How do you track them?

There are Apps that help you track your food! Three good ones are Cronometer, MyFitnessPal, or the P2 Web App PULSE. My personal favorites are Pulse and Cronometer because of all the micronutrient information they offer.

For extra Cronometer help, VISIT THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.

To give our Web App PULSE a try, VISIT THE WEBSITE HERE.

In order to track portion sizes accurately, I recommend using a food scale. Learning to use a food scale can be a hurdle, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. HERE IS A VIDEO of Coach Ashley walking you through some basics.

My Most Important Recommendation

The number one tip I have for first-time trackers is to plan out what you’re going to eat the day before.

You’ll likely find that during the first couple days of tracking, if you are just entering foods as you go, your macro goals are nowhere near hit by dinner time.

If you continue with this strategy, you are much more likely to get frustrated with tracking and be on your phone more than necessary. You are also likely to not track in situations out of your norm. And then, what’s the point?

On the other hand, if you spend a couple minutes each night entering the foods you know you’re going to eat the following day, you have a plan.

Most clients who start with me for weight loss are actually not eating enough. Not getting enough protein and/or hitting the fat goal too early are also common. By planning ahead, you are able to space your macros out better throughout the day.

I like to call this a “full day of eating example,” so you don’t feel restricted by it, you can eat foods you enjoy, and you can switch things up as needed. Your plan allows you to wake up in the morning without the stress of having to figure out how to hit your macros that day.

Apps like Cronometer even have a copy and paste feature so that at the end of the day, you don’t have to go down to your kitchen to scan barcodes when you’re planning. Simply copy and paste other entries from other days to build your full day of eating. The more you do this, the faster you get at doing it and the more you learn how to structure your day. The SOONER you do this, the sooner you start hitting your macros and therefore seeing results.