Tracking your food is the unsexy habit that actually helps you see results faster.

And yes, everyone should be doing it.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: 

“Tracking is restrictive. It’s obsessive. It’s not for me.”

But here’s the truth…that belief is exactly what’s holding you back.

Because tracking isn’t restrictive. The way you’ve been using it is.

I get it. 

I used to hate the idea of tracking too. 

I told myself it was obsessive, unnecessary, and that if I just “ate healthy,” I’d be fine. 

But when I finally gave it a shot, I realized something shocking.

Tracking didn’t trap me. It freed me.

I felt better. 

I looked leaner. 

And I could eat more of the foods I loved without guilt, without self-sabotage, without constantly questioning myself. 

That’s when it hit me: I didn’t lack willpower. I lacked clarity.

That’s why in this video I’m going to share why we often dislike tracking and 4 steps to shifting that mindset to use this amazing tool to our advantage.

And the reason so many of us hate tracking?

It is because of how we’ve used it in the past. 

Think about the last time you wanted to lose weight or change your diet. 

You stepped on the scale and hated the number. 

Or you tried on that dress that wouldn’t zip. 

Or you saw a photo you wished you could delete.

So what did you do? 

You panicked. 

You started tracking and slashed your calories.

You cut out chocolate.Those salty snacks…all the foods you loved. 

You forced yourself into meal prep you couldn’t keep up with. 

And you were miserable.

Maybe you saw results for a bit, but eventually the effort didn’t feel worth it. 

So you quit. 

And the weight came back. 

And now just hearing the word “tracking” makes you roll your eyes.

But here’s the thing: that tracker didn’t do that to you. 

You did.

The tracker didn’t tell you to starve yourself. 

You did. 

It didn’t tell you to cut out foods you loved. 

You did. 

It didn’t judge you…

You judged yourself. 

All the tracker did was show you data.

It showed you what you choose to log.

And that’s the shift you need to make. 

Because tracking doesn’t have to mean restriction. 

It can mean freedom. 

It can mean planning in your Reese’s peanut butter cup or two. 

It can mean enjoying dinner with your family without cooking something separate. 

It can even mean eating more…just in a way that fuels your goals.

Tracking your food isn’t just for weight loss or for cutting out.

It’s about having that accurate picture of what you’re doing.

That’s why we need to recognize that we’ve only ever used it in the past when we’ve been frustrated, unhappy and in DIET MODE.

So how do you actually track without the baggage of old diet trauma? 

Step one, track without judgement.

Yup.

Take a week and just write down what you eat that day. 

No judgement. No changes.

If you’d rather, even map out what you may eat tomorrow right now.

Just record what you do.

It can help you not only start to understand your lifestyle and how it’s fueling your results, but also see that recording what you’re eating doesn’t have to mean cutting out or avoiding foods you love.

It isn’t just about restricting.

It’s knowledge to help you make the changes you need and even evolve your diet over time as your needs, goals and lifestyle shifts.

So just track. It’s eye opening and will help you start to really shift those mindsets.

I’d also like to note….no where have I said specifically how you have to track. 

Were you envisioning an app and complicated math equations when I described how you may have used tracking in the past?

I know food tracker apps are what I first envision when “tracking macros” or “food logging” is mentioned.

But notice I never specific said track in an app.

Because one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to tracking or any habit for that matter.

And when we try to force one specific way of doing things on ourselves, we ultimately sabotage our own changes.

We adjust our habits over time and sometimes small changes are needed to build.

That’s why step 2 is recognizing there isn’t just one way to track. 

Yup. You may have been envisioning an app when I told that story about tracking in the past.

But habits have many forms and we need to see opportunity in the options.

Tracking may be just writing out meals on a piece of paper. 

It may be taking pictures of our food.

Or yes, it may be tracking in an app.

You may weigh and measure everything like you do for a new recipe you’re making. 

Or you may use hand-portion guides or a plate to help guide your portions.

The key is finding the method of data collection, because that is what tracking is, that allows you to start getting that clear picture of your current diet.

Because once we understand our lifestyle and where we’re starting from, then we can use tracking to make the changes we need.

This is why tracking is so key…It helps us avoid continuing the cycle of going ON diet after diet and finally adjust OUR lifestyle for balance.

Once you find a way to track that matches your balance, you can then start to make changes.

That’s why step 3 is focus on nutrition by addition.

Here’s another opportunity to lower your resistance and avoid that mental resistance building against changes…

Focus on adding over eliminating.

Too often when we have tracked in the past, we jump to slashing our calories super low so we end up hangry….

But we also cut out the things we love the most to “eat clean.”

Bye bye dessert. Bye bye cocktail. Bye bye salty snack.

Instead, don’t change those things first.

Search for a small addition to your day that would help.

Can you add veggies to a meal?

Or an ounce of protein hearing that protein is so key?

Focus on those small adds that you know are beneficial.

Then step 4 is to make small swaps.

Adjust your portions further by swapping out ingredients to lower fat or carbs or increase your protein.

Maybe you swap chicken thigh for chicken breast.

Or you swap a full cup of rice for ¾ cup and veggies.

The more we maintain our lifestyle balance while addressing what we need to reach our goals, the more progress will build in a lasting way.

And the less we demonize foods, the more we embrace the changes.

You can still include that pasta dish you love. Maybe you just try a higher protein pasta.

The more we give ourselves small steps to focus on, the less we create overwhelm and overload.

The more we feel we have a clear roadmap and less unknown.

The more we have a RECIPE for lasting results.

Because honestly? 

Tracking is just like following a recipe. 

You don’t think about weighing and measuring ingredients to make those ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies as restrictive, do you?

Nope!

If you want the cookies to turn out right, you measure the ingredients. 

If you want your body to look and feel the way you want, you measure what goes in so you can actually adjust for the results you want.

It’s not about dieting harder.

It’s about finally owning your choices and embracing your balance.

So if you’ve been avoiding tracking, if you’ve been writing it off as “too obsessive,” remember this: what gets measured gets managed.

Tracking isn’t about food. It’s about freedom. 

The freedom to enjoy your life while finally looking and feeling your best.

Dial in your diet to match your workouts and build your leanest, strongest body ever with my Metabolic Shred…

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