The Complete Guide on How to Track Your Calories and Macros
So, you want to get started with knowing how to track your calories and macros…or maybe you just need a refresher course. Either way…
You’re in luck because I’m going to be showing you the complete step-by-step process on how to track your calories and macros including a few other notes to keep in mind while tracking.
In this article, you can expect to be learning:
- Why track calories?
- What are calories and macros?
- How to really read a nutrition label (and sift through the BS)
- Foods with and without Nutrition Facts
- Tracking Macros vs Tracking Calories
- Measuring and Weighing
- FAQs
Why track your calories and macros?
I get this question a lot.
“Why do I have to track calories?”
“Isn’t that a bit obsessive?”
“I feel like it’s so tedious having to measure and weigh every single thing I eat.”
Firstly, I hear ya. But here’s the truth, most people suck at estimating their calorie intake.
In fact, there is an extremely well-known study that shows many people, on average, underestimate their calorie intake by 47%.
That’s almost half which means given someone whose daily target is 2,000 calories, this mistake could cost them an extra 1,000 calories unaccounted for.
Multiply that by 7 days in a week and that’s a potential extra 1-2 lbs of fat gain per week, and could easily spiral out of control to an extra 50 lbs a year!
This is why I recommend for most people starting out to track their calories. Many are surprised by how much they have been overeating in the past.
This helps people develop a sense of calorie density (learning which foods contain more/fewer calories per serving), and food intuition (the ability to select foods that can help them meet their goals but also satisfy their cravings) which ultimately allows them to be able to a true flexible dieter (one who is able to incorporate a variety of foods into their diet that simultaneously helps them reach their fitness goals while also not depriving themselves of the satisfaction of their favorite not-so-healthy foods).
That being said, I do not think tracking calories is for everyone. Especially those who have a predisposition to an eating disorder. I have written another article about that. Check it out here.
What are Calories and Macros?
Firstly, let’s talk about Calories. Of which, there are two types of calories.
The first type of Calorie (notice the capital C) is the one most of us are familiar with. The one we see on food labels, sometimes labeled as “kcal”, short for “kilocalories.” One Calorie = 1 kcal = 1,000 calories (notice the lowercase c).
The second type of calorie is the less known type. One calorie is simply the quantified amount of energy it takes to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (4.1868 joules to be exact for all of you science nerds out there).
But in this article, we’re mainly concerned about the first type. Just thought I’d throw that information out there just in case anyone was curious. Ultimately, calories are a form of energy. This is exactly why many people including myself constantly harp on a calorie deficit for weight loss because ultimately, it is an energy balance issue for weight gain/loss.
Next, let’s talk about Macronutrients or “Macros” for short.
What are they? You’ve probably heard of them, but just didn’t know what they were called. There are three macros:
- Proteins
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- (Technically, alcohol is another one but it’s non-nutritive)
First up, let’s talk protein.
Protein
What it does:
Protein is basically the building blocks of most of the cells in your body. It’s extremely important for cellular growth and repair and…wait a minute, what am I saying? You don’t care about any of this. You didn’t come here for a biology lesson. Let’s switch gears…
This is what you care about…
Protein is most important for building and maintaining muscle especially when you’re dieting and are in a calorie deficit. Out of all three macros, protein is most filling which can help with controlling appetite and hunger (think about it, how many chicken breasts can you realistically eat in a row?)
It also has the highest thermic effect of food (TOF) which means it takes the most energy for your body to digest it which means you’re technically burning more of the calories you’ve eaten through digestion.
This is why high-protein diets are essential if you want to lose fat, build/maintain muscle, and want to not hate life doing it.
And if that wasn’t enough here are three different studies that say why high-protein diets are superior.
Where are they found?
This is by no means an exhaustive list but here are a few example foods:
| Protein Sources | Vegan Sources |
| Eggs/Egg Whites | Beans |
| Chicken Breast | Lentils |
| Ground Turkey | Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans |
| Greek Yogurt | Vegan Protein Powder |
| Fat-Free/Low Fat Cheese | Plant-based pasta |
| Ground Beef (93%+ Lean) | Fake/substitute meat products |
| Steak | Seitan |
| Tuna | Nutritional yeast |
| Shrimp | Tofu |
| Protein Bars | Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) |
| Protein Powder | Seeds |
The list above are all excellent protein sources.
However, a word of caution is to be wary of popular blog sites that commonly list foods like nuts and nut butters as “good” protein sources. When in reality, only about 15-20% of the calories in these foods are protein.
For example, the calories in peanut butter are composed of a whopping 72% fat and only a measly 16% protein. And I’m not saying that peanut butter is bad or that you should stay away from it, but you can now see why people that say “nuts are a great source of protein!” are full of shit.
Side note, it also isn’t very conducive to your fat loss goals when it’s both a high-calorie dense food and contains low amounts of protein. In which case, if your main goal is fat loss, you want to be eating the most amount of food you can while staying in a calorie deficit. In order to do this, you want to be choosing filling foods. More on this in my other article, How to Stay Full in a Calorie Deficit.
How much do I need?
This will mainly depending on your weight, body composition, and goals.
But generally, anywhere from 0.7 grams per pound of lean body mass (per day) to anywhere as high as 1.5 grams per pound of lean body mass.
Lean body mass is your total body weight minus your fat mass. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs and you’re at 25% body fat, your lean body mass is 150 lbs or 200 – (200*0.25).
So if you weigh 200 lbs and have 150 lbs of lean body mass, your recommended protein intake would be between 150*0.7= 150 grams to 150*1.5=225 grams of protein per day.
However, to make things easier, I generally recommend 1g per lb of current body weight. As you can see, according to the example, that would put the recommendation at 200g which is still well within the given range.
Carbohydrate
What it does:
Carbs are the primary source of energy in the body. They can be found in the liver, brain, blood, and muscles. The most basic form it’s utilized in is known as ‘glucose’. It is so essential that your body a process called ‘gluconeogenesis’ which allows it to convert other nutrients such as protein and fat into glucose. So despite what certain diet zealots may say, carbs are the optimal fuel source for your body.
Where are they found?
Fruits, vegetables, grains, sugar, many processed foods/drinks, and just about every single thing you happen to be craving on a low-carb diet.
How much do I need?
This really depends. As I mentioned earlier, you can live on zero carbs since your body can produce from other sources although it isn’t the most efficient method. However, if you have performance based goals such as strength training, bodybuilding, or endurance events it is highly recommended you should fuel up with carbs for maximal performance (as bodybuilders and endurance athletes have been known to consume 700+ grams per day).
A general recommendation anywhere from 0.5 to 2 grams per pound of lean body mass. However, this range can be much higher depending on your activity levels, weight, body composition, and goals.
Fat
What it does:
Contrary to what you might have heard on the interwebs…fat does NOT make you fat. In fact, fat is essential. That’s right, fat is essential for vitamin absorption, hormonal regulation, heart health, and much more.
Where are they found?
Meat, fatty fish, nuts, nut butters, oils, and basically in everything that tastes good.
How much do I need?
Again, this depends on your weight, body composition, and goals. This highly dependent on individual preferences, but anywhere between 10% to 40% of your total calories. However, it varies based on your individual needs, total calorie intake, and whether your goals require a calorie surplus or deficit. A general recommendation seems to be 0.3-0.7g per pound of lean body mass.
Alcohol
What it does:
Well, it’s not called liquid confidence without reason. Side effects may also include, depending on your reaction and dose, making you cooler, funnier, more social, louder, angrier, more violent, more emotional, more confident, dumber, better or worse at sex, euphoric or depressed.
Okay all jokes aside, alcohol isn’t a ‘nutrient’ by any means, but it does contain calories which is why it’s often listed as the fourth macro.
Where are they found?
From the booze, spirits, ethanol, whatever you want to call it. Usually in the form of beer, wine, liquor, and, if you’re into this, mouthwash.
How much do I need?
As much as you need to have a good time, stop thinking about your ex, talk to that cute person at the bar, or until you end up face first into a bush.
Lastly…
ONLY macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats, alcohol) contain calories.
Things like vitamins, minerals, sodium etc. (otherwise known as micro-nutrients) don’t contain any caloric value.
Time for some math! (Sorry not sorry…)
You know how all of your high school teachers stressed the importance of math?
Well, call them right now and thank them (or ask for help) because I’m going to show you exactly why it was so important to pay attention in math class.
Each macronutrient has a caloric value as follows:
- One gram of protein contains 4 calories
- One gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories
- One gram of fat contains 9 calories
- One gram of alcohol contains 7 calories
Now, time for a pop quiz!
Let’s calculate the number of calories on this nutrition label.
Each serving has:
- 3 grams of protein: 3 grams x 4 calories per gram = 12 calories
- 37 grams of carbohydrate: 37 grams x 4 calories per gram = 148 calories
- 8 grams of fat: 8 grams x 9 calories per gram = 72 calories
Total calories = 12 + 148 + 72 = 232
Very close to what’s on the label. Even the number stated on labels aren’t 100% accurate. They’re allowed to round off, estimate, and make up serving sizes. So use this as a word of caution.
However, does that mean that we shouldn’t try at all? Of course not, that would be silly. Think about it this way, just because a gun isn’t 100% accurate, does that you mean you shouldn’t even try aiming it and blindly point it? Exactly.
It’s better to have a fairly accurate estimation than remaining completely oblivious and inaccurate.
But as you can see, that wasn’t so hard, right? Many people when they first take a look at a nutrition label, it can seem daunting with so many words and numbers.
But honestly, you can skip over most of that stuff and focus on what matters most when tracking food, calories: which of course consist of protein, carbs, and fats.
Now, there are a few more things you should pay attention to in addition to the protein, carbs, and fats. Let’s go over them.
All of the nutrition information on a label is what is in one serving. This is important because food companies can make it seem like something is low-calorie, but next thing you know, you’re elbow deep into a jar of Pringles and ate 10x what it says on the label.
Let’s practice with a party-sized bag of Lay’s chips:One serving of chips contains:
- 160 calories
- Protein: 2g
- Carbs: 15g
- Fat: 10g
Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Hold on, it says there are about 11 servings per container!
So for the entire bag, that’s:
- 1,760 calories
- Protein: 22g
- Carbs: 165g
- Fat: 90g
And let’s be honest, no one really sits around with a party-sized bag of chips and only has one serving…
You could go to a lunch party and…
…next thing you know, you’ve eaten enough chips equivalent to the same number of calories as a Big Mac from McDonald’s (540 calories).
But hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be more wary than the average, unaware consumer 😉
Other Things on the Label to be Aware of When You Track Calories And Macros
Calories
As you probably guessed, calories provide us with energy. As discussed earlier, calories are made up on either proteins, carbs, fats, or alcohol. Micronutrients such as vitamins and mineral do not contain any calories.
Should I count it?
Yes and no depending on your preferred method as well as my general recommendations (more on this later).
Saturated Fat
It has been said by many health organizations that saturated fat consumption can lead to heart and obesity for the past few decades. However, this is turning out to be not so true. The reality is that those eat plenty of saturated fats also likely are in constant calorie surpluses (eating more calories than you burn) which leads to excessive body fat gain and the development of these chronic diseases, not necessarily the saturated fat itself.
In fact, saturated fat has been shown to have some benefits such as serving as a precursor to testosterone production, improved brain functioning, nerve signaling, and immunity.
Should I count it?
In all nutrition labels, saturated fat (along with unsaturated and trans fat) is already accounted for as a part of ‘total fat’ so there is no need to specifically count it.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, like saturated fat, is also produced naturally in the body. Much like saturated fat, cholesterol has been demonized over the years, but new evidence is showing that it isn’t so bad.
Should I count it?
Nope.
Sodium
Sodium is a mineral, so it doesn’t have any calories. There is some controversy surrounding sodium along with low-sodium diets becoming encouraged some. However, there is very little evidence to support the benefits of a low-sodium diet, especially in healthy individuals.
The truth is that sodium can have effects on short term body weight fluctuations due to its nature to cause water retention, but it has no effect on long term body weight and body fat gain/loss.
In fact, sodium is essential for normal bodily function and processes. Sodium also serves as one of the main electrolytes in the body to regulate nerve and muscle function, maintain acid-base balance (pH), and water and hydration levels. Unless you are instructed by a medical professional to watch your sodium intake for hypertensive purposes (high blood pressure), there is no need to purposefully restrict or keep track of your sodium intake.
Should I count it?
Only if you have high blood pressure or another relevant disease.
Dietary Fiber
More on this below, but fun fact: fiber is actually a type of carbohydrate. A special carbohydrate, mind you, that has many benefits including helping slow digestion, decreasing cholesterol levels, increasing satiety and fullness, and increasing the quality of your poop sessions.
Should I count it?
Nope, they are typically including in the carbohydrate totals. That being said, adequate fiber intake is important. The specific amount is highly individualized depending on your digestive tolerances, but be sure to include a modest amount of fibrous vegetables, fruits, and grains into your diet.
Sugar
Alright, we’re not going to get into the whole “sugar is bad, addictive, and poisonous!” debate because quite frankly, it’s a bit ridiculous and definitely blown out of proportion.
Here’s the definitive answer despite what “experts” and “gurus” might say about this topic: Sugar is simply one of the most basic forms of carbs. It’s probably in your best interest to not exclusively get your carbs from sugary foods/drinks, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid it altogether either. Like with everything else in life, moderation is key.
If you find that you constantly crave sugary treats, be sure to follow the 80/20 rule of dieting with 80% of your diet consisting of whole, nutritious, minimally processed foods, and the other 20% can consist of your favorite sugary treats. This ensures that you fill and fuel up with solid, healthy options, but also feel get the satisfaction of enjoying your favorite treats.
Should I count it?
Nope, re-read paragraph above.
% Daily Value
You’ll like have seen/read/heard about this at some point in your life. As a standard guideline, the FDA recommends a 2,000 calorie diet for the average adult.
This is complete bullshit and it’s in your best interest to ignore it.
Like everything else the government does, it’s loosely based on outdated and inaccurate information and is actually hurting more than it’s helping. Which is why I still don’t know why it’s listed on literally everything…
But seriously, the average person eats around 2,000 calories (or more). And when we take into the consideration of the average person’s health and physique, we can clearly see that something is amiss…
Track Your Calories And MacrosWithout Nutrition Facts
Fruits/Veggies
For produce, a quick Google search will yield the results you’re looking for.
Other reliable websites include:
Know that no specific website, app, and/or database is going to be 100% accurate. This is why you could search one single food item in all of these databases and come up with different numbers. However, what matters most is that the numbers are mostly accurate so just pick one database to use and stay consistent with it. Even though you are inconsistent, if you are consistently inconsistent, you can still achieve results as you can adjust accordingly to fit around the inconsistencies.
Also note that the different units of measurement:
- Generic: One medium apple
- Metric: 100 grams
- US: 1 cup
While you can eyeball serving sizes such as a small, medium, or large apple, this can become inconsistent because everyone has a different idea of what is a small, medium, or large apple. Using cups can also be just as inaccurate as they aren’t necessarily standardized and different companies can make cup measures that are different sizes. Food amounts can also differ depending on how tightly/loosely the cup measurement is packed.
I briefly explain this in one of my TikTok videos:
For these reasons, I highly recommend picking up and utilizing primarily your food scale when tracking food intake. It’s consistent regardless of the size of your container, size of the food item, and simply more accurate because of its smaller unit size.
If you have never used a food scale before, I’ll cover this further down in this article as well as include another one of my instructional TikTok videos.
Meat
You can use the same databases as mentioned above for meats as well. A common question that people ask concerning meat is whether to weigh it cooked or raw. With tracking in general, if you’re getting results doing it one way, there’s no reason to change it -insert the whole if you’re being consistently inconsistent spiel here-.
However, one important thing to note here is that most nutrition labels state the calories and macros of the meat in its raw form.
Another thing to keep in mind is that how much of the weight of meat when it goes from raw to cooked can vary greatly depending on your method of cooking. For example, a poached chicken breast will retain much more water than a grilled chicken breast.
For these reasons, I highly recommend tracking meats in their raw state (side note: obviously cooked meats that come prepackaged such as deli meat and canned meat are going to be labeled accordingly).
Restaurants
Another common question I get is concerning tracking when eating out at restaurants. Luckily, in this day and age of modern technology, many restaurants have pretty comprehensive nutrition data of their entire menus. In fact, many macro friendly restaurants, such as Chipotle, have an entire program where you can build and customize your own meal.
Unfortunately, many restaurants also still stuck in the dark ages of not giving a shit about your fitness goals, which can be quite a problem since you do give a shit about your fitness goals.
The best tip I can give you use the databases mentioned above and do some mental gymnastics and/or use tracking apps that have a databases with customized foods. Just be wary that most of the time, these are logged by other individuals using the app so it can either be done by a well-seasoned macro counter or a novice taking a wild guess. I typically find that, especially if your goal is fat loss, it is better to plug in an entry that overestimates the calories rather than underestimating it. Ultimately, log at your own risk.
Unfortunately, with all that being said, the best piece of advice I can give you regarding guesstimating your meals is that it takes time to master eyeballing your calories and macros. The longer you track, the better you will become at eyeballing the portion sizes and calorie and macro breakdowns of a dish.
Until then, keep practicing…
Or…let me do it for you 🙂
No joke, shoot me an email of a picture of the dish and what foods are in it and I will give you my best guess of the calories and macros of the dish. It’s the least I could do for you for making it this far through the article.
Measuring Food To Track Your Calories And Macros
Food Scale
I highly recommend picking up a food scale. They’re cheap, simple to use, and are even used by professional chefs (not because they’re tracking their food, but it helps bakers with consistency and accuracy when mixing ingredients).
Here’s a quick tutorial on how to use a food scale:
Measuring Cups & Spoons
“But Austin, it seems obsessive and looks like I’m doing illegal activities every time I bust out the scale. What about using measuring cups and spoons instead?”
Yes, this is another viable option.
However, let me say a few things:
- The food scale isn’t obsessive or alluding to illegal activities (unless you actually use it for that purpose, but that’s your own business). It can be very useful for other purposes besides tracking such as baking and saving you time doing more dishes because you ended up using 4 different measuring spoons preparing one meal.
- And again, as mentioned above, using measuring cups and spoons can be inaccurate as they aren’t necessarily standardized and different companies can make cup measures that are different sizes. Food amounts can also differ depending on how tightly/loosely the cup measurement is packed.
When this happens, this leads to:
- Overfilling the cup or spoon
- We eat several hundred more calories than we think we’re eating
- Most or all of the weight loss progress we’ve made is undone
- We wonder why we’re not seeing progress and get sad, frustrated, and ultimately, remain fat
Long story short, suck it up, embrace the learning curve, and learn how to use a food scale to track because honestly, at worst, having a food scale can beneficial for the following situations:
- You are just starting to learning how to track food intake
- You have a specific goal (of getting to X pounds by a certain date) and want to make sure you’re on track with your nutrition to make that happen
- You hate doing the dishes, want a well laid out plan to get to your goals, and are sick and tired not making the weight loss progress you want.
Counting Macros vs Counting Calories
“What about just counting calories? Isn’t that just the same thing?”
Technically, yes, you can lose fat if you only focus on calories. It’s simple science. The fundamental laws of thermodynamics. Energy (calories) in vs energy (calories) out.
In fact, there was a famous experiment done by a nutrition professor at Kansas State University back in 2010 who ate only Twinkies and lost weight as a result of a calorie deficit. He was able to lose 27 lbs, lowered his BMI from nearly 29 to just under 25, and improved many of his metabolic health markers.
And now, I know what you’re thinking…
“What about me? I want to lose weight only eating Twinkies.”
Yeah, I get it, but here’s the catch (because there’s always a catch)…
Yes, you’ll still lose weight, but if you totally ignore macros, you won’t be too satisfied with your results.
(Read this in a drug commercial disclaimer voice) You may experience side effects such as: Not eating adequate protein while in a calorie deficit will lead to muscle loss and meals feeling less satiating. Not eating adequate fat will negatively affect proper hormonal function (including ones that aid in fat loss). Not eating adequate carbs will negatively affect training performance and energy levels.
In my experience, most people, like yourself, don’t want to simply lose weight at all costs. You want to lose fat, gain strength and muscle, be defined, and improve overall performance and health.
And in order to achieve that, counting just calories won’t cut it. You need to pay attention to your macros as well.
Side note on macro distribution: What I’ve found that has worked best for my clients and myself is to not be so strict on your carb/fat ratio. For many people, this is highly individualized. Some people find that they feel more energy and satiated with higher carb and lower fat. Others with higher fat and lower carb. That being said, a study has shown that as long as calorie and protein intake are equal, weight loss results will be the same regardless of whether carbs or fats are emphasized.
With those facts in mind, what I recommend for most people who simply just trying to lose fat, build muscle, and get into better shape with no serious training performance goals to just track calories and protein intake.
FAQs On How To Track Your Calories And Macros
“I often see foods that say things like “good source of protein.” For example, it may be labeled on things like chicken thighs and steak, but they also contain other macros like fat. Should I just count the protein or should I count all of the macros?“
Excellent question. Regardless what a food may be labeled as a “good source of ______”, you should be tracking all of the macros. For example, for a piece of steak, you would count the protein and fat into your total intake.
This counts for things like nuts, too. Nuts are good fat sources, but also contain a little bit of protein and carbs. Everything should be counted.
Q: Should I count veggies, too? They technically have some carbs and calories.
More often than not, I recommend you don’t need to count veggies (generally ones non-starchy ones with high fiber). You can count these as “free” and not log them for these reasons:
- The micronutrients. Remember these things? Also, know as vitamins and minerals which are typically loaded in many vegetables. Most people are lacking micronutrients so encouraging more vegetable intake is a plus.
- Fiber. Even though fiber is technically a carb, it’s special. Instead of containing 4 calories per gram, soluble fiber is about 2 calories per gram, and insoluble fiber is 0 calories per gram. Furthermore, fiber helps decrease the absorption protein and fat, which helps reduce your calorie intake from these sources.
- You stay more full, more satiated, and less hangry. Vegetables are an excellent food source that curbs hunger and suppresses appetite all for such a small number of calories. Which will help you stay in a calorie deficit, stay full and satiated, and decrease your chances of being so hungry you want to bite another person’s head off. So let’s be honest, if there’s any food I suggest you ‘have’ to eat in order to be successful, it should be vegetables.
- Veggies should be the least of your worries. Let’s be honest here. No one in the history of mankind was ever like, “Man, you know what really made me put on all that extra weight the past few years? All those damn veggies.” Seriously, if you’re not seeing progress, the calories from your vegetable intake should definitely be one of the last things you look at. Ultimately, the benefits of veggies include many micronutrients, being filling, low calorie, high fiber, and of course the relief of having one less thing to measure far outweigh its minuscule number of calories.
“Alright, I’ve been tracking macros and calories for some time now. I think I’m getting pretty good at it. It’s starting to take up a bit more time than I’d like and don’t want to be doing this forever. Can I stop now?“
Yes! This is the ideal and perfect situation! In fact, I don’t expect anyone to be tracking calories and macros forever.
The whole point of tracking is to educate you on what portion sizes should look like for you, the calorie density, and the macronutrient breakdown of the foods in your diet.
Really, tracking is simply a skill you have developed. As with any other skill, the more you practice it, the better you become at it. Once you have mastered a skill, it becomes second nature to you which means you don’t have to be as meticulous and precise as when you first started.
For example, after having consistently tracked my food for nearly 5 years, I am now able to make pretty close approximations of the calories and macro breakdown of my meals just by looking at them. However, I also keep in mind that if I ever do want to dial things in again and get more serious, I have the power to do so because now I know exactly what to do. And this is what I want you to realize, too.
Now, you must be asking?
“How do I go from tracking -> not tracking? I get so anxious because I feel like I’m being reckless.”
Well, don’t worry because I know exactly how it feels like to go through what you’re experiencing. It can certainly be nerve racking especially the few weeks to few months of not tracking especially when you’ve been tracking for a while.
However, a few things I want you to keep in mind are:
- Accept that you will be uncomfortable and anxious because it’s unfamiliar territory
- You will not mess up all of the progress you’ve made
- You are way more knowledgeable than you think you are
Now with all that being said, start by picking two days out of the week to not track. Ideally, two weekdays at first, but eventually you want to incorporate a weekend because I find that most people have no problem staying on track on the weekdays, but lose it on the weekends. And as you get more and more comfortable with the process, start adding in one more day until you’re completely tapered off from tracking.
The biggest part of this process is trusting yourself. I guarantee that after all that tracking, you know your diet better than anyone else. You know what foods are best for you and help you hit your goals. So please, don’t get into your own head, get cold feet, and jump straight back to tracking. It’s completely normal to feel uncomfortable and anxious when you’re trying to do something new. So I urge you to keep going.
“My app calculates ‘calories burned’ and then adds it back to my calorie intake. Should I eat those back?”
Nope. Do NOT eat back your “calories burned.” This is because most devices (outside of having lab-grade research equipment) are going to be inaccurate at predicting how many calories you burned from daily activity.
This means that you could actually be overeating your calories burned which can lead to putting you out of your calorie deficit and can lead to lack of progress or worse progress in the opposite direction.
So just stick to tracking your calories eaten and adjust that base on how your body responds.
Final Thoughts On How To Track Your Calories And Macros
If you’re new to this whole tracking thing, it can definitely seem intimidating and daunting at first. But I guarantee you, like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. You will make mistakes, you will end up spending more time than you thought would learning the process, but the skills you will develop and learn will be so worth it. So stay patient, stay consistent, and invest in yourself.
As always, if you have any questions at all, please do reach out. Leave a comment below or shoot me a DM on Instagram (@austinchanfitness) or send me an email with “How to Track Macros” as the subject line.
Coaching Opportunity
I am currently taking on new clients for online coaching.
A few benefits of this program include:
- Customized nutrition plan tailored to your individual needs and goals
- Customized training plan to help you build muscle, lose fat, and get fit
- Daily accountability and support to ensure that you never feel “alone” or “stuck” on your journey to bettering yourself.
The best part: you can do this from anywhere in the world.
You can apply here for more info.
