Reasons I Track my Macros and Calories
Good Evening! I wanted to touch base on something that is really big for me personally. Many fitness people say that tracking macros and calories helps with staying on track and seeing where you are at helps. I can agree with that.... to an extent. I actually do not limit what I eat, I try to make good, healthy decisions with everything that I eat and I have a little treat each day. I will have a frozen yogurt bar or something like that each day.
So then why do I track calories and macros?? To prove a point to myself each and every day. That I will not ruin my day by eating a cookie or a treat. If I am extra hungry and want to have a little more than I usually eat in a day.
Mental Illness is a bitch. So I struggle a lot with having, as some people would say, “a relationship with food.” One of the big cycles I struggled with was binge eating because I would have a couple pieces of chocolate or a cookie and then feel like I ruined my whole day, so I would go and eat more and more until I felt sick. If I am tracking my calories and macros, I can see that one cookie does not ruin my progress, that I can work that into keeping the balance in my day and have a treat as well.
Each day gets a little better. Today was a perfect day to post this because I was starving after lunch, I was so hungry. Not just bored hungry. I keep little protein snacks in my desk at work so I had a protein treat on top of my usual food and a couple pieces of chocolate. I was so disappointed in myself and almost decided to not track and just let it go.... the beginning of a binge cycle. And I told myself “No, Ariel, this day is not ruined. Just put the food in and see where you are at!” So I placed my food in my app and saw that I ruined.... NOTHING! My day was just fine, I felt better and I was able to keep on track. My anxiety was in order and I walked away feeling proud.
I use an app called “Lose It” and I like it a lot. I know a lot of people who use “My Fitness Pal” and I know that works really well also. I have tried that one and decided that it wasn’t really for me. I wanted the simplicity of just logging food and seeing the macros/ calories without anything trying to tell me how I should manage my own macros and such. I didn’t need an app to tell me how to eat, I know how to do that myself.
But doing this helps me a lot. I know that this is not a permanent thing and eventually I know that I will stop having to track because mentally I will be in a place where I can let go. I have days where I don’t track but I know that I don’t go overboard or get off track. I work to slowly wean myself from this because to live a healthy life I should not rely on things like this forever.
If anyone has any questions please let me know! Thank you for reading and supporting!
So then why do I track calories and macros?? To prove a point to myself each and every day. That I will not ruin my day by eating a cookie or a treat. If I am extra hungry and want to have a little more than I usually eat in a day.
Mental Illness is a bitch. So I struggle a lot with having, as some people would say, “a relationship with food.” One of the big cycles I struggled with was binge eating because I would have a couple pieces of chocolate or a cookie and then feel like I ruined my whole day, so I would go and eat more and more until I felt sick. If I am tracking my calories and macros, I can see that one cookie does not ruin my progress, that I can work that into keeping the balance in my day and have a treat as well.
Each day gets a little better. Today was a perfect day to post this because I was starving after lunch, I was so hungry. Not just bored hungry. I keep little protein snacks in my desk at work so I had a protein treat on top of my usual food and a couple pieces of chocolate. I was so disappointed in myself and almost decided to not track and just let it go.... the beginning of a binge cycle. And I told myself “No, Ariel, this day is not ruined. Just put the food in and see where you are at!” So I placed my food in my app and saw that I ruined.... NOTHING! My day was just fine, I felt better and I was able to keep on track. My anxiety was in order and I walked away feeling proud.
I use an app called “Lose It” and I like it a lot. I know a lot of people who use “My Fitness Pal” and I know that works really well also. I have tried that one and decided that it wasn’t really for me. I wanted the simplicity of just logging food and seeing the macros/ calories without anything trying to tell me how I should manage my own macros and such. I didn’t need an app to tell me how to eat, I know how to do that myself.
But doing this helps me a lot. I know that this is not a permanent thing and eventually I know that I will stop having to track because mentally I will be in a place where I can let go. I have days where I don’t track but I know that I don’t go overboard or get off track. I work to slowly wean myself from this because to live a healthy life I should not rely on things like this forever.
If anyone has any questions please let me know! Thank you for reading and supporting!
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