Nobody, and I mean nobody, NEEDS to track calories for the rest of their life!
Now don’t get me wrong, a lot of us who like numbers and puzzles like the process (me included).
Some of us may be fearful of ‘losing control’ without any parameters or limits to keep us in check. Don’t worry, I used to be I this camp too.
The good news is that there is a really strait forward way to transition away from calorie tracking without losing control.
And for those of us who are all about the numbers, you still get to use those too!
Here is how I suggest my clients start the process of weaning themselves off MyFitnessPal
The basis of the approach I suggest to all my clients when they want to simplify calorie tracking and make it more intuitive is as follows:
We all have regular ‘go-to’ meals that we eat often. Perhaps something like chilli and rice or a bowl of protein oats.
You have no doubt have ‘tracked’ these many times in MFP:
- Identify how many calories and how much protein is in that meal and remember it (write a note in your phone if it helps).
-
Just remember the calories to the nearest 50 (e.g. 497cals becomes 500cals)
-
Then, instead of tracking in MFP you can just use the ‘quick add’ function to input the calorie total (so you have a running total across the day)
-
Start by doing this for your 3 favourite meals and practice the habit each day
-
The next step is to pick a day where you don’t track but just guess the calories in each meal (to the nearest 50) across the day
-
If it helps to keep a tally you can ‘quick add’ in MFP or simply use the calculator on your smartphone
-
If you get to the end of that day and want some reassurance you were in the right ‘ballpark’ then you can always add a few bits into MFP to check
-
If a meal is completely unfamiliar then there is no harm in just tracking that one single meal in MFP
-
Oh, and stop tracking those 20 calories of spinach, eat as many greens as you like! How much spinach or broccoli you eat isn’t putting you in a calorie surplus but the extra pint at the weekend you forgot to track just might be…
Keep repeating steps 5 to 8 as necessary until you’re able to ‘eyeball’ the calories within the majority of your meals.
This takes a couple of weeks of mindful practice, but the benefit is that eventually you’ll be able to look at a plate of food and have a pretty solid estimation of what’s in there without using an app to track. The KEY is that you start to actively remember the rough calorie count in each meal you regularly eat.
It’s a bit of a mindset shift but once you get the ball rolling, it picks up momentum and gets easier and easier.
So, if you’e a weekend warrior who wants to simplify their nutrition and Eat to Perform without giving up beer and chocolate then click here to apply for coaching.
