*Note: picture above is to show no dramatic change. My weight is the same in both and any slight differences could just be to angle/pose. Picture is from last week and I’ve been working on writing this post all week 😉
So something kind of crazy happened that I kind of just fell into what I’m calling Mindful Eating Without Tracking (as in I haven’t tracked a full day of macros in My Fitness Pal) and I am now officially 6 weeks in, and I have to say I’m pretty ecstatic! But what is Mindful Eating Without Tracking? Let me explain.
Let me side track a little to talk about the term and concept of Intuitive Eating. Intuitive Eating has become more popularized over the past year with it’s basis being for individuals to eat intuitively (meaning to fully listen to their bodies wants/needs) and in doing so giving up the desire to want to have any control on changing their body and accepting their body for how it is or how it becomes based on their intuitive food choices. And while I think body acceptance and love is fantastic and necessary for us to have so that we feel our best, I do also think that having physique and fitness goals and working hard to feel strong and more confident is something that is also extremely important. And from my research and experience with myself and clients, I think that the best way to reach any fitness goal is through tracking macros or following a balanced macro based nutrition plan that allows all foods to be enjoyed within a moderation that helps you feel balanced and not restricted. But what about after reaching your fitness goal and you want to maintain your body composition, should you still continue to track macros?
Being at Peace with my Body and Food
I tracked my macros for a solid year and a half, and in doing so completely healed my relationship with food as I completely accepted that there are NO “good” or “bad” foods! There are just foods that fuel me and my life better (nutrient dense whole foods like lean protein, fruits, veggies, etc.) and foods that fuel my soul and memories (“fun foods” like pizza, cookies, wine, etc). All of these foods are important and necessary for us to fully thrive both mentally and physically! Throughout that year and a half I tracked macros to maintain my 30 lb weight loss while build muscle and burning fat and decreasing my body fat % (which you can read more about here).
I recently finished my last mini cut and was happy with my results (which you can read about here) and directly following the cut I went to Vegas and didn’t track (I typically hadn’t when traveling) and on that trip I enjoyed a lot of fun foods and drinks, and when I came back from Vegas I was SO busy with work that I just said “Well I had a lot of fun foods in Vegas, I’ll just focus on nutrient dense foods for the next couple of days and then get back to tracking” and then all of the sudden I was a week down without tracking a full day in MFP and nothing changed in my body composition. So then I just kept it going and now it’s 6 weeks later that I haven’t tracked a full day and my weight and physique is still relatively the same.
So am I giving up Macros?
No. For me to give up macros I would essentially be giving up on eating as a whole, and that’s not what I’m doing! lol And what I mean by that is that macros are protein, carbs, and fats, meaning that they’re in EVERYTHING we consume! So whether someone is paying attention to their macro ratio or not, they’re still consuming macros. Whenever anyone says that a meal is “well rounded” they mean that it has a balanced protein, carb, and fat macronutrient ratio as well as probably a balance micronutrient ratio because it will have veggies and/or fruit. Throughout the year and a half I was tracking I learned what meals that make me feel fueled and satisfied look like. I know that not having a good amount of protein at a meal won’t keep me satiated, and I feel more energized for my workouts when I have a good amount of carbs before them. And I know that having healthy fats is good for my hormones so I want to be conscious of getting those in. So in knowing all of this, I am still mentally tracking what I’m eating in a given day. I’m just not adding it all in to an app to try to get down to an exact gram/ratio for me to follow. But I know what 30g of protein, 30-50g of carbs, and 10-15g of fat looks like, and I know that for me to maintain my weight I need to have those portions 3-4 times a day (Please note, this is what fuels ME so it may not be fueling for YOU).
I should note that I have tracked meals that I share on Instagram, as I know that people find those helpful and I like to share meals with clients to follow that fit their macros so they don’t have to always figure it out themselves. And in doing that, I have typically been tracking one meal every other day which I think has made the transition to not tracking everything easier as I can be more thoughtful on my other meals by having the idea of what my one tracked meal macros were. But my nutrition approach will ALWAYS be macro based because I believe that it is the best and more sustainable way to build muscle and burn fat without feeling like you’re deprived or on a diet.
(If you’re confused on what macros are click here to read an article about them 🙂 )
Changing Priorities
What’s been the biggest thing I’ve noticed since adapting this approach? My time and energy towards food has decreased. Not having to double check that everything fits my exact macros in the app just saves me time. And when I’m just maintaining my weight, I just don’t find it necessary to be thinking about the exact grams when my body can self regulate. Somedays I’m eating more fun foods and other days more veggies. Somedays I’m eating more and other days I’m eating less, but I am still mentally tracking so (like I mentioned above) I wouldn’t call this Intuitive Eating at all.
The main things I find myself tracking comes down to also more food groups based, meaning that I’m getting in a serving of protein at each meal, 4-5 cups of veggies a day, 1-2 servings of whole grains/complex carbs, 2-3 servings of healthy fats, and a serving of fruit everyday. This all doesn’t necessarily add up to my maintenance calories which I why they will fluctuate and then I can fit in with some “fun foods”. This has been really helpful to me in feeling my best and most balanced, and like I mentioned less food focused. While I have “goals” for those groups, I don’t approach them with an “all or nothing” mentality that I stress out about if one day I didn’t get in some fruit. It’s more like “Hmm, I’m hungry what should I eat? Well I have’t had fruit today and I love fruit with yogurt and pb so I think I’ll have that!” The conversation I have with myself and food is way more relaxed, and I think it should be as my goals are more relaxed!
What’s my main goal with food?
Finding complete satisfaction from my meals has been one of my main priorities and goals! Like I mentioned I’m being really mindful of having my veggies or fruit and protein at all my meals and then paying attention to what’s going to make that meal whole and satisfying to me. This is important because I want to leave the meal completely satisfied instead of wanting more or feeling like something is missing which can then leave me to be just thinking about food until my next meal. I want to leave my thoughts on my food/meal as soon as I get up from the table so that I can get back to my life. I know with macros it can become a thing that we track all of our meals for the day (which is what I DO recommend for those tracking to reach a specific goal because it helps with consistency) but it can become a thing that as soon as we finish breakfast we’re just waiting for lunch, and I don’t think it should always be that way. And I’ve challenged clients with this concept by trying to have bigger and more satisfying meals and less snacks even as their in a calorie deficit and they have said it helps with being less food focused all the time.
Some examples I’ve found with myself and clients in making meals more satisfying tends to be from the carb and fat side, meaning having actual pita, naan, tacos/tortillas, or bread that you love (doesn’t always need to be whole wheat or whole grain! My Favorite is Sour Dough!), having actual rice or pasta instead of just having volume “rice” or “pasta” made from veggies, having fattier meats instead of just lean cuts, or having full fat cheese. Sometimes we get too wrapped up in make our meals have too voluminous so that it’s filling that we get lost in if it was satisfying. And while I am still having what could be considered volume meals because they are full plates with a lot of veggies and greens, I’m also making sure to add in that satisfying element. And sometimes that satisfying element has been to have something sweet after my meal whether it’s a couple spoonfuls or ice cream, a small chocolate candy, or 1/2 cup of berries. Making my meals well rounded and satisfying lets me leave my food thoughts at the meal and then really be able to pay attention to when I’m actually hungry again vs just thinking/craving food.
What about eating out at restaurants?
Eating out at restaurants has changed for me because I’m not finding myself looking up menus ahead of time to see what will fit my macros or to pre-track my meal and then fit my day around it. BUT (like I stated above) this is was I DO recommend clients to do in reaching their fitness goals, but again my current fitness goal is to just maintain my physique. And (like I stated above) I know what meals that fuel me and that goal look like. I know that I don’t need to eat my entire meal if I’m not hungry for it or feel like the portion is too large for me. I know how to have balance without overindulging. One of the reasons I suggest clients to look up meals ahead of time for restaurants is that they can decide ahead of time what they want to get without being stressed at the restaurant on what they should eat. And if you are making a fitness goal a priority then dedicating time to tracking your food is I think just necessary and the most optimal way to reach that goal, but like I’ve stated being in maintenance shouldn’t require this much extra thought. The time I spent on that I can now spend on helping clients progress to their goals and then hopefully also get to a place of mindful eating without tracking so that they can maintain their hard work.
Why did I track for so long?
The main reason why I tracked for quite a while even when I was just maintaining my weight loss, was that I was scared that if I didn’t track that I would just gain back all of the weight I lost. But I’m now 6 weeks in without tracking exact macro grams and I’ve maintained my physique, and also possibly even feel a little leaner though my weight is the same. Being less food focus just gives me one less thing to think about and relieving that stress, and just focusing on fueling my body, has just left me feeling completely balanced and satisfied! And the best part is that gives me more time to focus on my business and clients, and also time spent with friends and family.
Should you stop tracking?
If you’re in a place of your fitness journey where you want to maintain your weight (relatively within a few lbs) because you’ve reached your weight loss goal or want to take a break from being in a calorie deficit so that you can pursue further weight loss effectively in the future, then taking a break from tracking everything could be a good option for you. I would suggest that if you have been in a calorie deficit and want to maintain the weight you lost to first reverse your calories back up to maintenance so that you can track what your maintenance calories/food looks like for a few weeks before stopping tracking in My Fitness Pal or whatever app you may be using. This is so you can see what meals look like and satisfy you for you to maintain your body composition. As opposed to trying to just Mindfully Eat Without Tracking right after being in a calorie deficit, you have been used to smaller meals so you may continue to under eat or may unknowingly jump up calories too high and overeat.
How to ease your way into not tracking
Some steps you can take to slowly let go of tracking or get more relaxed with tracking if you’re not feeling ready to stop using a tracking app completely are:
- Continue to track your macros but don’t use a food scale or measuring cups. Instead eyeball everything and track it, example: 4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup rice, 1/3 avocado. Then check in with the scale occasionally to see if there’s any big changes. If it seems to be going down while you’re trying to maintain weight then you may be over estimating portions, and if it’s going up then you may be underestimating portions and need to adjust.
- Slowly stop tracking all of your meals. Depending on what’s comfortable for you, try to just not track one meal a week, then try not tracking one meal a day, and then get to maybe only tracking one meal a day. I would encourage you to not make the meals you don’t track as “clean as possible” because that makes them “safe”. Challenge yourself. If you’ve been following flexible dieting then you know that you have a slice of pizza or a scoop of ice cream and won’t gain fat just from that. Everything is about mindful moderation and doing what fuels you best!
- If you want to be maintaining muscle/lean body mass, then you need be paying attention to protein intake. Making sure you’re getting in a serving of protein 3-4 times a day should be enough to enough to be able to maintain muscle mass. Lean Protein Examples: Chicken Breast, Lean Cut Steak, Pork Tenderloin, Turkey Breast, White Fish, Canned Tuna in Water, Egg Whites, Nonfat Greek Yogurt, Nonfat Cottage Cheese, Protein Powder. Vegan Options: Lentils, Edamame, Tofu, Chickpeas, Vegan Protein Powder. (A serving of protein is typically 20-30g, check the nutrition facts for these proteins to see how much you should be having at each meal. I also find it help to make sure I’m getting in a serving of complex carbs (30-50g would be an average recommendation) along with protein and veggies pre and post workout to help with fueling my workout and then muscle recovery. 40g of complex carbs can be any of the following in whole grain or wheat versions: 1 cup of rice, quinoa, beans, potato, or pasta, or 3/4 cup oats, a large tortilla, pita pocket, 1/2 large naan, 2 slices of bread, or 4 cups butternut squash.
- Continue to weigh in. While I’m not tracking my food everyday I am still checking my weight. I suggest this though if you can view the scale as a form of data and that’s it. I know that there are many people who can have the scale negatively affect their attitude/day depending on what it says and if that’s you then I wouldn’t suggest to weigh in everyday. But the reason I suggest to weigh in (if you can view it objectively) is that it will let you know if you’re eating the right amount for your maintenance goal. Your weight will fluctuate up or down a few lbs depending on what you ate the day before but like I suggested above, if it’s swinging too low or high then you may need to adjust what your average intake is looking like.
These are the steps I’ve taken/am taking to keep me feeling fueled and balance while maintaining my physique. I’ll continue to share recipes on my page with macros because I know that it’s helpful and also tips on tracking macros because that’s my job as a Macro Coach. BUT I will also share more and talk more on how I’m Mindfully Eating Without Tracking as this can be helpful for those looking to make that next step 🙂 And I’ve actually been showing on my instagram stories my Mindful Eating Without Tracking as I’ve been showing what I’ve been ordering to eat when out at restaurants but no longer showing how to track it. Though if you check this Instagram Highlight of “Eating Well While Eating Out” then you can see a lot of info on how I tracked certain meals at certain restaurants.
Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 🙂
Struggling to meet your fitness goals and want guidance with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves weekly check-ins with optional phone calls.
*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.