One size doesn’t fit all and tracking isn’t right for everyone.

And even those that do track won’t use this tool in the exact same way or even forever.

Heck, I was a person AGAINST tracking for a very long time.

I made all the excuses about why not to do it.

And I never saw the results I wanted.

Until I decided to try to see opportunity in a different perspective.

Until I decided to be open to something new and uncomfortable.

I like to really highlight the purpose of any tools we may choose, or not choose to use.

I want us to truly understand them. Because that gives us power.

I think when we don’t understand a tool and its purpose…we don’t properly use them or even know when they aren’t right for us.

I also want to discuss tracking being restrictive because I’m a big believer in NOT giving tools power over us.

When we say we can’t track because it makes us obsessed or judgmental…or it’s too restrictive, we are giving the tracker POWER.

And in trying to avoid something, we are almost giving it as much thought and attention as we do if we just do it.

If you think about it…we can oddly obsess just as much in avoiding as we can in implementing.

That tool still has power even in our avoidance of it.

And that’s not to say we may not choose to avoid using it BUT I think the more we can put everything in its place and realize we are fully in control of our implementation the strong and more in control of our life we become.

So now is tracking restrictive?

The short answer is no.

Your tracker isn’t judging. It isn’t telling you to cut anything out. It isn’t telling you to do or feel anything.

It is merely showing you what you’ve done.

YOU are the one then judging.

And I think the more we realize that we are the one giving this tool power, the better off we will be.

I also think it is key we understand WHY we’ve come to feel that tracking is restrictive.

I find it is often because of how we’ve used the tool in the past.

We did it on some severe calorie counting diet where we felt forced to cut out everything we loved, felt overwhelmed with making changes and then felt hungry all of the time.

Often it is these other things and the program/habits we were implementing that then made us have this perception of tracking.

But tracking your food isn’t just about cutting things out. It isn’t just about weight loss.

And if you had started with tracking because of another goal, you may not feel that it is restrictive.

But it’s not too late to ever change that mindset.

#1: Try just tracking what you’re currently doing. Use it its a chance to LEARN about your diet and portions. Don’t make changes.

#2: Realize there are other goals that tracking could be key for…

– Finding out food sensitivities
– Fueling your race so you have enough energy to not poop out at the last mile
– Making sure you’re addressing menopausal symptoms.
– Making sure you’re eating enough to build muscle
– Finding out emotional eating triggers
– Heck even making sure you aren’t RESTRICTING TOO MUCH AND EATING TOO LITTE

Yup…even with trying to lose weight, I find that there are times with tracking a client realizes they are UNDER fueling.

They were restricting too much out of fear because they didn’t have a clear vision of what they were doing.

Honestly, there are so many ways to become obsessive…

– Over training
– Having to burn a certain amount of calories on your watch
– Only eating certain foods
– Not eating certain foods
– Only eating at certain times of day
– Not eating at specific times of day…

The point is it all relates back to our perspective and perception of our habits and how they make us feel.

And while you may decide something isn’t right for you…don’t give it control.

Learn how to implement it and see the VALUE it could have so you can reap the rewards then move forward better.

The more we fear something, the more control it has over us even if we don’t do it.

So as much as I know we can feel tracking is restrictive, we can fear becoming obsessive, realize you give the tool the power.

Take back that power and see it as a chance to make sure you’re fueling according to your needs and goals.

Try just tracking what you’re currently eating. Assess WHY YOU JUDGE or when you feel yourself starting to judge.

Then deal with that judgement.

Ask yourself why you feel guilty for eating a food?

Assess the emotions if you start to feel restricted…even assess if you’re trying to do too much.

Give yourself clear guidelines and find ways to seeing the value.

Sure you may not do it forever, but see it as the tool it is…a guide to better fuel yourself according to whatever goals you have!

—

Everyday we are either working toward our goals or moving farther away from them.

And while I don’t think we can always be focused on the future, and immediate gratification will at times “sabotage” our long-term goals and focus, I think recognizing that every day is building our future result…

That your situation today is a result of your past hustle…

Is super key.

Because so often we stress perfection when we start a new program. We get up in a 21 day or even 6 week SPRINT….only to burn ourselves out with the habits so we can’t keep moving forward.

Instead we need to focus on those small habit changes. The ways we can make 1% improvements.

The ways we can be BETTER THAN we would have been in the same situation before.

Because every day we are technically building and moving forward or taking that step back.

And step backs are GOING to happen.

But we have to recognize that, in life, there is no starting over.

So how fast we get results will also be impacted by those steps….in either direction.

That’s why that TODAY, right now, as you plan for tomorrow…as you choose between trying to be perfect and rely on willpower over making small changes to constantly learn and grow, you have to recognize that every day you are making the choice about which direction you will move in.

And if you fall down? If you slip up, while that one event may have moved you away from your goal, the power you give that situation can impact future days.

And those days again are either moving you forward or setting you back.

Results come from what we consistently do. From how we learn and move forward.

And again…There is NO STARTING OVER.

That’s why I wanted to share 3 tips I use to help myself find ways to always move forward even on those days that feel like you’ve taken that step back.

Tip #1: Learn.

Every situation is a learning experience. And as humans, we will not handle every new situation correctly.

Not to mention, emotions will get the better of us at times.

But everything that happens can be a positive learning experience even when the actual situation…well…sucks!

Everything in life is really impacted by our perspective, by our perception of events.

So even when you have a day you feel sets you back – you missed your workout, you ate off plan – you can either choose to let that impact future days negatively OR you can learn from it so tomorrow is better.

Failures can often be amazing learning experiences that teach us things that can rocket us forward.

But we have to choose to learn from them instead of beating ourselves up about them.

So every chance you can, reflect and learn.

Don’t just try to gloss over bad times, forget failures. Own them and learn from them!

Tip #2: Stop trying to be perfect.

We rely on motivation and willpower because we are trying to be perfect.

But guess what?

You’re human so you’re therefore FLAWED.

Perfection isn’t in our DNA.

Stop trying to do more. Stop trying to do things perfectly.

A. Perfect doesn’t exist.
B. There is no true definition of perfect.

What is perfect “clean” eating?

What is a “perfect” workout routine?

No one agrees.

And the more you try to pressure some arbitrary standard of perfect, the more you’ll actually hold yourself back from creating the perfect or BEST plan for you.

Focus on improvements.

Focus on changes based on meeting yourself where you are at.

Motivation and willpower are things we rely on to do more than we are truly often capable of…especially long term.

Results come from creating even minimums we can repeat at times we don’t want to do anything.

So focus on doing the minimum at times. It’s not sexy, but it’s what truly builds.

Tip #3: Meet yourself where you are at.

The perfect plan for you is created by meeting yourself where you are at RIGHT NOW.

And I mention the “RIGHT NOW,” because often we compare our current selves to our past selves or our ideal selves.

But none of that really matters if we want to move forward from our current spot.

You could beat yourself up about where you used to be or could be…you could create a plan based on what “used to work,” but none of that will actually move you forward.

We move forward by focusing on where we are at currently to then create an accurate road map to our end destination.

I mean think about if you’re driving to a location…you don’t start your route based on where you could be or where you used to live!?

NOPE!

You set the start of your route based on where you are now.

The best plans have to meet us where we are at.

So don’t even just do “less” if you’re coming back from injury.

Don’t even just jump into a macro ratio that worked in the past.

Assess where you are RIGHT NOW and adjust off of that!

SUMMARY:

Your future self is based off of what you do today, tomorrow, the next day…not to mention every day that has come before today.

We can’t go back and change the past, we can’t start over.

But we can see the opportunity in each day being a chance to move forward.

One small thing, a 1% improvement daily, weekly, monthly, yearly will pay off.

So focus on how you can make those small tweaks, learn from each experience, to try to move forward!

There is nothing better than going on vacation. But it is often where we feel like we sabotage our results and our diet and exercise routines go to die.

I wanted to share 7 tips to help you stay on track while you travel so you can keep moving forward toward your weight loss goals. However, I also want to mention that I believe vacations can, and should, be a time to relax and enjoy. Diets often fail because we force restriction at times when we do need to embrace a balance.

We end up not really being able to diet on vacation while also not really allowing ourselves to relax. And this ultimately backfires.

However, if you travel for work or just travel often and want to find the lifestyle balance right for you, these tips can help you stay consistent with your macros and your workouts while not at home!

Do not feel guilty about not using every time you travel as an excuse to splurge. I know sometimes our friends or family can make us feel awkward for caring, but we need to stay focused on what also makes us happy in our progress toward our goals!

Because we can’t just always make the excuse that this is a once in a lifetime experience if we’re traveling all the time!

So what are the 7 travel hacks to help you stay on track?

#1: Save calories.

I hate saying it this way but it is also the SIMPLEST way to state it…sometimes when on vacation if you know there is going to be a bigger meal or even cocktails at dinner, things you’ll want to enjoy, you want to “save” calories for that meal.

This means you will want to focus on eating lighter, and even increase your protein intake earlier in the day. This can help you find that balance so you don’t go into a huge surplus and you even hit some macro minimums you set.

And while a longer fast can also be an option if you do intermittent fasting already, please don’t turn saving calories into starving yourself or you’ll end up overeating at that later meal.

Just think about going lighter with a protein focus earlier in the day to strike a balance!

#2: Find a few restaurants in the area for go-to healthy meals.

When on vacation, it can be fun to try local spots. And depending on where you’re traveling to, there may be some great local places with super macro friendly meals. Or even meals they can tell you the portions on. Many restaurants even list macros on their website so it never hurts to check.

If you can’t find the nutritional info, even try logging something similar to get an idea of macros. You can often find recipes online that give you an idea of the breakdown.

Also, look for chain restaurants. While yes, we want the best quality fuel, many chains do have nutritional info listed on their website. And if you find a dish or two that really works for you at those places, it can be easy to use that any time you travel as that chain may be everywhere!

But planning ahead to have some options to strike that balance can be key and let you play around with logging the meal to hit any calorie intake or macros you’ve set.

#3: Bring protein powder.

Supplements are supplemental, but protein powder is one of the best things to have with you when you’re on the go as it is generally easier to snack on carbs and fats and harder to eat easy, not refrigerated, protein options.

With a protein powder, you can keep it in your backpack or purse and be able to mix it in a water bottle, coffee or even anything quick you can pick up from the store.

Such an easy way to increase your protein and even save those carbs and fats for that later meal you don’t have as much control over with the family or co-workers.

#4: Don’t buy bulk snacks.

Often when we go on a trip, we buy snacks at the airport. And a bigger bag than we should eat in one serving.

Or we buy snacks for the hotel room or AirBnB for our family even.

And while it can be helpful to have snacks if we don’t know when we will get to eat or if the meals provided us will really work for us, we need to be conscious to not just have extra around as it will be tempting to eat it when you aren’t even hungry!

It’s easy to mindless nibble and let those calories add up.

So be strategic with your snacks especially if you’ll have them around you all the time! Even portion out things so you aren’t as tempted to keep snacking!

#5: Plan in short workouts.

Instead of trying to force yourself to maintain the same routine you would at home, plan in some workouts you can get in even in your hotel room if you’re super short on time.

That plan to do something may lead to you doing more if you can find a gym or end up with more time. Not to mention often you can find gyms with quick class options if that will help with accountability to get moving!

But simply doing something will also keep you in a routine and habit and mentally make you feel good.

And often when we stay consistent with one habit, we want to stay consistent with others!

So even if it is a 5 minute mobility routine so you feel good when you get back home to train hard, the consistency will pay off…and even reverse some of the aches and pains we get from travel postures!

#6: Get out and walk!

Even if you can’t workout, often you will have little breaks in the day where you can get out and walk.

Not only is this a great way to stop mindless snacking, but it does get you moving and can even allow you to explore the area more!

Even if it is just to get a coffee or grab food, try to move as much as you can during the day! Finding ways to be more active will even help you want to do the other healthy habits and routines you want to maintain.

#7: Increase your intensity AROUND the trip.

In preparation of your trip, it’s not a bad idea to occasionally go a bit more intense with your programming prior, especially so you could even use the trip as a de-load workout week or recovery week.

This may be a time too you are slightly more aggressive prior with the calorie deficit, not extreme but aggressive, and also using more intensive cut macro ratios over easier ratios to hit.

You can then move to minimums on your trip, tracking to stay even just accountable.

And then when you come back, you may go back into things with a bit more intensity even just in your macros before relaxing back into something you can fully be consistent with.

This 1 week before and after just can help with damage control and also mentally make us feel balanced when being a little less conscious of those healthy habits while traveling.

SUMMARY:

Remember vacations shouldn’t the time you stress about your diet, but finding a balance especially when we travel more often can be key!

Focus on doing the minimum even just to maintain those results so you can continue to build when you are back home and in your element!

I’m horrible with internet slang, acronyms, phrases…whatever.

The first time someone posted TLDR I had to google it.

I thought of this the other day when my managers and I were talking about abbreviations and acronyms and lingo that may be helpful to make a list of.

I made the joke about how I’m so bad with knowing what those things are…

And I mentioned to Michelle, my lead Dietitian, the first time I saw TLDR.

She Googled it the second I mentioned it as she didn’t know either.

Anyway, why am I rambling on about this TLDR…and for those of you about to Google it, it is Too Long Didn’t Read….?

Because the first time I saw it, it was commented on one of my blog posts.

And seeing it oddly made me sadder and madder than any troll comment I could have gotten at the time.

I wasn’t mad because my articles are freaking fabulous and they were missing out but because they were holding themselves back.

I was honestly sad for them.

Because in their search for a quick answer, a fast fix, simply WHAT TO DO, they were missing out on the part that would actually allow them to find something that works for them…

Something that lead to lasting results…

The WHY behind the systems so they could implement them correctly.

They weren’t open to learning.

And their desire to just be told what to do quickly, was probably what kept them working really hard without seeing results….wasting far more time putting in pointless effort than it would have taken them to just embrace the learning and read the post.

I bring this up because I know I’ve even been guilty of this….

Skipping around an article, course or program to pull what I think I need.

To pull out the actions I can take.

Not always realizing the details and nuance and double checks that are included between what I’ve skipped around to.

But I can tell you this is also often what leads to us not getting the results the article or program or video promised.

It leads to us wasting time on even potentially a component of the system that has no benefit on it’s own.

It leads to us ending up with a slightly…well…off or disappointing result.

It’s honestly like trying to put together IKEA furniture without following the steps…especially if you’re Ryan.

You end up with one shelf upside down.

What may feel like pointless details is often the information you need to implement a system correctly – to fully understand it.

What may feel like pointless fluff is often the mindset shift you need to make so the habits and actions stick.

What may seem like pointless education is often the information we need to make sure the system is right for us, teaching us how to adjust based on our needs and goals.

What may seem LONG and not the actual “good stuff” is often what makes the good stuff work.

Systems work together.

Forget or ignore one piece and it may seemingly come together only to fall apart the second you stack books on the shelves….

Take the time now to learn.

Realize it can save you a lot of time in the future undoing what you’ve done because you didn’t take the time to put it together correctly in the first place….

So next time you want to find a solution and start a new program I would recommend you do read and listen to every component…

Breaking down how I try to approach taking on a new program and truly LEARNING how to do things correctly the first time….

1. Start at the beginning and don’t skip around unless there are directions directing you to follow a specific path based on your goals. And even then, go back and check out the parts you may have skipped as you dial in the other components.
2. Really seek to understand the details BEFORE you take action.
3. Pay attention to the details in the instructions. Don’t ignore the nuance or details that you deem “unimportant.”
4. Focus on not only the actions but how those actions work together to create the system.
5. Track your implementation to make sure you truly are following the steps so you can assess how everything works.

SUMMARY:

If you want to truly know if something works, you have to embrace every part. You have to take the time to learn over just skipping over things to get going.

While we all want to start immediately and take action, sometimes the most important action is simply reading and watching through everything to understand what we will need to do!