Counting macros: is it really worth it?
It prevents you from listening to your body
When you’ve weighed out your meal and sit down to eat it you might feel like you have to eat the whole thing even if you don’t feel like it, or that you can’t eat anymore even though you’re still hungry. Tracking your macros can very easily lead to feelings of guilt, which can take away the pleasure of food and make it a stressful experience. In fact, talking of stress, leads me onto my final point….
It can induce stress and an unhealthy mentality
Counting macros can take a lot of time as it means you have to track and weigh everything you eat. This can lead to stress when you’re eating out and don’t have the ability to track your food, it can also lead to anxiety around food choices. The stress created by tracking macros can actually end up working against your weight loss goals because chronic stress can increase cortisol levels which are likely to prevent you from losing weight and encourage your body to store fat.
If you do decide to track your macros, be mindful of the common pitfalls I mentioned above. In my experience, it’s often a more effective, long term solution to eat mindfully and focus the majority of your diet on eating unprocessed, whole foods.
Remember, if you are unsure of anything, want advice or just to share your progress I’m only an email away. You can get in touch with me at contact@alexia-clark.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.