Counting your macros teaches you an incredible amount about nutrition, your body and how the two work together.

So when and if you decide to stop tracking that doesn’t mean those lessons go away.

Your Body

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you naturally started eating the foods that make you feel your best without counting anything? You actually craved lean protein and fibrous vegetables over candy and salty snacks? That is the ultimate goal for many people.

Everyone’s body processes and handles macros differently. Tracking macros helps you learn what proportions of proteins, carbs and fats your body needs to thrive and feel its best. Eventually you start naturally gravitating towards certain proportions of certain foods. This is what we call “intuitive eating.”

Because goals can change, macros can change with them. If you have specific, time-bound body weight or composition goals, counting your macros can help you get there. If you’re trying to get stronger, they can do that too. If your goals suddenly change, your macros can be manipulated to pivot with you. But, if you’re going on vacation and need to loosen the reins a little bit, that’s fine, the numbers will always be there when you’re ready to return to them.

Your Food

As you spend more and more time counting macros you’ll start learning what foods are generally protein sources, carb sources or fat sources. You will be more in tune with the food choices available to you and you will feel more empowered because you will have the ability to make conscious decisions about exactly what you put in your body and when to splurge for more macro-dense foods.

No more anxiety over what foods to choose and say goodbye to that post meal guilt!

Here’s an example:

We find that most people are eating less protein and more fat than they thought. After a few weeks of tracking it becomes easier to identify where to get more lean protein and where the fat in your diet is coming from and adjust intake accordingly.

Counting macros will teach you more about what foods make your body run most efficiently and what foods make you feel and perform your best. When you’re controlling intake and quantity, you can really dial in the quality of your foods.

Before tracking macros, you may have been feeling sluggish at the gym because you weren’t getting enough carbs, but you attributed it to a specific food. This wouldn’t necessarily be accurate information if you weren’t getting enough carbs in the first place. Once you’ve nailed down quantity you can dial in quality with confidence!

Your Relationships

With Food

We hit on this in the Why Should You Track Macros section but it warrants reinforcement. Tracking allows you to see food for what it really is: food. By taking the common labels “good food” and “bad food” out of your vocabulary, you take power away from the food itself and give it all to yourself.

This allows you to enjoy "treat food" in moderation and still work towards your goals. You control your diet, your diet does not control you!

With Yourself

When you can confidently identify foods that make you feel good you will feel empowered. The awareness of your food make-up will give you the autonomy to make decisions that leave you feeling more confident in yourself — so you can be the best possible version of you. This commitment and discipline can transform your body so you finally have a body that reflects all that hard work you put into it. Feeling amazing in your skin, and loving what you see in the mirror is priceless.

Why WAG for Your Nutrition?

The road to your goals isn’t going to be linear and there will always be ups, downs, trials and triumphs. Figuring out what is best for your body goals and lifestyle takes hard work and we don’t want you to do it alone!

We also know that we can be hardest on ourselves - so having that unbiased third party who is 100% dedicated to your success will be extremely helpful in picking you up during the lows and giving you the tough love you need if you get off track.

This guide gave some great starting strategies but there is definitely not a one size fits all nutrition plan. We work one-on-one with you to create personalized, fluid nutrition plans and strategies that transform with you, letting you achieve more than you thought possible.

It’s time to discover your optimal nutrition plan. Join Team WAG today!