Coach T's Macro Tracking Q & A

Coach Taylor has been weighing and tracking his food for almost two months. He’s mentioned it’s his new keystone habit, a habit that helps other good habits fall in place. The other night I thought of these questions for him out of my own curiosity and here are his responses.

1. Are you tracking alcohol? How does that change/effect your choice?

Yep. Whether it's a glass of wine or a beer I make sure to put the caloric value of the drink in MyFitnessPal. I am less concerned about the macronutrient values of the alcohol, but use the calorie totals to stay on track. This has made me realize that these calories add up quickly, especially when combined with food.

2. Is weekly pizza night still a thing?

Oh yeah - I tried ordering medium pizzas when I first started tracking, but I would finish the pizza and still be hungry. Lately I've been having two smaller meals throughout the day to allow for the extra calories of the large pizza at night. This is generally the most challenging day of the week because I have to limit myself throughout the day, but it makes the pizza taste even better.

3. Streak so far? Any days off?

My current streak sits at 56 days. There were two days mixed in there when I only tracked the first meal of the day - one of the days being Super Bowl Sunday. I knew I was going to be eating foods I don't normally eat and wanted to take a mental break from weighing and measuring. 

4. Do you still need to weigh/measure, or can you do it by look? i.e., you know what 5 oz of chicken is without busting out the food scale.

This is a great question, but yes I still have to measure everything. I can't eyeball quantities, but I have a better idea of the macronutrient make up in certain types of foods. This allows me to plan meals that I know are higher in protein or higher in carbs (for example) depending on my goals for the day.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain