It takes me longer to open trail mix than it does for me to finish the contents.
Can you relate?
When I first started using a food scale to measure my food, I was shocked by how fast I blew past my fat targets for the day. Try… 11 AM?
Between a few spoonfuls of almond butter stirred in my oatmeal, a handful (or 4) of trail mix at my desk, a couple tablespoons of oil based salad dressing – I was definitely overeating my needs. And I didn’t even notice!
Fat macros typically come in small packages: nuts, seeds, animal fats, plant based oils, avocado, olives, coconut products – they don’t take up much room in your stomach but pack a big calorie punch.
In just a couple weeks of tracking macros, I learned some key things about my typical eating habits. I was doing challenging strength training and choosing all the “right foods” but it wasn’t until I stopped being so heavy handed with the coconut cream in my coffee that I started to notice changes in by body.
It’s about awareness. It always starts with awareness. Build awareness around your typical eating habits by tracking your current eats as accurately as you can – which might include a digital food scale. This is the VERY first step to tracking macros.
My love for fat hasn’t changed, I just changed some of my eats to give my body what it needed:
>> I traded extra guac at Chipotle for cilantro white rice.
>> I add whole food fats like olives, sunflower seeds or sliced almonds to my salads and choose a vinaigrette dressing instead of an oil-based one.
>> I swapped that trail mix for my own with popcorn, roasted chickpeas, chocolate and pecans.
>> I traded oat milk for coconut cream in my coffee.
There are SO many options for trades and swaps when you finally learn what your body needs.
Who remembers their first experience logging their typical eats?