when to be strict vs. when to be flexible with your nutrition/tracking
When you are looking to achieve a certain physique or fat loss goal, it can be tricky to know if you're better off tracking and being strict about your food intake, or being more relaxed about tracking or not tracking at all.
For some, tracking thoroughly isn't intrusive to their lifestyle and might even be a huge aspect of their life (e.g. bodybuilding).
For others, tracking food in this much detail can be frustrating and even counterproductive.
The good news is — you never have to stick to ONE method. You can always shift between phases of being strict and being relaxed when it comes to nutrition.
To me, this is the most sustainable way to do things. When I have a goal I'm chasing, I track every little thing I eat and drink and it doesn't bother me.
But when I can take breaks, I DO! I don't mind a few months off and not worrying about each and every calorie.
Here's a good example of when you might want to either be strict OR more casual with your nutrition:
Let's say you are feeling torn between being meticulous about every single calorie you consumed in one day, or if you want to loosen the reigns a little and not worry about it.
But, either way, you want to either maintain your physique or achieve fat loss.
(One of the biggest "aha" moments for my clients that track their macros is when they wonder why they're not seeing progress, then realize they haven't been diligent about, or even aware of, the sneaky calories they're consuming!
You know: the calories that creep up into your day through things you aren't really thinking about like oils, creamer, butter, etc.
It's easy to forget about them, especially when you go out to eat and didn't do the cooking yourself!)
When it comes to these "out of sight, out of mind" sources of calories and macronutrients (oftentimes fat being the main macro in these)...you can take the strict route or the more flexible route.
Option A: if you want to be strict with yourself and see progress SOONER through macro-tracking, track them. Really pay attention to them because they do add up! If you track them accurately (for the most part, it's okay if you're not perfect every day) — you'll see your macros really start to work for you.
Option B: if tracking your food is a NO and you're into intuitive eating instead, or you just want to "loosely" track...don't worry about these. When I'm in an "intuitive eating" season of life, personally, I don't think twice about these added calories. I keep it simple and pay attention to what determines if I'm hungry or full (protein, carbs, overall volume, etc.
Moral of the story:
Don't track if it drives you up a wall thinking about it. Or, do it if it's easy and works for you! Or, do both!
All that matters is that you prioritize your health (physical and mental health) EITHER way! And odds are, if you're paying attention to your nutrition at all, you are on the right track.
Still have questions? You can always DM me on Instagram @madeline_grace or @madstrengthcoaching. Or, contact me here!
