Letting Go of Tracking Macros & Listening to Your Body - How'd I, Do It?

Hey friends, welcome back!

I've been receiving a ton of questions lately regarding whether I track macros or not. The answer is no, I do not track macros. I don't necessarily intuitively eat either. Honestly, I've just been living and there's nothing wrong with that. I think that it can often be tough not to put a label on the way you eat within today's society and the pressure that surrounds us; especially within the fitness industry and social media. The truth of the matter is, you don't need to label yourself and you most certainly don't need to do something you aren't comfortable with just to "fit in."

Some days I eat a ton of food and others, not a lot at all. Some days my body is truly hungrier than others and I am learning to accept that. I devour so much food some days that I don't even know where it all goes. I think that listening to our bodies can be really important. Your body will tell you what it needs the majority of the time. For example, today I ate my normal meals/snacks and was still STARVING all day long!!! What did I do? I LISTENED TO MY BODY. I gave it more food and I moved on with my day. Simple as that.

I often get asked, "How did you move away from tracking macros and start eating more freely?" I think macros are an amazing tool. They can be helpful in learning portion sizes, the correct macronutrient breakdown, how much/how little you should be eating to reach a specific goal, etc. However, I think that they are temporary source of knowledge. They are valuable and efficient when you have a goal that needs to be met. For example; if you are trying to lean bulk, cut, diet, prepare for a bodybuilding show, etc., these are all times where tracking macros and being exact/in control can be beneficial. Tracking macros is not the only way to reach those goals, but if you need accountability, assistance, or have a desired time frame than macros are a perfect tool for success. Macros were great in helping me initially put on the weight I had lost due to health issues. They got me back to a healthy state of body and mind. They re-regulated my digestive issues and hormones. Long story short, tracking macros at the time was crucial for me and I am grateful for that, but tracking is no longer my top priority. 

I think that if you truly have the desire and urge to move away from tracking macros, DO IT. If you are in a healthy state of body and mind than don't be afraid to let go. I have a very OCD personality. Tracking macros was great, but I had to be spot on. I had to hit numbers perfectly. I got frustrated if things were off. It sort of made me develop this sense of over-control and it became unenjoyable. 

I don't care if I am shredded. I don't care if I do or don't have the worlds biggest booty. I don't care if my shoulders and arms and back are completely jacked. Sure, I still have physique goals and I am always looking to improve. I grew up an athlete. I am determined. I am motivated. I set goals. I want to achieve them. However, my goals are not necessarily aligned with aesthetics right now which is what I am trying to convey to you all. What're my goals? My goal is to be happy. My goal is to focus on thriving in other areas of my life. I want to focus on my personal relationships, my schoolwork/studies, providing you all with amazing content, and some other things I am not quite ready to announce yet (stay tuned though hehe).

Stepping away from tracking is cool. I don't care about my weight. I don't even know how much I weigh. I don't weigh out every ounce of food (not gonna lie, I still weigh out my meats and carbs sources sometimes because I am the one to over/underestimate easily AF). Progress though. I can eat a handful of popcorn and give a shit less. I can eat a bag of lettuce and not be like oh crap I forgot to track my veggies. I can go out to dinner two, three, heck even four times a week if I want and not have to worry about putting it in My Fitness Pal. YEAH I GET IT, My Fitness Pal has like so many restaurants with so many meals logged into it that makes tracking super duper easy, but lemme tell yah something, I DON'T CARE. I don't want to think about having to plug damn numbers into my phone when I am trying to enjoy some delicious food and the amazing company and conversation of others. It's not worth it to me because I do not have a specific aesthetic goal right now and honestly probably won't anytime soon. Living a life free of tracking macros is LIT; if you haven't already gotten that impression, lmao. 

It's just hard for me to believe that so many people are scared to listen to their bodies. When you were 5, 10, even 14 or 15 years old, were you thinking about every calorie you put into your body? Probably not. Growing up I ate whatever I wanted. If I wanted ice cream, I ate ice cream. If I wanted a bagel, I got a bagel. If I wanted broccoli, I ate the damn broccoli because thats what I truly wanted and not because I felt forced (maybe by my mom but not by societal or fitness standards HA). If I had Chinese food for dinner, I wasn't thinking about how I needed to eat healthy all day prior to that. Listen to your body.

I understand that tracking macros may allow you to fit those foods into your diet in a less stressful way because thats what the numbers tell you, right? If you don't track macros and start to eat those foods more intuitively than you are going to gain all this weight and life is going to become scary and more stressful, right? WRONG. None of that is true. Yes, you may no longer have control of those numbers, but you can still enjoy the heck out of all those foods free of tracking and plugging everything into an app!! I promise. It will take some getting used to, but like I said before if you are working out/training because you love it and eating healthy because it makes you feel good than why are you restricting yourself from living a balanced and normal lifestyle? Just because you don't have full control over tracking and dictating things, you still have the ability to listen to your body and be mindful of what it wants and needs. 

I don't track. I eat popcorn. I eat Thai food. I eat ice cream (dairy free and not by choice, meh). I eat Chinese. I eat carrots. I eat rice cakes. I eat peanut butter. I eat bread. I eat candy. I eat eggs. I eat salad. I eat balanced. I eat based off what my body needs and craves. I fuel my body with all sorts of foods. I fuel it so that I can excel and do the things I love. I fuel my brain so that I can thrive in school and reach my ambitions, hopes, and dreams. You do not need to track to enjoy foods out of your comfort zone. You do not need to track out of fear of gaining weight or losing control. 

Be mindful. Be patient. Be consistent. It may take some getting used to. There may be times where you are frustrated. Sit down and really focus on enjoying the meal and savoring your food. Eat when you are hungry and stop if you are full. Eat to fuel your body and feel good. After a while, you get the hang of it and tracking never really crosses your mind. Sure, some days I still question whether I eat too much or too little, but I have come to understand that not everyday is linear. A lot of things play into hunger and your body. Things like food, water, sleep, stress levels, hormones, level of activity, etc. Keep all of those things in mind and realize that you ultimately have control over your body and know yourself best. If you make mindful and conscious decisions the majority of the time, you WILL be okay. Letting go of tracking doesn't mean start eating like a total asshole, but it means a little more leeway and freedom. At the end of the day, if you are eating and fueling your body in a way that makes you happy, KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON. Memories > Macros Sistas!!!!

Don't be afraid to let loose and give up tracking for a bit. If yah don't like it, you can always go back. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone due to irrational fears though. I am leaner, stronger, happier, and more alive than ever and I don't track a single gram of food. It all comes down to who you are, what your goals are, and what type of lifestyle you want to live. Don't let anyone steer you one way or the other. Weigh all of your options, but understand if you hate tracking and really don't want to be, you don't to!!! Unpopular opinion, but you do not have to track macros to make progress in or outside of the gym, I don't care what anyone says (don't freaking @ me)!!!

I'll say it a million and one times; DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU. Plain and simple. 

-Mik <3