Ι tracked 100% in 2024 and it uncovered a nutritional imbalance: I was only getting 11% of my calories from fat. Healthy is like 25-30%! and I was having a lot of symptoms like low energy, disrupted sleep, water retention, horrible PMS, anovulatory cycles, very long cycles. My doctors told me to increase my dietary fat intake, which I immediately did, and all of the symptoms resolved!! It was amazing. I credit tracking because I had hard data. I am still tracking but I'm allowing myself more leeway in 2025. By the end of 2024, I was completely burned out on it. I had 2 restaurant meals in the entire year of 2024. I had a food scale at work. It had become a bit of a burden on me. But it did end up really benefiting my health. Knowledge is power and I'm so glad I stuck with it.
I tracked my food for years and ended up really messing up my head. I looked incredibly fit but I was driving myself crazy trying to be perfect. It took me like 2 years to get back into a healthier mindset with food. I feel like it’s something that is not talked about enough. I love the mindset that going off “plan” is not a wash. Rather, it’s not the norm so no need to document it. Great advice for real people learning how to live healthier!
I really appreciated this video. I'm a tracker who (luckily) has had the data mindset from the get go. For me, I start with my minimums that I have to get. If I go over targets, that's fine, my goals are marathons not sprints, but I have to have enough of what I need to fuel. Understanding how or why other people do or do not engage in an activity that I find very helpful for my goals has given me some flags to keep an eye on with my own behavior. Also, fats are a macro I struggle to hit my minimum numbers on almost every day so I was taking notes on what you substituted for things I can incorporate. Excellent video as always!
yes i LOVE that you just mentioned that you have minimums to hit! that was never something i understood while younger and always aimed to be UNDER. such a great mindset shift!
I skipped this initially but am so glad it popped up in my feed again. The "it is only data... don't judge yourself" message is a powerful one and quite thought provoking. Thank you so much.
I thought about tracking my calories again this week but I think I’m mentally not in a space yet where it wouldn’t mess with me. So happy for you though that you healed enough and you’re approach seems very reasonable!
thank you! and yeah don't return til you're ready. I've tried a handful of times over the years and after a few days (until now) always went "nope not ready yet" lol
I'm currently tracking my calories because I have a weight loss goal this year. When I attempted it in the past, I would miss a day or two or only track half a day, then scrap the entire idea because I wasn't perfect. After I watched a Jordan Syatt video about how consistency always beats perfection, I realized it didn't matter as long as I made it a habit, and now it's really working for me. I would love to get to a point where I don't need to track in order to lose or maintain weight, but I'm just not there, yet. In the meantime, I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and learning more about what I eat. For me, it's been a very useful tool.
I'll skip this one!😅 I know tracking stresses me out (still in recovery in that sense). Even if I say to myself that I would do it just for health, collecting data... It's extremely triggering and find it a slippery slope for me. I cut out sooooo many foods in the past (namely carbs) that I don't want to go down any road that might involve any form of tracking or 'controlling/checking'. Not for me! But thanks for your content as always!
I'm the same! Suffered with an ED for 10 to 15 years, and it's hard for me to say I'm in place where I'm recovered enough to track numbers. I don't know if I ever can again. Good luck, Justina, and thanks for all you do!
Agree. Tried again recently and all those bad feelings rose up again. Ugh! But did enough to see that I need to increase my protein and lower fat where I can, so maybe it was worth the stress.
I'm the type to easily overeat on fats and carbs, and not get enough protein, so tracking my calories and protein had helped me to understand exactly how much I need to get and what higher protein options I can eat to help me meet that goal. I def don't want to be tracking for the rest of my life, so while I'm in maintenance mode right now, I don't track. I still train in the gym and try to get stronger, and I monitor how I look and feel. If I feel weaker or not recovering well, that tells me that I might not be eating enough protein, and I try to get more going forward. The 'intuitive' eating style is actually pretty hard, it's advanced for me, because I'm so used to tracking. But I'll keep practising!
Hey Justina! I had a long, almost 10 year battle with multiple eating disorders. I'm now in the same place you are in terms of calorie counting. The numbers no longer bother me anyway near as much as they did before. I began tracking again purely to help me reach my body recomposition goal. I am also really proud of how far I've come, and I respect you for continuously promoting a healthy relationship with movement and food. ❤❤
This is so helpful. #1 is me 100%. I'm glad I'm not the only one!!! I don't track daily either. I use it to keep myself on track in general. I usually track about 3-4 days a week.
This all sounds so healthy! I'm glad you're at this point with your relationships with the numbers. I'm at a similar point after years of trying to be (and succeeding to be) kind to myself and that makes me so happy! I'm caring for my body so well and I'm only 21
Calorie counting is such a minefield - it’s certainly much easier if they can be seen as data and not a reflection of someone’s character (being “good” when you don’t over-consume; being “bad” when you do). As calories are a measure of energy it’s important to remember that even if you don’t tract in calories that energy still exists! (Hence the saying: “ you don’t have to count calories but calories do count). A technique I have found useful for weekends and “off” days is to only tract my protein and make sure I get at least 6 handfuls of fruit & veg. A more relaxed approach with saying “to hell with it!”.😂 A nicely nuanced and thoughtful video as usual Justina 👍
Love love love the data angle! I definitely had similar experiences of wanting my log to be 'perfect' when I was younger and trying to lose weight, and if it wasn't I'd give up. Currently trying to lose fat and having the actual data of how I am eating is helping me make better choices for me long-term. I also weigh myself everyday for the data and for me that really works now, but 5 years ago I couldn't have dealt with it! Logging my daily moods has also been very eye opening!
Love your approach to tracking, especially with going out to eat! I used to have a bad relationship with tracking my macros and then I had a mindset switch of that calories are just fuel and it is helping me eat enough so I am able to fuel my body and build muscle. I personally like tracking most of the time but like you I do like to have some off days. Like sometimes when we got to eat, I just won’t track that meal. I travel a lot so it sort of forces me to eat more intuitively and mindfully and learn from my experience of tracking. I personally love seeing the numbers and data now. I love reaching my protein and fiber goals. I find it really motivating and it helps me feel really good!
Hey justina! I work at a gym and honestly it’s rough trying not to fall into unhelpful thinking modes again. I hope one day I will be more mature enough to not get into that perfection mindset you’re talking about when I try tracking again. As for now, I’m feeling great just training hard and focusing on higher protein options :)
This was a great video! I am the same about gravitating to getting most of my calories from fat (I love full fat dairy, peanut butter, etc.) One of the reasons I track is related to fiber -- I'm trying to learn eating patterns/habits that can help me to hit that goal every day or most days. Obviously, tracking isn't necessary for this, but I find it helpful!!
Thank you for providing (perhaps yet again on some subtopics in here!) the general population with an example of a balanced approach. Not enough of this out there. If I was a teenaged girl, I would love to have this resource. Sadly, I am a bit older than you, and did not have this when I was a teen. Thank you! ❤
Super late to the party but I can't be too strict with my calories or I will get stressed, hate it, and self sabatogue. Instead I have started to track calorie ranges, as in I calculate what a meal or recipe is once and do my best to adhere to portion sizes. And then because people underestimate calories I usually round up or add in some calories here and there since I am in a deficit for the moment. It is a lot more lax and allows me to meet my goals without driving myself crazy.
great video as always! honestly, using calorie tracking as a routine-building tool and seeing the numbers as data was the best choice that i made to my mental health. for now it's helping me get back on track and stick to my fat loss goal, but instead of getting too obsessed with perfect macros (one of my past mistakes), i simply try to collect my averages and see how i can improve my choices and have a sustainable and balanced diet in the long term (hopefully without measuring and tracking anything lol).
Thank you for this video!! It is a tricky thing to track food macros and calories so it’s very important to be extremely intentional and mindful with your why and to ensure your not stepping into disorderly relationships with food or tracking !!
Really appreciated your insights on the matter! I have turned into a serial tracker myself over the last 1-1.5 years and I have to say that when you said it's not helpful to track things you don't have the answers to really resonates on a deep level. Due to the aftermath of a bedridden flare from an autoimmune disease I didn't know I had about 2 years ago, I skyrocketed to 90kg at 168cm. Lifestyle changes got me back down to 70kg, but then I plateaued. Then, I starting calorie/macro counting. However, I skipped determining my maintenance calories and using that to adapt my mindset around what a typical maintenance week would look like food-wise when paired with activity. I also had no structure in my workouts and no clear goal besides: less weight. Instead, I was immediately plugging in the amount to lose weight and then obsessing over making the number go smaller by any means necessary. Weight didn't change for a week? Cut more. That was *the wrong* thing to do. To describe more clearly how much I screwed myself over, my current maintenance calories are 30% *higher* than when I screwed myself over even though I have the same amount of bodyfat. I look/feel/am much healthier after self-learning for months from professionals like Mike Israetel (sorry Justina, just found your channel like last week!); even though I'm technically heavier it's because of more muscle, not more fat. I now have structure, understanding of what's happening, and a clear goal; I'm currently in a healthy range now thanks to this. Do not do what I did. Learn/seek assistance form the professionals first; utilize their years of experience and knowledge!
This is great advice! One case I did find for using a scale was protein powders. The scoops aren't the most consistent and to make sure I'm getting the right "serving", I weigh that. It's been so helpful in giving me the visuals of "this is what a 'serving' of this one looks like". Hopefully soon my goofy brain commits that to memory so I can stop weighing but for now, it's helpful for sure!
I have been tracking my food for years. I have to :D 'cos I tend to overeat. Like a lot (2000 - 3000 kcal more than I am supposed to). There was a time in my life where I tried to eat intuitively like everyone around promoted and I gained like 5 kg (11 pounds) just in month. When I go out, I do not count, when I order take away, I don't count, when I steel my kids' chocolate, crisps or ice cream, I do not count :D So as you said, it is just a tool for me. It is like when you draw a line on the paper to cut it straight. I just cannot without it :D Anyway I love your videos! Keep them coming!
Hey Justina! Counting calories is not good for me personally, and I recently watched an older video of yours about how to achieve a calorie deficit WITHOUT counting calories. You mentioned Precision Nutrition’s guidelines that relate serving sizes to the size of your hand, and I looked at the graphic and I just cannot wrap my head around it! Do you have any videos floating around that give practical, real-life examples of plates built with those guidelines?? Thanks very much!
If you go through my “nutrition tips” playlist I have tons of videos that show my meals! But honestly those are using the hand method as an eyeball so it may not be helpful. If you can’t track by measuring cups, the scale, or the hand method, it may be worth it to work with someone 1:1 to figure out a method that works for you!
When I did Bright Line Eating I tracked constantly and lost weight. Their tagline is “Food Freedom” because you’re supposed to write down everything you’re going to eat the day before so it takes away that standing staring in the fridge moment. However, I felt the constant weighing and tracking became anything but freedom. Of course I put weight back on. I’m getting back to healthy eating and working out so I may track for a little bit just to get a sense of what I’m actually doing.
Interesting to hear people's different approaches. I like data, and I'm currently tracking what I eat because I want to maintain such muscle as I have. I went through a period of actually entering it in cronometer, which showed me just how little protein I was getting. I ran out of energy for that a while back, but I still weigh and write down all my food - it keeps me mindful of balancing things out. And it reassures me that if I feel the need for the numbers again, I have the raw data captured and can do the sums whenever. The whole process showed me some interesting patterns so, for me, it was worth it...
I started tracking last year. Not for calories, but to reduce salt intake and saturated fats. I have high blood pressure because of rheuma, because of the medication my kidney function is also not where it should be. I was able to improve both by being strict about salt intake five out of seven days a week for a year. I also have Crohn's disease, meaning that i tend to eat less than i need. So when i had all of the sudden lost two kilograms i started watching calories and, after a tip of my specialist, i decided to increase my protein intake. It has improved my Energy level, i have less plaque on my teeth and mu kidney function and blood pressure have improved. I have noticed that it's easy to get really absorbed by tracking and tweaking the numbers for the sake of the numbers. When i do that i keep going back to my goal: reduce salt and Saturated fats intake. This helps me. I also stopped looking at the numbers every day.
I so agree about the fat. When I was losing weight for fertility, I was told that I should be eating full fat things. Low fat actually messes with your hormones. But full fat things are more calories and much easier to overeat especially when I was only eating about 1400 calories a day. I was also told that dairy is an important part of your diet for fertility, so I couldn't just cut it out. It's maddening lol
To clarify for anyone reading, eating too low fat can cause hormonal issues (as can 1000 other things). Not eating low fat options like low fat greek yogurt rather than full fat. Just wanted to make sure no one got confused!
Oh this is perfect timing - I finally got around to getting a food scale for my food at home because I'm going to give tracking my macros a go and started yesterday. I think it'll help me to just see a general picture to make sure I'm getting enough protein while also keeping fats and carbs "in check" without being crazy about if I go over by a bit. Our school (international expat art teacher) gives staff free lunch so will my macro tracking be absolutely perfect? No. Will I still go out to eat when I want? Yes. But same as what you were mentioning it's going to be helpful to make sure I'm getting enough of various nutrients but not to beat myself up on "did I hit the number right on the button each day"
I've just started a new program that heavily relies on tracking calories, and I'm curious to know what your thoughts are! 1. To start, continue eating as normal for 14 days, but to track my calories and weight each day to determine current "maintenance calories". 2. Enter the "reverse diet phase": increase average daily calories by 50 calories per week, until 2500 cal/day is reached. The theory is that increasing the calories so slowly will prevent the body from putting on more fat. 3. Stay in that "transition period" of 2500 cal/day for at least 4 weeks, so that the body adapts to the higher calories. 4. Enter the "fat loss phase": suddenly drop to 2000 cal/day for 3 weeks, then 1900 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1800 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1700 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1600 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1500 cal/day for 3 weeks (or until fat loss goals are reached, but never dropping below 1500 cal/day). 5. Finally, "reverse diet" again up to whatever feels right for your body (e.g. 2000 cal/day). So it involves closely montoring calories for around 9-12 months, but after that we'll be in a maintenance phase and will learn to judge if we're eating roughly the right amount for our body. Also, we need to monitor protein, to ensure we are having at least 2x our body weight (kg) in protein (g). If we do happen to over or under eat one week (+/- 100 cal for the total weekly calories), then we "marinate" on the same calorie goal for the next week. We also need to weight train 3 times per week. The goal is to increase metabolism, build muscle, then lose fat, while having a "healthier relationship" with food, because we can still have chocolate/etc, as long as the calorie/protein goals are met. Are you familiar with this method? Professional opinion? Thank you 😊
In a way I wish I never started tracking my calories. I only started around March ‘24, and although it has helped me lose fat, I now find it hard NOT to track or worry about how much I’m eating . I have a healthier relationship with food than I used to, but calorie counting has really opened my eyes. (Please note I’ve never had an ED, but I have fallen into the ‘clean eating’ trap and doing excessive cardio years ago!)
If you have a therapist that may be worth chatting about! Or working with a nutrition coach or RD to build some plans on how to wean yourself off tracking :)
No more tracking, feels liberating and thus doesn't make you crave anything in particular, so there's no obsessive behavior. Just making sure I eat enough fiber and protein 👍
I've tracked since the beginning of 2025 as a away to learn more about how much to eat without overeat or under eat . At college I was someone who was always moving therefor eating a lot without thinking about it, now I'm just trying to get a better idea of how to stop gaining weithg. However, I'm not stopping eating ice cream and not tracking when i go out with friends.
I tracked for a while simply because I gained quite a bit of weight during the pandemic. What was most interesting to me was how off my macros were! I was not getting nearly enough protein and way too much fat. I don’t track anymore, but I did learn a lot when I did.
I AM someone that likes to have variety every day, but I think I'm realizing lately that I simply need to have go-to breakfast and lunch meals that I eat nearly every day so I don't get overwhelmed with options and what will "fit into my day" calorie-wise. Then I can save the fun and variety for deciding what to have for dinner. Literally realized this this week after years of not being able to stick to tracking or healthy eating lol. So hopefully it goes well and is sustainable 👍
I think i love food too much to track 😂 I have never wanted to start tracking because i didn't want to get obsessed eith it. I didn't think that would be a healthy place for me to be. Also, i don't really need it. Like you said..its a tool...for what i am working towards i dont need that tool. I'll even go a step further to say most people don't "need" that tool. My view is ilI want people to love and enjoy food...theres so much to enjoy and you can love and enjoy food AND reach your goals too. ❤
In your goals video you said that sometimes you find yourself hungry in the evening being a reason for tracking for a while. Have you find out why? Not enough protein/fiber or even under your calorie requirement ?
I wasn’t eating enough during the day! Breakfast was especially too low in calories. Fixed that, upped my protein a hair, and I’m already feeling soooo much better.
I have no problem with the concept of tracking my food, I have a pretty good metabolism. I hate weighing my food out. Specifically, then figuring macros out for a meal with a lot of ingredients.
VERY helpful video, thank you for sharing! just wondering though.. how would/did you wean off calorie tracking at first? I mean, back when numbers were such a big trigger (something I relate to SO deeply). I'm at a point where I'm so reliant on numbers, that I can barely cope with the idea of making even just one food decision during the week that is NOT based on numbers. I have basically zero internal cues to rely on, just chronic hunger and anhedonia lol. I'm entirely dependent on calories, macros and expiration dates to decide the amount and the order in which I eat the foods in my pantry. How would you go about relying less on those numbers? I love your recent videoes about goal-setting and slow but consistent progression, and I feel like my brain works very similarly in that I need systems and a certain amount of structure to function. I really value your advice
I lost weight with tracking and need to lose the weight I gained back and was thinking I wouldnt track because I am lazy but after reading the comments I realize it is not being lazy it is ED.
Hi Justina, I’ve been following you for a while now and I love your content! A genuine question from me is how did you get to this point of a much healthier mindset around tracking? I am really struggling with binge and restrict patterns. Did you attend therapy sessions or would you recommend something like that possibly?
I used to track my calories - I followed a specific meal plan made for me by a dietician, and it was AMAZING! I stopped after a while though, because the meal prep felt a bit intense 😅 Now I follow the hand measure method, and I find it's much easier to stick with it!
I’m kind of on the opposite side of you 😅 I’ve been tracking calories for about a year for weight loss but just this week I learned I’ve got gallstones and a fatty liver. So I’ve got to change what I eat but I know if I track calories I’ll just fall into what might have gotten me here in the first place: prioritizing calories over everything else. I need to eat more nutritionally dense foods and lower fat foods instead of going for anything that’s low calorie no matter the nutritional content. And to eat proper portions, of course. I haven’t met my weight loss goals yet but sometimes other things take priority (like not getting horrendous, agonizing pain in my abdomen because my gallbladder’s feeling a little silly). I’m gonna rewatch some of your nutrition videos because I really like the hand measuring method you’ve mentioned before and I wanna make sure I remember everything correctly 😊
I completely support your decision not to talk about specific numbers, but ive yet to find any sources that reliably calculate my BMR and est. caloric needs from activity. I've tried different calculators, but they all give me such wildly different estimates (like sometimes 800+ cal difference). The reason I'd like to know is because I'm currently gaining weight without needing or wanting to, but I have a healthy relationship to food, eat the rainbow, and eat whenever I'm hungry. I can't afford an RD, so I'm just looking for a comparison from someone I trust as to which cal formulas are reliable and which to avoid?
My favorite is the Precision Nutrition calculator! I've found that most (like my fitness pal) underestimate by a lot. PN also gives you a TON of resources and free information on how to implement their recommendations. www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator
I love this! I just started tracking for about the same reasons and this is super helpful. One question for you - I run a lot, and when I log my runs, MFP adjusts my goal pretty significantly (up to like 3500 calories in a day!). My question is - if I'm not trying to lose weight, should I be trying to replace these exercise calories (or, in the spirit of your video, maybe just having an extra protein shake)?
I don't typically recommend adding in what a calculator tells you simply because it's super inaccurate. I'd recommend listening to your hunger cues and your performance in training. Then you can make judgments off of that data over time :)
Have you considered the impact of food on our insulin levels rather than focusing solely on calories? For instance, a serving of broccoli contains a significantly different amount of insulin-stimulating properties compared to a serving of ice cream (100 calories of broccoli is not the same as 100 calories of ice cream). The body “thermostat” works to maintain energy balance and resist changes in weight. Caloric restriction often triggers compensatory mechanisms like hunger, reduced metabolism, and muscle loss, making it an unsustainable long-term strategy for most people. Instead, focusing on metabolic health and lifestyle changes that work with your body can yield better results.
i'm not diabetic or pre-diabetic so i have zero reason to worry about my insulin. insulin spikes are normal and means your body is working normally. i'm also not solely focused on calories and i'm not sure where you got that from this video.
@@JustinaErcole I mentioned this because counting calories used to be very triggering for me. However, since I learned about insulin resistance (though I’m not diabetic or pre-diabetic), I’ve lost weight (as that was my goal), and I now feel very healthy with lots of energy.
I just stopped tracking my food because it was becoming more and more of a hassle. That coupled with getting down on myself for not hitting my goals perfectly makes it not worth it to me. I’m trying now to refocus on making sure I get fruits and veggies in with every meal and make most of my food at home. It was way too easy for me to go down a rabbit hole with tracking my food like a fitness influencer or body builder when I am neither of those things 😅
That's great you refocused! Remember that "tracking" can also mean simply what you said: making sure I get fruits and veggies with meals. You can take note of aka "track" those metrics for yourself.
I haven't tracked in years, because I know it isn't good for me mentally. I'm as good as vegan, except for the occasional fish or cheese. So generally I eat a lot of kale, tofu, and legumes with whole wheat pasta or rice/bulgur, so fat isn't my biggest concern. One of my favourite things to eat is samyang buldak noodles, which I know are in no way healthy, but instead of cutting them out, which I probably would if I was tracking, I eat them once a week after I clean and do laundry, because I need to bribe myself to do that😅 but it works for me, and one a week is not gonna throw off everything, if I otherwise eat pretty balanced and healthy
I am someone who can see it as a data but I struggle with making it a competition to hit or under. I had an issue where missing the number would make me binge eat. Your story is literally the problem I would have.
I tried a certain macro tracker for the first time and quit after 4 days. I’m a breastfeeding momma and it tried to get me to reduce my calories based on 4 days of data. Get the heck off of my phone, I was so angry 😂 I did learn that I’ve been acing my protein goals before protein shakes which has been awesome, no wonder I’ve had such great muscle gains. But I’m good on some app deciding what’s “optimal” for me.
Your experience in the beginning, describes me to a T. I struggle so much with tracking and numbers, but I do it to keep myself aware of what I’m eating for my goals, but dear Lord, do I struggle with it lol
Although I know that for fat loss it's very accurate to track and you get good results that way, but I've tried on several occasions and my brain goes crazy. The only thing I can think about is food and the remaining calories of the day etc. I don't know if it's my thing
I've been going back and forth on whether or not to track. I know I probably won't get the weight loss results I need if I don't. But I've done it before and it was so frustrating. I'm a stay at home mom and cook all of our food at home 99.9% of the time. You'd think that would make it easy, but it's actually hard, when you make stuff from scratch for multiple people, to figure out the calories and macros of a serving of what you make. If I ate separate meals from the rest of my family literally all the time that'd be fine, but I don't have the time or money for that kind of thing. So anyway I feel inspired to try again but also wary of how purely annoying it was 😅 if anyone has tips to make it easier I'd appreciate them!
In the app I am using you can add your recipe and then enter the number of servings. That is not very precise, but works for me most of the time. I find it more difficult to track restaurant food or food from a buffet because I don't know the weight of the items. So on those day, I sometimes don't track at all. Depending on the food, you can also weigh the single items. For example, if you have mashed potatoes with some veggies and chicken, I would weigh the chicken, eye-ball or weigh the mashed potatoes, and weigh or eyeball the veggies. It's good enough for me because I currently focus more on my protein intake than on precise calorie intake.
@@Coffee_is_ready my problem is I'm usually making stuff like soup, casseroles, stir fry, things where all the ingredients are mixed together. But the recipe option you mentioned might work well enough for me. What app is that?
@@MB-vi8zp mynetdiary, I use it in the free mode as it provides all I need (I only track calories and macros). I love the recipe function. There is some work at the beginning to set everything up, but once that is done documenting what you eat is easy.
I like the idea of deleting the entire day when you go out. If you decide to not track one meal but keep the rest, it really messes up that data. I like the idea of skipping those day. For me it’s Saturday and Sunday. 😂 With that, I’m off to watch some football and have a 🍺.
I rceently had slightly high LDL so I was like, well let’s track saturated fat for a week and see what my average is and let’s just say I LOVE cheese. It was great data to have and it helped me adjust my eating to still be fun without eating as much saturated fat each day
For me, I don't really track anything cos I also had issues with calories in the past ans got obsessed but it's no longer a trigger for me. Now I try to eat as healthy as possible but I have vestibular migraines so have to use that as a reason to watch what I eat as well or I get incredibly dizzy all day. And to also drink enough water.
If I don't track I will eat the house down. Donuts? Sure. 3 of them? Sure 😅. But I have also learned not to be a perfectionist which took years to learn.
Have you considered the impact of food on our insulin levels rather than focusing solely on calories? For instance, a serving of broccoli contains a significantly different amount of insulin-stimulating properties compared to a serving of ice cream.
As someone with an education in nutrition I believe calorie counting is never healthy, even when approaching it with a healthy mindset it tends to spiral very quickly, and in general average people don't need to know exactly how many calories they're taking in. It would be much better to know how to put together a balanced meal. No shade or offence to you.
As someone who also has an education in nutrition, hard disagree. Calorie counting is a tool. This is like saying scale weight is always a bad thing to measure. Measurements are always bad, progress photos are always bad. One thing can help someone while be triggering for another. Making sweeping grand statements about tools that have been shown to help people is not helpful.
All food is good in moderation & all food should be eaten and enjoyed in moderation. Life is too short to be wasting time tracking and worried about going out for dinner. As you said,it sounds miserable. I suppose it depends on where you live too. We have healthy options & fresh fish & veg on the menu in most restaurants & very reasonably priced. So it's so easy to go out for dinner and enjoy 😊
Hey! I think you’re talking about two separate things. I agree that moderation is key, but that doesn’t mean that tracking is a waste of time. It’s a solid tool that can give you a lot of feedback on your health. I would never as a coach tell someone they’re wasting their time figuring out if they’re eating enough protein and fiber.
This is kind of too deep into the thoughts and stuff. I think just tracking your calories and estimating is a good idea, and you can accept that there is an uncertainty with the data. Deleting data is never a good idea cause its always better to have decent data than no data at all!
Hey! I know this comment means well, but we have to remember that there isn't a "one size fits all" approach. Taking a guess in the dark about what the numbers are behind a meal I ate at a restaurant isn't helpful for my goals and WHY i'm tracking. So that day, since I'm working off weekly averages, isn't helpful for me. But if you want every single piece of data, no matter how flawed or inaccurate it is, more power to you!
Ι tracked 100% in 2024 and it uncovered a nutritional imbalance: I was only getting 11% of my calories from fat. Healthy is like 25-30%! and I was having a lot of symptoms like low energy, disrupted sleep, water retention, horrible PMS, anovulatory cycles, very long cycles. My doctors told me to increase my dietary fat intake, which I immediately did, and all of the symptoms resolved!! It was amazing. I credit tracking because I had hard data. I am still tracking but I'm allowing myself more leeway in 2025. By the end of 2024, I was completely burned out on it. I had 2 restaurant meals in the entire year of 2024. I had a food scale at work. It had become a bit of a burden on me. But it did end up really benefiting my health. Knowledge is power and I'm so glad I stuck with it.
I tracked my food for years and ended up really messing up my head. I looked incredibly fit but I was driving myself crazy trying to be perfect. It took me like 2 years to get back into a healthier mindset with food. I feel like it’s something that is not talked about enough. I love the mindset that going off “plan” is not a wash. Rather, it’s not the norm so no need to document it. Great advice for real people learning how to live healthier!
I really appreciated this video. I'm a tracker who (luckily) has had the data mindset from the get go. For me, I start with my minimums that I have to get. If I go over targets, that's fine, my goals are marathons not sprints, but I have to have enough of what I need to fuel.
Understanding how or why other people do or do not engage in an activity that I find very helpful for my goals has given me some flags to keep an eye on with my own behavior.
Also, fats are a macro I struggle to hit my minimum numbers on almost every day so I was taking notes on what you substituted for things I can incorporate.
Excellent video as always!
yes i LOVE that you just mentioned that you have minimums to hit! that was never something i understood while younger and always aimed to be UNDER. such a great mindset shift!
I skipped this initially but am so glad it popped up in my feed again. The "it is only data... don't judge yourself" message is a powerful one and quite thought provoking. Thank you so much.
You’re so welcome!
I thought about tracking my calories again this week but I think I’m mentally not in a space yet where it wouldn’t mess with me. So happy for you though that you healed enough and you’re approach seems very reasonable!
thank you! and yeah don't return til you're ready. I've tried a handful of times over the years and after a few days (until now) always went "nope not ready yet" lol
I'm currently tracking my calories because I have a weight loss goal this year. When I attempted it in the past, I would miss a day or two or only track half a day, then scrap the entire idea because I wasn't perfect. After I watched a Jordan Syatt video about how consistency always beats perfection, I realized it didn't matter as long as I made it a habit, and now it's really working for me. I would love to get to a point where I don't need to track in order to lose or maintain weight, but I'm just not there, yet. In the meantime, I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and learning more about what I eat. For me, it's been a very useful tool.
I'll skip this one!😅 I know tracking stresses me out (still in recovery in that sense). Even if I say to myself that I would do it just for health, collecting data... It's extremely triggering and find it a slippery slope for me. I cut out sooooo many foods in the past (namely carbs) that I don't want to go down any road that might involve any form of tracking or 'controlling/checking'. Not for me! But thanks for your content as always!
protect your peace! I'll see you in the next one :)
I'm the same! Suffered with an ED for 10 to 15 years, and it's hard for me to say I'm in place where I'm recovered enough to track numbers. I don't know if I ever can again. Good luck, Justina, and thanks for all you do!
Same. Counting calories always brings out the lurking ED in me..not fun!!!
Agree. Tried again recently and all those bad feelings rose up again. Ugh! But did enough to see that I need to increase my protein and lower fat where I can, so maybe it was worth the stress.
@@chiknfriendsTake it from a LONG-timer. Don’t start. 🙂
I'm the type to easily overeat on fats and carbs, and not get enough protein, so tracking my calories and protein had helped me to understand exactly how much I need to get and what higher protein options I can eat to help me meet that goal.
I def don't want to be tracking for the rest of my life, so while I'm in maintenance mode right now, I don't track. I still train in the gym and try to get stronger, and I monitor how I look and feel. If I feel weaker or not recovering well, that tells me that I might not be eating enough protein, and I try to get more going forward.
The 'intuitive' eating style is actually pretty hard, it's advanced for me, because I'm so used to tracking. But I'll keep practising!
Hey Justina! I had a long, almost 10 year battle with multiple eating disorders. I'm now in the same place you are in terms of calorie counting. The numbers no longer bother me anyway near as much as they did before. I began tracking again purely to help me reach my body recomposition goal. I am also really proud of how far I've come, and I respect you for continuously promoting a healthy relationship with movement and food. ❤❤
This is so helpful. #1 is me 100%. I'm glad I'm not the only one!!! I don't track daily either. I use it to keep myself on track in general. I usually track about 3-4 days a week.
i love that balance!
This all sounds so healthy! I'm glad you're at this point with your relationships with the numbers. I'm at a similar point after years of trying to be (and succeeding to be) kind to myself and that makes me so happy! I'm caring for my body so well and I'm only 21
Proud of you!
Calorie counting is such a minefield - it’s certainly much easier if they can be seen as data and not a reflection of someone’s character (being “good” when you don’t over-consume; being “bad” when you do).
As calories are a measure of energy it’s important to remember that even if you don’t tract in calories that energy still exists! (Hence the saying: “ you don’t have to count calories but calories do count).
A technique I have found useful for weekends and “off” days is to only tract my protein and make sure I get at least 6 handfuls of fruit & veg. A more relaxed approach with saying “to hell with it!”.😂 A nicely nuanced and thoughtful video as usual Justina 👍
I love that! I often recommend only tracking protein or fiber to people too :)
Love love love the data angle! I definitely had similar experiences of wanting my log to be 'perfect' when I was younger and trying to lose weight, and if it wasn't I'd give up. Currently trying to lose fat and having the actual data of how I am eating is helping me make better choices for me long-term. I also weigh myself everyday for the data and for me that really works now, but 5 years ago I couldn't have dealt with it! Logging my daily moods has also been very eye opening!
Love your approach to tracking, especially with going out to eat!
I used to have a bad relationship with tracking my macros and then I had a mindset switch of that calories are just fuel and it is helping me eat enough so I am able to fuel my body and build muscle. I personally like tracking most of the time but like you I do like to have some off days. Like sometimes when we got to eat, I just won’t track that meal. I travel a lot so it sort of forces me to eat more intuitively and mindfully and learn from my experience of tracking.
I personally love seeing the numbers and data now. I love reaching my protein and fiber goals. I find it really motivating and it helps me feel really good!
Hey justina! I work at a gym and honestly it’s rough trying not to fall into unhelpful thinking modes again. I hope one day I will be more mature enough to not get into that perfection mindset you’re talking about when I try tracking again. As for now, I’m feeling great just training hard and focusing on higher protein options :)
i love that focus on protein!
This was a great video! I am the same about gravitating to getting most of my calories from fat (I love full fat dairy, peanut butter, etc.) One of the reasons I track is related to fiber -- I'm trying to learn eating patterns/habits that can help me to hit that goal every day or most days. Obviously, tracking isn't necessary for this, but I find it helpful!!
Thank you for providing (perhaps yet again on some subtopics in here!) the general population with an example of a balanced approach. Not enough of this out there. If I was a teenaged girl, I would love to have this resource. Sadly, I am a bit older than you, and did not have this when I was a teen. Thank you! ❤
Super late to the party but I can't be too strict with my calories or I will get stressed, hate it, and self sabatogue. Instead I have started to track calorie ranges, as in I calculate what a meal or recipe is once and do my best to adhere to portion sizes. And then because people underestimate calories I usually round up or add in some calories here and there since I am in a deficit for the moment. It is a lot more lax and allows me to meet my goals without driving myself crazy.
sees tht justine has strong thoughts..watches n listens
great video as always! honestly, using calorie tracking as a routine-building tool and seeing the numbers as data was the best choice that i made to my mental health. for now it's helping me get back on track and stick to my fat loss goal, but instead of getting too obsessed with perfect macros (one of my past mistakes), i simply try to collect my averages and see how i can improve my choices and have a sustainable and balanced diet in the long term (hopefully without measuring and tracking anything lol).
that's great!
Thank you for this video!! It is a tricky thing to track food macros and calories so it’s very important to be extremely intentional and mindful with your why and to ensure your not stepping into disorderly relationships with food or tracking !!
Really appreciated your insights on the matter! I have turned into a serial tracker myself over the last 1-1.5 years and I have to say that when you said it's not helpful to track things you don't have the answers to really resonates on a deep level.
Due to the aftermath of a bedridden flare from an autoimmune disease I didn't know I had about 2 years ago, I skyrocketed to 90kg at 168cm. Lifestyle changes got me back down to 70kg, but then I plateaued. Then, I starting calorie/macro counting. However, I skipped determining my maintenance calories and using that to adapt my mindset around what a typical maintenance week would look like food-wise when paired with activity. I also had no structure in my workouts and no clear goal besides: less weight. Instead, I was immediately plugging in the amount to lose weight and then obsessing over making the number go smaller by any means necessary. Weight didn't change for a week? Cut more. That was *the wrong* thing to do. To describe more clearly how much I screwed myself over, my current maintenance calories are 30% *higher* than when I screwed myself over even though I have the same amount of bodyfat. I look/feel/am much healthier after self-learning for months from professionals like Mike Israetel (sorry Justina, just found your channel like last week!); even though I'm technically heavier it's because of more muscle, not more fat. I now have structure, understanding of what's happening, and a clear goal; I'm currently in a healthy range now thanks to this.
Do not do what I did. Learn/seek assistance form the professionals first; utilize their years of experience and knowledge!
thank you for sharing your experience and welcome to the channel!
This is great advice! One case I did find for using a scale was protein powders. The scoops aren't the most consistent and to make sure I'm getting the right "serving", I weigh that. It's been so helpful in giving me the visuals of "this is what a 'serving' of this one looks like". Hopefully soon my goofy brain commits that to memory so I can stop weighing but for now, it's helpful for sure!
I have been tracking my food for years. I have to :D 'cos I tend to overeat. Like a lot (2000 - 3000 kcal more than I am supposed to). There was a time in my life where I tried to eat intuitively like everyone around promoted and I gained like 5 kg (11 pounds) just in month. When I go out, I do not count, when I order take away, I don't count, when I steel my kids' chocolate, crisps or ice cream, I do not count :D So as you said, it is just a tool for me. It is like when you draw a line on the paper to cut it straight. I just cannot without it :D Anyway I love your videos! Keep them coming!
Omg I relate to your previous experience with tracking so much! Messing with the data to be “perfect” 🤦🏻♀️ It was super unhealthy.
Hey Justina! Counting calories is not good for me personally, and I recently watched an older video of yours about how to achieve a calorie deficit WITHOUT counting calories. You mentioned Precision Nutrition’s guidelines that relate serving sizes to the size of your hand, and I looked at the graphic and I just cannot wrap my head around it! Do you have any videos floating around that give practical, real-life examples of plates built with those guidelines?? Thanks very much!
If you go through my “nutrition tips” playlist I have tons of videos that show my meals! But honestly those are using the hand method as an eyeball so it may not be helpful. If you can’t track by measuring cups, the scale, or the hand method, it may be worth it to work with someone 1:1 to figure out a method that works for you!
When I did Bright Line Eating I tracked constantly and lost weight. Their tagline is “Food Freedom” because you’re supposed to write down everything you’re going to eat the day before so it takes away that standing staring in the fridge moment. However, I felt the constant weighing and tracking became anything but freedom. Of course I put weight back on. I’m getting back to healthy eating and working out so I may track for a little bit just to get a sense of what I’m actually doing.
Interesting to hear people's different approaches.
I like data, and I'm currently tracking what I eat because I want to maintain such muscle as I have. I went through a period of actually entering it in cronometer, which showed me just how little protein I was getting.
I ran out of energy for that a while back, but I still weigh and write down all my food - it keeps me mindful of balancing things out. And it reassures me that if I feel the need for the numbers again, I have the raw data captured and can do the sums whenever.
The whole process showed me some interesting patterns so, for me, it was worth it...
I started tracking last year. Not for calories, but to reduce salt intake and saturated fats. I have high blood pressure because of rheuma, because of the medication my kidney function is also not where it should be. I was able to improve both by being strict about salt intake five out of seven days a week for a year. I also have Crohn's disease, meaning that i tend to eat less than i need. So when i had all of the sudden lost two kilograms i started watching calories and, after a tip of my specialist, i decided to increase my protein intake. It has improved my Energy level, i have less plaque on my teeth and mu kidney function and blood pressure have improved. I have noticed that it's easy to get really absorbed by tracking and tweaking the numbers for the sake of the numbers. When i do that i keep going back to my goal: reduce salt and Saturated fats intake. This helps me. I also stopped looking at the numbers every day.
I so agree about the fat. When I was losing weight for fertility, I was told that I should be eating full fat things. Low fat actually messes with your hormones. But full fat things are more calories and much easier to overeat especially when I was only eating about 1400 calories a day. I was also told that dairy is an important part of your diet for fertility, so I couldn't just cut it out. It's maddening lol
To clarify for anyone reading, eating too low fat can cause hormonal issues (as can 1000 other things). Not eating low fat options like low fat greek yogurt rather than full fat. Just wanted to make sure no one got confused!
@@JustinaErcole I was told by my fertility specialist that all of the additives and BS they add to non-fat/low fat things are bad for hormones.
Oh this is perfect timing - I finally got around to getting a food scale for my food at home because I'm going to give tracking my macros a go and started yesterday. I think it'll help me to just see a general picture to make sure I'm getting enough protein while also keeping fats and carbs "in check" without being crazy about if I go over by a bit. Our school (international expat art teacher) gives staff free lunch so will my macro tracking be absolutely perfect? No. Will I still go out to eat when I want? Yes. But same as what you were mentioning it's going to be helpful to make sure I'm getting enough of various nutrients but not to beat myself up on "did I hit the number right on the button each day"
I've just started a new program that heavily relies on tracking calories, and I'm curious to know what your thoughts are!
1. To start, continue eating as normal for 14 days, but to track my calories and weight each day to determine current "maintenance calories".
2. Enter the "reverse diet phase": increase average daily calories by 50 calories per week, until 2500 cal/day is reached. The theory is that increasing the calories so slowly will prevent the body from putting on more fat.
3. Stay in that "transition period" of 2500 cal/day for at least 4 weeks, so that the body adapts to the higher calories.
4. Enter the "fat loss phase": suddenly drop to 2000 cal/day for 3 weeks, then 1900 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1800 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1700 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1600 cal/day for 3 weeks, 1500 cal/day for 3 weeks (or until fat loss goals are reached, but never dropping below 1500 cal/day).
5. Finally, "reverse diet" again up to whatever feels right for your body (e.g. 2000 cal/day).
So it involves closely montoring calories for around 9-12 months, but after that we'll be in a maintenance phase and will learn to judge if we're eating roughly the right amount for our body. Also, we need to monitor protein, to ensure we are having at least 2x our body weight (kg) in protein (g). If we do happen to over or under eat one week (+/- 100 cal for the total weekly calories), then we "marinate" on the same calorie goal for the next week. We also need to weight train 3 times per week.
The goal is to increase metabolism, build muscle, then lose fat, while having a "healthier relationship" with food, because we can still have chocolate/etc, as long as the calorie/protein goals are met.
Are you familiar with this method? Professional opinion? Thank you 😊
This is definitely more in the realm of an RD, sorry!
@JustinaErcole thank you anyway! 😊
In a way I wish I never started tracking my calories. I only started around March ‘24, and although it has helped me lose fat, I now find it hard NOT to track or worry about how much I’m eating . I have a healthier relationship with food than I used to, but calorie counting has really opened my eyes.
(Please note I’ve never had an ED, but I have fallen into the ‘clean eating’ trap and doing excessive cardio years ago!)
If you have a therapist that may be worth chatting about! Or working with a nutrition coach or RD to build some plans on how to wean yourself off tracking :)
No more tracking, feels liberating and thus doesn't make you crave anything in particular, so there's no obsessive behavior. Just making sure I eat enough fiber and protein 👍
Love that you’ve found something that works for you!
I've tracked since the beginning of 2025 as a away to learn more about how much to eat without overeat or under eat . At college I was someone who was always moving therefor eating a lot without thinking about it, now I'm just trying to get a better idea of how to stop gaining weithg.
However, I'm not stopping eating ice cream and not tracking when i go out with friends.
Omg never cut the ice cream!
@ NEVER!
I tracked for a while simply because I gained quite a bit of weight during the pandemic. What was most interesting to me was how off my macros were! I was not getting nearly enough protein and way too much fat. I don’t track anymore, but I did learn a lot when I did.
It’s totally a great tool to use as a check in if you can wrap your brain around it!
I AM someone that likes to have variety every day, but I think I'm realizing lately that I simply need to have go-to breakfast and lunch meals that I eat nearly every day so I don't get overwhelmed with options and what will "fit into my day" calorie-wise. Then I can save the fun and variety for deciding what to have for dinner. Literally realized this this week after years of not being able to stick to tracking or healthy eating lol. So hopefully it goes well and is sustainable 👍
maybe start with having 2-3 options and see if that works better!
I think i love food too much to track 😂 I have never wanted to start tracking because i didn't want to get obsessed eith it. I didn't think that would be a healthy place for me to be. Also, i don't really need it. Like you said..its a tool...for what i am working towards i dont need that tool. I'll even go a step further to say most people don't "need" that tool. My view is ilI want people to love and enjoy food...theres so much to enjoy and you can love and enjoy food AND reach your goals too. ❤
haha totally fair! tracking is just one tool. you don't have to use it :)
In your goals video you said that sometimes you find yourself hungry in the evening being a reason for tracking for a while. Have you find out why? Not enough protein/fiber or even under your calorie requirement ?
I wasn’t eating enough during the day! Breakfast was especially too low in calories. Fixed that, upped my protein a hair, and I’m already feeling soooo much better.
I have no problem with the concept of tracking my food, I have a pretty good metabolism. I hate weighing my food out. Specifically, then figuring macros out for a meal with a lot of ingredients.
VERY helpful video, thank you for sharing!
just wondering though.. how would/did you wean off calorie tracking at first? I mean, back when numbers were such a big trigger (something I relate to SO deeply).
I'm at a point where I'm so reliant on numbers, that I can barely cope with the idea of making even just one food decision during the week that is NOT based on numbers. I have basically zero internal cues to rely on, just chronic hunger and anhedonia lol. I'm entirely dependent on calories, macros and expiration dates to decide the amount and the order in which I eat the foods in my pantry.
How would you go about relying less on those numbers? I love your recent videoes about goal-setting and slow but consistent progression, and I feel like my brain works very similarly in that I need systems and a certain amount of structure to function. I really value your advice
oh i just stopped cold turkey when i used it in a disordered way. i also went to therapy :)
I lost weight with tracking and need to lose the weight I gained back and was thinking I wouldnt track because I am lazy but after reading the comments I realize it is not being lazy it is ED.
Hi Justina, I’ve been following you for a while now and I love your content! A genuine question from me is how did you get to this point of a much healthier mindset around tracking? I am really struggling with binge and restrict patterns. Did you attend therapy sessions or would you recommend something like that possibly?
Therapy!
I used to track my calories - I followed a specific meal plan made for me by a dietician, and it was AMAZING! I stopped after a while though, because the meal prep felt a bit intense 😅
Now I follow the hand measure method, and I find it's much easier to stick with it!
love that!
I’m kind of on the opposite side of you 😅 I’ve been tracking calories for about a year for weight loss but just this week I learned I’ve got gallstones and a fatty liver. So I’ve got to change what I eat but I know if I track calories I’ll just fall into what might have gotten me here in the first place: prioritizing calories over everything else. I need to eat more nutritionally dense foods and lower fat foods instead of going for anything that’s low calorie no matter the nutritional content. And to eat proper portions, of course.
I haven’t met my weight loss goals yet but sometimes other things take priority (like not getting horrendous, agonizing pain in my abdomen because my gallbladder’s feeling a little silly). I’m gonna rewatch some of your nutrition videos because I really like the hand measuring method you’ve mentioned before and I wanna make sure I remember everything correctly 😊
I completely support your decision not to talk about specific numbers, but ive yet to find any sources that reliably calculate my BMR and est. caloric needs from activity. I've tried different calculators, but they all give me such wildly different estimates (like sometimes 800+ cal difference). The reason I'd like to know is because I'm currently gaining weight without needing or wanting to, but I have a healthy relationship to food, eat the rainbow, and eat whenever I'm hungry. I can't afford an RD, so I'm just looking for a comparison from someone I trust as to which cal formulas are reliable and which to avoid?
My favorite is the Precision Nutrition calculator! I've found that most (like my fitness pal) underestimate by a lot. PN also gives you a TON of resources and free information on how to implement their recommendations.
www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator
I love this! I just started tracking for about the same reasons and this is super helpful. One question for you - I run a lot, and when I log my runs, MFP adjusts my goal pretty significantly (up to like 3500 calories in a day!). My question is - if I'm not trying to lose weight, should I be trying to replace these exercise calories (or, in the spirit of your video, maybe just having an extra protein shake)?
I don't typically recommend adding in what a calculator tells you simply because it's super inaccurate. I'd recommend listening to your hunger cues and your performance in training. Then you can make judgments off of that data over time :)
Have you considered the impact of food on our insulin levels rather than focusing solely on calories? For instance, a serving of broccoli contains a significantly different amount of insulin-stimulating properties compared to a serving of ice cream (100 calories of broccoli is not the same as 100 calories of ice cream). The body “thermostat” works to maintain energy balance and resist changes in weight. Caloric restriction often triggers compensatory mechanisms like hunger, reduced metabolism, and muscle loss, making it an unsustainable long-term strategy for most people. Instead, focusing on metabolic health and lifestyle changes that work with your body can yield better results.
i'm not diabetic or pre-diabetic so i have zero reason to worry about my insulin. insulin spikes are normal and means your body is working normally. i'm also not solely focused on calories and i'm not sure where you got that from this video.
@@JustinaErcole I mentioned this because counting calories used to be very triggering for me. However, since I learned about insulin resistance (though I’m not diabetic or pre-diabetic), I’ve lost weight (as that was my goal), and I now feel very healthy with lots of energy.
@ If someone is insulin resistant, they need help from a doctor.
I just stopped tracking my food because it was becoming more and more of a hassle. That coupled with getting down on myself for not hitting my goals perfectly makes it not worth it to me. I’m trying now to refocus on making sure I get fruits and veggies in with every meal and make most of my food at home. It was way too easy for me to go down a rabbit hole with tracking my food like a fitness influencer or body builder when I am neither of those things 😅
That's great you refocused! Remember that "tracking" can also mean simply what you said: making sure I get fruits and veggies with meals. You can take note of aka "track" those metrics for yourself.
I haven't tracked in years, because I know it isn't good for me mentally. I'm as good as vegan, except for the occasional fish or cheese. So generally I eat a lot of kale, tofu, and legumes with whole wheat pasta or rice/bulgur, so fat isn't my biggest concern. One of my favourite things to eat is samyang buldak noodles, which I know are in no way healthy, but instead of cutting them out, which I probably would if I was tracking, I eat them once a week after I clean and do laundry, because I need to bribe myself to do that😅 but it works for me, and one a week is not gonna throw off everything, if I otherwise eat pretty balanced and healthy
I am someone who can see it as a data but I struggle with making it a competition to hit or under. I had an issue where missing the number would make me binge eat. Your story is literally the problem I would have.
It’s a tool that may not work for everyone!
Helpful! Yep, fat sneaks up on me, even if total calories are under my goal. Good learning!
glad it was helpful sam!
I tried a certain macro tracker for the first time and quit after 4 days. I’m a breastfeeding momma and it tried to get me to reduce my calories based on 4 days of data. Get the heck off of my phone, I was so angry 😂
I did learn that I’ve been acing my protein goals before protein shakes which has been awesome, no wonder I’ve had such great muscle gains. But I’m good on some app deciding what’s “optimal” for me.
Oh yeah I don’t trust what most of the apps like My Fitness Pal say. I would reference sources like Precision Nutrition instead!
Your experience in the beginning, describes me to a T. I struggle so much with tracking and numbers, but I do it to keep myself aware of what I’m eating for my goals, but dear Lord, do I struggle with it lol
it may be worth talking to a professional about! that really helped me when I had a problem :)
Although I know that for fat loss it's very accurate to track and you get good results that way, but I've tried on several occasions and my brain goes crazy. The only thing I can think about is food and the remaining calories of the day etc. I don't know if it's my thing
That used to be me too! Therapy helped :)
I've been going back and forth on whether or not to track. I know I probably won't get the weight loss results I need if I don't. But I've done it before and it was so frustrating. I'm a stay at home mom and cook all of our food at home 99.9% of the time. You'd think that would make it easy, but it's actually hard, when you make stuff from scratch for multiple people, to figure out the calories and macros of a serving of what you make. If I ate separate meals from the rest of my family literally all the time that'd be fine, but I don't have the time or money for that kind of thing. So anyway I feel inspired to try again but also wary of how purely annoying it was 😅 if anyone has tips to make it easier I'd appreciate them!
try using the hand method to start maybe!
In the app I am using you can add your recipe and then enter the number of servings. That is not very precise, but works for me most of the time. I find it more difficult to track restaurant food or food from a buffet because I don't know the weight of the items. So on those day, I sometimes don't track at all. Depending on the food, you can also weigh the single items. For example, if you have mashed potatoes with some veggies and chicken, I would weigh the chicken, eye-ball or weigh the mashed potatoes, and weigh or eyeball the veggies. It's good enough for me because I currently focus more on my protein intake than on precise calorie intake.
@@Coffee_is_ready my problem is I'm usually making stuff like soup, casseroles, stir fry, things where all the ingredients are mixed together. But the recipe option you mentioned might work well enough for me. What app is that?
@@MB-vi8zp mynetdiary, I use it in the free mode as it provides all I need (I only track calories and macros). I love the recipe function. There is some work at the beginning to set everything up, but once that is done documenting what you eat is easy.
I like the idea of deleting the entire day when you go out. If you decide to not track one meal but keep the rest, it really messes up that data. I like the idea of skipping those day. For me it’s Saturday and Sunday. 😂 With that, I’m off to watch some football and have a 🍺.
Haha I’m doing the Sunday football 🍺 as we speak!
I rceently had slightly high LDL so I was like, well let’s track saturated fat for a week and see what my average is and let’s just say I LOVE cheese. It was great data to have and it helped me adjust my eating to still be fun without eating as much saturated fat each day
I love that you were able to figure out the cause!
For me, I don't really track anything cos I also had issues with calories in the past ans got obsessed but it's no longer a trigger for me.
Now I try to eat as healthy as possible but I have vestibular migraines so have to use that as a reason to watch what I eat as well or I get incredibly dizzy all day. And to also drink enough water.
it sounds like you're on your way to finding a nice balance of being mindful without obsessive!
If I don't track I will eat the house down. Donuts? Sure. 3 of them? Sure 😅. But I have also learned not to be a perfectionist which took years to learn.
I only track protein and fiber.
honestly that's what I recommend to a lot of people! everything else tends to fall into place.
Have you considered the impact of food on our insulin levels rather than focusing solely on calories? For instance, a serving of broccoli contains a significantly different amount of insulin-stimulating properties compared to a serving of ice cream.
no
As someone with an education in nutrition I believe calorie counting is never healthy, even when approaching it with a healthy mindset it tends to spiral very quickly, and in general average people don't need to know exactly how many calories they're taking in. It would be much better to know how to put together a balanced meal.
No shade or offence to you.
As someone who also has an education in nutrition, hard disagree. Calorie counting is a tool. This is like saying scale weight is always a bad thing to measure. Measurements are always bad, progress photos are always bad. One thing can help someone while be triggering for another. Making sweeping grand statements about tools that have been shown to help people is not helpful.
All food is good in moderation & all food should be eaten and enjoyed in moderation. Life is too short to be wasting time tracking and worried about going out for dinner.
As you said,it sounds miserable.
I suppose it depends on where you live too.
We have healthy options & fresh fish & veg on the menu in most restaurants & very reasonably priced. So it's so easy to go out for dinner and enjoy 😊
Hey! I think you’re talking about two separate things. I agree that moderation is key, but that doesn’t mean that tracking is a waste of time. It’s a solid tool that can give you a lot of feedback on your health. I would never as a coach tell someone they’re wasting their time figuring out if they’re eating enough protein and fiber.
This is kind of too deep into the thoughts and stuff. I think just tracking your calories and estimating is a good idea, and you can accept that there is an uncertainty with the data. Deleting data is never a good idea cause its always better to have decent data than no data at all!
Hey! I know this comment means well, but we have to remember that there isn't a "one size fits all" approach. Taking a guess in the dark about what the numbers are behind a meal I ate at a restaurant isn't helpful for my goals and WHY i'm tracking. So that day, since I'm working off weekly averages, isn't helpful for me. But if you want every single piece of data, no matter how flawed or inaccurate it is, more power to you!