Tracking Your Food vs. Eating Intuitively

When it comes to diet, some people like to track everything they eat. 

Others prefer the more natural approach of trusting their body’s hunger and fullness cues. 

They’re both legitimate options. But which way is best?

What does tracking look like?

Tracking your food just means you’re logging what you eat each day. 

You can track meals, calories, macros, and more. 

There are lots of apps and websites for food tracking. 

And some people do it the old fashioned way and jot their food down in a notebook. 

 Why track my food?

There are many reasons why tracking food might work for you:

You need to count calories

Although weight loss is about more than calories, for some people it helps to keep track of them. 

Maybe you tend to eat a lot of food, and you’re trying to stay within a specific range of calories. 

Or it could be the opposite, perhaps you struggle to eat enough. 

Either way, tracking can help you see exactly how many calories you’re consuming. 

Tracking macros 

It’s easier to keep your macros (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) where you want them to be when you log your food. 

For example, a ketogenic diet has very specific macros that you need to stick to each day. 

By logging your food, you’ll be able to see if you’re hitting those macros. 

Troubleshooting 

Tracking your food can help when you run into weight loss stalls.

You can look back at what you’ve been eating, make adjustments, and see what kind of results you get. 

Medical conditions

If you have medical conditions that are affected by food, such as diabetes, tracking might help you manage them better. 

Motivation

For some people, the structure and feedback of tracking can help keep them focused and encouraged to continue. 

And some people just enjoy the analytical part of tracking. 

Tips for tracking

• Log your food as soon as possible after eating so you don’t forget

• Track everything, and be specific about portion sizes 

• Be honest  - You’re only cheating yourself if you omit the “bad” choices from your log

• Stay consistent, don’t skip days

• Review your food log at least once a week to see how you’re doing

• Use tracking as a tool, not a punishment - Don’t beat yourself up on days when you don’t meet your goals

What about intuitive eating? 

Intuitive eating is the opposite of tracking. You don’t track anything.

Instead, you rely on your hunger and fullness cues to tell you when and what to eat. 

And you trust your body, that it knows what it’s doing. 

Intuitive eating can work with any diet. 

You might prefer intuitive eating for several reasons:

You hate tracking

Some people just don’t like the idea of recording everything they eat. 

It can be time consuming and sometimes feels like a chore. 

You tend to eat the same things

Maybe you’ve got into a consistent routine where you eat pretty much the same foods every day. 

Carnivore would be a good example here. 

You already know what you’re getting in calories and macros, so you don’t feel the need to track anything. 

You want to be more in touch with your satiety signals

Intuitive eating is all about recognizing when you’re hungry, and when you’re not. 

Sometimes, when people track, they eat when they’re not hungry, just to meet a macro goal.

You have a history of disordered eating

Calorie counting and tracking your food can be a trigger for disordered eating symptoms. 

It’s important that you speak to your doctor if you suspect that you might have an eating disorder. 

Tips for intuitive eating:

• Aim for nutrition. Eat whole foods. 

• Practice mindful eating - slow down, enjoy the smell, taste, texture of the food

• Work on recognizing those hunger and fullness signals 

• Stop eating when you’re comfortably full, not stuffed

• Notice the differences in cravings, habit, and true hunger

Final takeaway 

There’s no one-size-fits-all. 

Some people will benefit most from tracking their food, and others will do better with intuitive eating. 

The best choice is the one that supports your health goals in a way that you can sustain. 

Try both, and see which way works best for you.