If you have fat loss – or any type of physique – goals, and you are or are considering tracking your food, there are two questions you must answer. And today I want to tell you what they are.

In this post, I want to help you decide whether or not tracking your food is for you.

There are two things you need to consider when trying to decide how you’re going to reach your fat loss goals, and if tracking your food is the right route. And we’ll just cut straight to the chase.

But first, let’s clarify what I mean by “tracking your food.”

This can mean a lot of different things – from weighing and measuring down to the gram and putting it in MyFitnessPal, to just measuring with a cup and spoon and putting it in a word doc, to simply eyeballing portions and writing them down on a sheet of paper.

Some clients even just take a quick picture and send their meals over to me at the end of the day or week. There are a lot of different methods, and one way isn’t the best way – it’s just the best way for you.*

That said…if you’re contemplating tracking food to see results, ask yourself the questions in this video:

The Gist…

#1 – Am I serious?

Ask yourself: are you serious about reaching your physique or fitness goals? There’s nothing wrong with the answer being a “no,” either.

Just like the seasons, we should operate in cycles, really working toward our goals at certain points in the year, and shifting our focus in others. (However, my personal opinion is that February is a really great time to put some hard work and focus behind our efforts to see good results.)

If your answer to that question is “yes,” then it’s probably a good idea to come up with a plan, some strategies, and get your nutrition and training dialed in. –And move on to question #2.

#2 – Can I get in the right mindset?

One thing I make sure of when any client of mine is tracking food is that they’re not looking at their food log from an emotional aspect.

For example. Here’s exactly what we want to accomplish with tracking food:

what was planned compared to what was actual(ly eaten) compared to your progress that week.

That. is. it.

It’s not a judgment book that shows how “good” or “bad” you were that week. If you had ice cream, you write down ice cream and that’s it. It doesn’t make you good or bad, just like eating your kale superfood smoothie doesn’t make you good or bad. Food isn’t good or bad, nor do your choices about it make you good or bad.

[Tweet “Food isn’t good or bad, nor do your choices about it make you good or bad.  @TrainerPaige”]

It’s simply a means to see how much you ate according to the plan or guidelines set, how your progress was that week, and how we can make tweaks or strategies for the following week.

When referring to food journals, the word “obsessive” comes to mind for many. And yes, I agree that food journaling can become obsessive – if you let it.  If tracking down to the gram or calorie makes you batty, don’t do it!!

And if you’re dining at a fancy restaurant that doesn’t have nutritional stats listed, don’t let it send you into a tizzy. This is where estimation is just fine. You want to live your life. I want you to use nutrition to facilitate your goals and enhance your life; not rule it.

Now, if you said yes to the two questions above, then food journaling can be a really great way to reach your physique goals faster. Many of my clients track their food in one way or another, and in my upcoming online boot camp, we’ll be using food journaling, along with small, effective changes to food amount, timing, and split to reach your goals. No obsession allowed!  🙂

Do you ever track your food to reach your physique goals? What do you when you track??

Psst!…If you’re looking for a method of reaching those fat loss goals of yours, but you need guidance, strategies, and nutrition hacks to do so efficiently and long term, I’d love to work with you in my online boot camp that starts February 8th.

We’ll be focusing on smart nutrition techniques and a training plan that both burns fat and builds and conditions the muscles, with new workouts every week. There are just a couple spots left, and I anticipate registration closing by the end of the weekend. You can sign up HERE if you already know you’re ready to make progress toward your goals, or fill out the form below for more info, and I’ll be in touch with you shortly 😉

“I can’t believe how my body is changing, both in the way I feel and, for the first time(and two babies later) I have some stomach muscles!” – ❤️Bridget G.

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Also, I’d be completely remiss if I didn’t say this: if you’re battling disordered eating, please see a specialist, dietician, or therapist. My heart goes out to you <3