To track or not to track- that is the question

Or is it?

This seems to really be a hot button topic for a lot of people in the health and fitness space right now. Macro counting is touted as the SURE FIRE WAY to blast fat and obtain your desired physique. Then there is the intuitive eating approach, and proponents of this say that you can just listen to your body's feedback and achieve your physique goals.

Personally, I believe in both.  It feels like that isn't supposed to be "allowed" when you are a coach, that you need to choose a side and stick to it. Draw a line in the sand. Stand your ground. However, just like most things in life this isn't black and white, there is a WHOLE LOT of gray. I have become pretty good at navigating the middle as I continue to work on overcoming my own personal struggle with perfectionism. 

I believe that tracking macros can definitely give you data and add a layer of mindfulness over your food choices. It can help you determine if you feel physically better on a higher fat vs. higher carb approach,  or if you are too low in protein for your muscle building goals and if you are under or overeating in general. On the other end of the spectrum, I have seen it become obsessive where people spend so much mental energy trying to get their macros down to the gram. They refuse to attend social gatherings because they are afraid they won't be able to find something that fits their macros left for the day, and become very inflexible with their eating. 

General macro counting also doesn't always take into account conditions like PCOS, thyroid disease, gut dysbiosis, adrenal dysfunction, lack of sleep, stress or other chronic diseases. This is why if you are relying on macro counting to reach your physique goals, it's important to get some expert advice vs. going by what MFP or your activity tracker says your macro ratio should be. 

Here is a good article from Precision Nutrition re: calories in vs. calories out 

Intuitive eating or mindful eating is defined by IFM:

 “Mindful Eating” or “Intuitive Eating” :The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things. Mindful eating is the process of paying attention to your actual eating experience without judgement. This sounds simple and straightforward, but the process can be complex, especially for those who are not used to it. A mindful eating practice helps you become aware of the reasons behind your hunger (emotions, lack of food, tradition, schedule, etc.). Intuitive eating is a broader philosophy that incorporates mindful eating. It emphasizes attunement of mind, body, and food, and focuses on strengthening the relationship with all three of those elements. This approach includes using nutrition information without judgement, and respecting your body regardless of how you feel about its shape

There is definitely a benefit to listening to your body and eating according to certain signals and biofeedback. The issue here comes when your hunger or satiety signals have been altered because of toxins, gluten, excess sugar intake, food intolerances or sensitivities, or other hormonal imbalances. It's hard to know HOW to eat intuitively if you have become disconnected from your physiology. 

So, where does that leave someone who has physique goals, wants a healthy relationship with food, wants to have a social life, and is not interested in spending so much mental energy on what you eat so you have energy left to actually LIVE your life?

You CAN do both!  

If you have been just eating "whatever" , be curious. We are just collecting data here to start.

• Eat as you normally do and track your food for a week just to get a baseline
• Track any physical sensations/symptoms(hunger, fullness, watery eyes, itchy nose, fatigue, GI upset, sleep, cravings) and emotional reactions to the foods you have eaten

Once you have that data, get clinical and experiment. 

• Still hungry? try adding more protein, fat or fiber to your meal next time. Where are you in your cycle?
• GI distress? slow down. take 3 deep breaths or a minute of gratitude before a meal and CHEW your food thoroughly. How's your fiber intake?
• Cravings? can you relate it to sugar/carb intake(overconsumption can create a vicious craving cycle). How did you sleep last night?
• Fatigue? could it be a food sensitivity, or intolerance?

As you can see there are SO MANY variables when trying to decide what the best diet approach is for you. You see I said for YOU. Not for ME. Not for your BFF.  Nutrition can and should be a personalized approach, one that doesn't make you miserable while trying to reach your goals. 

Bottom line: tracking macros/food IS useful short term, to gather data or discover what foods might be contributing to your health concerns. Once you have slowed down enough to actually tune into your biofeedback(hunger, energy, mood, cravings) signals,  it will be easier to transition into intuitive eating if you choose that as a long term approach.

And as always, reach out if you need help. It can take a lot of trial and error to fine tune what works best for each person's individual physiology and to just to make it more fun, it changes day to day/month to month/year to year!  

Are you team macro or team intuitive?