach or not, make sure you have someone - a friend, family member, or maybe a coworker - who can be a support system for you. And if you have questions or need advice, ask! If your support crew may not be familiar with the specific challenges of changing your diet and working towards your specific goals, send your questions our way! I’m quick to respond and always happy to chat more and answer any questions or concerns.
Thanks for reading! We have a lot of good stuff for you over here. If you’re interested in nutrition coaching, you can read a bit more about that here. If you’re looking for resources to help you along your macro tracking journey, you can check out our free resources or The Shop for full cookbooks and bundles.