No, we’re not talking about a delicious bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich! Those should be on the menu every week IMO, especially in the summertime when tomatoes are extra delicious!!!!

The BLT I’m talking about today should be OFF the menu if you’re a macro tracker! We’re talking about Bites, Licks and Tastes! Those eight leftover goldfish off your kid’s snack plate, that spoonful of queso that was stuck to the spoon after you got your serving from the jar, the peanut butter left on the knife after you made your sandwich. THOSE are the BLT’s we’re discussing today!

You may be thinking it doesn’t apply to EVERYONE who tracks macros, and you are entitled to your opinion! However, BLT’s apply to all of us, regardless of the macro season we are in. 

They matter the most when and if you are in a cut, because in a cut you are targeting a specific deficit, and you want to be running a tight ship with your macros to get the results you’re working so hard for. 

But even if you are in a season when you aren’t tracking hardcore, or maybe don’t have a specific goal in mind, BLT’s are a really terrible habit to get yourself into! They will come back to haunt you when you decide you’re ready to tighten the reins a little bit and make some progress towards a goal (hello, 25 days of Macros coming up in December!), and you’ll be stuck with a habit of grabbing little nibbles and bites here and there that is going to be hard to break! 

If you are being coached 1:1, you are also doing yourself and your coach a huge disservice with those BLT’s. Your coach is only as good as the information they are given by you each week! If you’re not tracking everything that goes in your mouth but you are consistently reporting hitting your numbers, it throws off the data. It will affect your hunger levels, your progress, your coach’s feedback and adjustments, and ultimately you’re not getting your money’s worth out of what you pay for coaching, because you aren’t being 100% honest in your reporting. The mayo on your sandwich, the drizzle of syrup on a pancake, some ketchup with your fries…it all counts! If it has macros, it counts! All of those bites add up big time!! Have you ever been to Costco on a good sample day? Five or six “bites” can set you back several hundred calories– that’s enough to blow you out of whatever caloric range you are currently targeting and right into a bulk before you even leave the store!

Additionally, your coach wants to see even when you DON’T hit your numbers!! Seeing where a client’s over/under fall is so helpful to us as coaches, and helps us identify how we can tweak and adjust things for you in the weeks to come. So track it all!!! If we see that you’re consistently going over your carbs by 20-30g and still hungry, it’s a good sign we need to adjust and get you a little more fuel for the tank!

How do we combat those BLT’s? Before you eat something, ask yourself, “Am I willing to track this?” If you aren’t willing to open up your app and track whatever it is, don’t put it in your mouth!! This is especially tempting when you’re in the kitchen prepping food or cooking dinner. It is so easy to take little licks here and there, but don’t do it! I love to pop a piece of gum in my mouth to stop me from snacking while I cook! This is especially helpful around the holidays and all of the Christmas cooking baking!

Another way to battle back the BLT’s is make sure your meals are filling enough!! If you are having lots of little snacks throughout the day instead of three solid meals, you won’t find yourself as satisfied and you’ll be much more prone to snacking. My general advice to clients is to break those macros into roughly thirds and portion them into your meals, then use up remaining macros as your snacks/treats. Keep your fiber nice and high because it’s a great indicator of food quality, and get those meals on time! If you’re satisfied between meals, you won’t be as tempted to snack! 

The bottom line is that while there are times that the effects of BLT’s may have a bigger impact than others, such as when you’re in a cut, it’s not good macro mindfulness to be in the habit of lots of nibbles and tastes here and there. It sets you up with bad habits for the future, throws off your hunger cues and sets you up for wasting calories that you’d rather save for a satisfying meal. Take the time to fuel your body with balanced meals throughout the day so you feel your best and have tidy nutrition habits!