TRACKING IS A TEMPORARY TOOL: HOW TO TRANSITION AWAY FROM TRACKING MACROS AND TO INTENTIONAL EATING
In the world of nutrition, tracking food intake can be a popular tool for building awareness of our eating habits and helping us to reach more specific goals (eating within a deficit, reaching a certain bare minimum for fiber intake, or even fueling for specific athletic-based performance).
But what happens when we reach our goals? Do we continue tracking forever? The answer is absolutely not. Our goal isn’t to obsessively monitor every bite but to use tracking as a temporary tool to cultivate a deeper understanding of our relationship with food.
TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM TRACKING MACROS
When you decide to work with a nutrition coach, the primary aim is often to gain clarity about your eating habits. Tracking macros, calories, and food choices can illuminate patterns that we may not recognize otherwise. However, once you’ve built this awareness and reached your goals, it is then equally as important to transition away from tracking.
This process involves letting go of the numbers and embracing a more intuitive, intentional approach to eating.
Many people find it challenging to stop tracking because it feels safe and structured, but the longer that we solely depend on macronutrient/calorie numbers (including the practice of consistently depending on a food scale), the more that we risk losing touch with our food “eyeballing” skills and our built-in hunger/fullness cues. With the right guidance from a coach, this transition out of the food tracking app can be extremely empowering. It’s about shifting from a mindset of control to one of trust - trusting your body to communicate its needs, recognizing hunger and fullness cues, and making food choices that align with your values and preferences (without the consistent feedback from your tracking app and food scale).
INTENTIONAL AND INTUITIVE EATING: A BALANCED APPROACH
So, what does it mean to eat intentionally or intuitively? At its core, intuitive eating is about listening to your body and honoring its signals. It’s not an absence of structure or a free-for-all; rather, it’s a practiced approach to eating that emphasizes mindfulness and self-compassion around food and lifestyle choices.
Intentional eating encourages us to make conscious choices that reflect our values. This might involve selecting foods that nourish our bodies, aligning our meals with our lifestyle, and considering the impact of our choices on our well-being. It’s about being present and engaged in the act of eating rather than mindlessly consuming. You recognize your “why” behind food choices and remain confident in your ability to acknowledge both what you need and what you want from those choices.
On the other hand, intuitive eating is about tuning into our internal cues. It invites us to reconnect with our body’s hunger and fullness signals, allowing us to enjoy food without guilt, shame, or regret (none of which belong anywhere near the dinner table!). When those hunger and fullness cues are recognized, we are then able to make choices that reflect the routines that we have practiced in regards to food and nutrition choices-with an absence of stress and decision fatigue.
HOW TO MOVE FROM TRACKING TO INTENTIONAL EATING
Reflecting on Goals
Before we fully launch into the land of minimal numbers, it can be very helpful to reflect on what your goals might be moving forward. There will always be seasons to our nutrition, so which season are you in? Are you traveling heavily over the next few months? Are you prioritizing social health ever so slightly above nutritional health for the winter months? Do you have a date to begin training for a marathon next year? Are you welcoming a new member into the family where sleep & stress might be a little wonky for the time being?
Establishing your “why” and re-establishing your goals outside of the tracking app gives purpose to choices and helps us to stay grounded when there are surprise life stressors and unwelcome changes in plans.
Gradually Phasing In Untracked Meals and Days
To not feel as though you are going from fully tracked days to eating without any practice away from structured numbers, I will often have my clients begin to implement untracked meals built up to fully untracked days. The goal is to mimic untracked days to look like tracked days in order to help with building up “eyeballing” skills and confidence without the constant reassurance from the calorie tracking app and food scale. After all, you have been weighing and logging food for months so you should absolutely also have the skills to eyeball those portion sizes and generally know what a day of food looks like for you.
Mindful Eating and Tuning Into Your Body
As you distance yourself from utilizing tracking apps, it is important to have methods of staying present with food choices and incorporating mindfulness into your meals. Focus on the colors, textures, and flavors of your food. Put away distractions (phone, TV, take a 5-minute work break) and savor each bite. Ask yourself how you feel before and after meals to cultivate a deeper understanding of your needs. By staying as present as possible with meals and snacks, hunger and fullness cues become easier to recognize. When we have a trust within ourselves to recognize hunger and fullness cues, we are then more able to confidently navigate various food environments (hello stress-free vacation eating and easy breezy food choices during an unexpected flight layover!).
TRACKING IS JUST A TOOL
Tracking is a valuable tool, but it should never become a permanent fixture in your life. Just like with any other tool, understanding the appropriate application is important. By using tracking to foster awareness of your eating habits, you set the stage for a more intuitive and intentional relationship with food. As you transition away from tracking, remember that the goal is to empower yourself — to eat in a way that nourishes both your body and your mind. Embrace the journey, celebrate the small victories, and enjoy the freedom that comes with trusting yourself and your choices.
For absolute simplicity when it comes to tracking your macros, make sure to grab a free copy of Everyday Macros: our macro-friendly meal prep cookbook. It’s full of simple recipes, batch prep tips, and insight into how to make your nutrition as seamless as possible.