After a week of hearing feedback from multiple clients I felt called to talk through why we’re tracking macros. We all start in a different season with a different “Why” and that “Why” can change over time.

What season are you in and what is your Why?

Personally, I am currently working to maintain, while gaining more muscle and getting stronger in the gym. But that hasn’t always been my season.

I started my macro journey when I was five months postpartum with my third child in 2017.

In that season of being laser focused I had to say no a lot and it was worth it every single time. I quickly realized that the instant gratification wasn’t worth it. 

My goal was to change my body composition and “lose weight”.

I eventually got to the point after a few years where I wanted to “take a break”. Which was more so still loosely tracking or “sticking to the basics” while not weighing things like strawberries or salsa. After just over a year off of not tracking at all, the treats became easier to grab at and after that second holiday season, it was time to get back to putting in the work again. 

I needed to feel better in my jeans, they were snug and not comfortable anymore. 

My hope is for you to come away understanding that the scale was never a driving force or where I put my self worth. It has been a tool, but not the main tool. Also just because the progress isn’t lighting fast doesn’t mean your hard work isn’t making a difference. 

If you allow it, this journey will become more than just hitting a certain number on the scale. It becomes a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. I think we often forget that there are so many factors outside of our control when it comes to our body composition and weight. 

A few client takeaways that I have also felt myself throughout these last seven years:

• “I never felt like I was dieting.”
• “Focusing on my overall nutrition has given me a much better grasp on my body as a whole.”
• “Certain foods aren’t as tempting as they once were.”
• “Letting go of the food guilt has been life giving.” 
• I started in October, one of the hardest times of year to start. Don’t let the holidays be an excuse to not focus on your nutrition. The biggest thing is changing your mindset on what you think your journey is supposed to look like and just do it!  I actually learned how to properly feed my medically fragile child through macros. I had ZERO idea that would become part of my journey. If you take away one major point it would be that this is a lifestyle change that is SO MUCH MORE than JUST body composition or scale changes. 

• I am 5’5 and currently 160 pounds, BMI states that I am OBESE. As you can see from my pictures, I am in fact, not obese. What BMI can’t tell you is that I can back squat 285#, deadlift 335#, bench press 170# and front squat 220#. Don’t let the scale define your worth, focus on changing habits and living a more balanced life. 
• Allowing yourself to continuously learn along the way is KEY! Just because something is hard doesn’t mean we should give up. I think about parenting: some days are HARD, but I’m not going to just give up. I have to continue learning and putting in the work.