TRACKING: START HERE (A BEGINNER’S GUIDE)
GETTING STARTED
Tracking our food intake is a way to find out just how many calories we’re actually consuming, and these calories are further broken down by macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
Tracking macros might feel overwhelming at first (read on to appease some of those apprehensions!). Tracking can be a powerful tool for building awareness and making informed food choices — without the guesswork. (You can read more about why I’m a fan of having the skill of tracking in your nutrition toolbelt here.) Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle gain, athletic performance, or overall better health, tracking macros helps you see where your nutrition aligns with your goals and where small adjustments can make a big impact. Instead of following rigid rules, it’s about understanding how food fuels your body so you can make choices that truly support you.
Many of us underestimate what we eat (a common trend shown in research), and macro tracking shines a light on those habits. It brings clarity to whether you’re eating enough protein to build muscle, over- or under-eating habits and trends, balancing your macros for sustained energy, or even just recognizing patterns in emotional or mindless eating. At its core, macro tracking isn’t about restriction or perfection — it’s about education, flexibility, and setting yourself up for long-term success.
Soooooo, if tracking is so valuable, how do we start?!
1 | SET UP YOUR TRACKING APP
You’ll want to start by downloading a food tracking app – there are many to choose from! My favorite and most-recommended apps are Cronometer, MyFitnessPal, and Macros First. All three apps have free versions; while you’re welcome to invest in the paid version for more data, less ads, or features you like, the free versions will have everything you need to be successful in tracking.
Some considerations about these three apps:
Cronometer: offers detailed tracking information and verified nutrition data, with a smaller database than MyFitness Pal (small is relative here, there are about 1.2 million verified foods included)
MyFitness Pal: extensive food database and social features, but some entries may need more accuracy (there is a less strict verification process)
Macros First: focuses on tracking macros with customizable goals, but may have a smaller user base and fewer features than the larger platforms above
Once you choose an app and download it, you will be asked a number of questions about yourself (you can answer these or skip entirely). The app will then spit out a recommended calorie goal (and activity goal, depending on the app).
Whichever tracking app you chose to use is just that: an app. They are great for tracking, but do not know you as an individual and the targets they provide are based on averages. Take this data with a grain of salt and then ignore it, please!
I highly recommend heading to the settings of your tracking app and removing any suggested targets so that you are working with a blank slate as far as your tracking intake goes.
2 | WEIGH YOUR FOOD
You’ll want to invest in a food scale (this one has been my go-to, old faithful for years). The scale will give you a number of options of what units to use – for most foods, grams will serve you best, and using one unit can save you some decision-making and free up a little mental space. (The one type of food I’d suggest steering away from grams is meats, where I would recommend using ounces.)
Here’s an example of weighing the components of a yogurt parfait:
Place the bowl on the scale and turn it on (with the bowl plate already on the scale, it should read “0”).
Add an ingredient to the bowl/plate (in this case, I first added yogurt), and record that food and amount in your tracking app.
Zero the scale by pressing the button that reads “tare” and add your next ingredient. (In this example, I then added some protein powder, then a variety of different fruits, zero-ing out the food scale between each addition.)
3 | ENTER THE FOOD INTO YOUR TRACKING APP
Next you’ll want to find the food in your chosen tracking app and enter the appropriate amount. If you know the brand name of what you are eating, search for that in your tracking app; if the food is in its packaging and has a barcode, most apps will allow you to scan this for a quick and efficient search of the food.
On the left above, you’ll see that my yogurt is tracked by brand, and measured in grams (245g, per scale measurement). And on the right, an example of the total entry, as logged in Cronometer.
This may seem like a lengthy, multi-step process to track a single meal and a snack (your feelings are valid, it does take time!) – but with some practice and learned familiarity of your tracking app, this process will become quicker and less-cumbersome over time. And remember, tracking is a temporary tool!
4 | RINSE AND REPEAT (FOR ABOUT A WEEK)
When we talk about tracking your intake for even a single a day, it means tracking every single thing (yup, every lick, bite, and taste!) you eat as honestly as you can. When beginning tracking, I’d suggest keeping your eating habits in line with your “norm,” as this will give you the best picture of your current habits, caloric intake, and distribution of macros, as well as trends and patterns, both across your day and week.
Keep in mind that change and changing our bodies takes time, and practice, too. Coupled together, this time and practice will give you data and knowledge about your current habits so that you can game plan for your future ones.
You can learn so much about food by practicing weighing and entering it into your tracking app. Do you know how much is 100g of blueberries, or what a single serving (per the nutrition label) of your favorite popcorn looks like? Maybe you’ll discover that your favorite protein sources vary in their protein:fat content – and that the turkey sausage links are carrying much more protein than the pork variety. There’s no right or wrong things to consume, but after seeing this information displayed in your tracking app, you will undoubtedly start to learn more about the food you eat.
When you take the time to learn HOW to eat and find a method for the balance of foods that works for you, the WHAT to eat for your goals becomes so much easier.
Macro tracking is a great tool for learning about your nutrition, improving dietary habits, and achieving your goals—but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start with small, manageable steps, focus on consistency rather than perfection, and use it as a way to support your health, not control it. (Maybe this looks like consistently tracking your breakfast for a handful of days, then adding in lunch, then adding in dinner. Success can look a lot of different ways, and the steps your are taking need to feel meaningful to you.)
Questions? Drop ‘em in the comments!
Google can be a tempting source of tracking how-tos, AND it can also feel like the wild west of sorting through information. If individualized support is what you are looking for to answer questions and provide personalized guidance, I’d love to be in your corner. Click here to apply for 1:1 nutrition coaching, or here to book a one-time Nutrition Strategy Session.
