Tracking your Nutrition

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞? ⁣

(This subject was spurred by a conversation that I had with an online client today). ⁣

Yes & No. Like so many things in regard to nutrition it's very dependent to the individual. ⁣

Recently having a bit more time on my hands I've enjoyed cooking and putting some more effort into making meals. This was brunch today and it was pretty banging! ⁣

I've also gone back to tracking my meals for the next 5-7 days to make a few tweaks and take a closer look calorically what I'm consuming. Although I have been eating healthy 80% of the time, as I say to my clients, "that's great from a nutrient point of view", but if your goal is to change your body composition you can't cheat the science of calories in vs calories out". ⁣

When clients start their journey with me I always ensure we start off with a 5-7 day food diary (including the weekend because that's where a lot of the damage is usually done). ⁣

This is in no way to cast judgement in any way because I love all the enjoyable foods also, Who doesn't!? and my goal is to develop a plan around client's preferences, not put them on a broccoli and cod for breakfast style plan, just because we are looking at long term sustainability. ⁣

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Here are a couple of reasons why tracking initially can be beneficial: ⁣

1. You gain an understanding of food awareness in regard to nutrient density and calorifically.

2. The coach (myself in this instance), gains an insight to your preferences to put an individualised plan together. ⁣

3. Yourself and your coach gain an insight to your habits and identify areas in which you are falling off track to then work together in selecting the best approach nutritionally that's going to be suited to your goals. ⁣

4. It gives you a level of accountability to yourself and coach. Also, just the fact that you're now being more conscious of your current diet there's a big chance it will start improving straight away. ⁣

These are just some of the positive benefits I've found with initially tracking nutrition after working with lots of clients. Of course, if you have/had any eating disorders or poor relationships with food currently/in the past I would always consult a dietician rather than an off the shelf plan. ⁣

I've seen that consistently tracking has really helped keep the busy working professional client 'who grabs food on the go', really benefit from the accountability.

For me personally, I track to reassess, and then structure my nutrition based on my goals and then follow a plan, If I feel as though I need that additional accountability or my goals change then I return to it to assess, plan/restructure again.

⁣If you feel like you are struggling with any of the above DM or contact me the word 'Nutrition'. ⁣

⁣What are your thoughts on tracking? ⁣