If You Want to Start Tracking Your Calories & Macros, Do This One Thing First

You are ready to start your health and fitness journey and suddenly everyone is talking about calories and macros. You’re overwhelmed. Online calculators are giving you all sorts

of different numbers, and you have no idea where to start.

If this sounds familiar, listen closely: as a Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach and someone who’s tracked calories both the “how low can you go?” way and the “how can I fit everything in and still lose?” way, I can tell you there’s one thing you should do first:

FIND YOUR MAINTENANCE CALORIES.

Seriously, this is step one.

Understanding your maintenance calories will make tracking your calories and macros so much easier. It requires patience, data, and objectivity, but it gives you a clear picture of where to go next.

Imagine this: you download MyFitnessPal, you are motivated to crush your goals, and for a 5’4” person like me, it recommends just 1,200 calories. That is the minimum recommended calorie intake before nutrient deficiencies can occur! No, MyFitnessPal, NO.

But, pretend you don't know that. You try to consume that every day. You are hangry, miserable, and give up on Day 4 because you can't take it anymore. You decide that tracking must not be for you and say, "screw it." I maaaaaybe have been this person before. 🙋‍♀️

But what if you had a way to figure out your calories that didn't make you miserable?

HERE'S HOW TO DO IT RIGHT:

Step 1: Track what you’re actually eating

I suggest Cronometer for accurate tracking. Their barcode scanner in the free version makes logging effortless and all entries are verified.

Step 2: Track your body weight daily

Weigh yourself each morning, before eating or drinking, after using the bathroom. I recommend the Happy Scale app. It smooths daily fluctuations to show accurate trends.

Step 3: Calculate weekly averages

• Calories: Add up all calories consumed over 7 days and divide by 7.

• Weight: Add up all daily weights and divide by 7.

Step 4: Look at trends

Let’s look at an example with Amy:

Week:	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Average:
Week 1	1,972; 176	2,435; 177	2,045; 174.5	1.870; 176.4	2,764; 176.7	2,322; 175.1	2,002; 174.9	2,201; 175.8
Week 2	2,342; 176.3	2,124; 174.5	2,054; 173.9	2,254; 174.2	2,435; 175.1	2,324; 175.7	2,151; 173.2	2,240; 174.7
Week 3	2,265; 173.9	2,098; 174	2,412; 174.2	2,045; 174.7	2,521; 173.9	2,231; 174	2,354; 174.1	2,275; 174.1

Even though Amy’s average calories were around 2,200–2,275, her weight was trending down. This shows she was in a calorie deficit even while eating over 2,200 calories!

This is why knowing your own body’s maintenance calories is so important. Calculators and planners (yes, I have a macro planner 😉 and it is why I offer calorie and macro ranges) are helpful starting points, but observing your actual data lets you fine-tune perfectly.

• If weight trends up, you’re likely in a surplus.

• If weight trends flat (hovering daily within ~0.5–1.5 lbs), you’re at maintenance.

• If weight trends down, you’re in a deficit and you can adjust depending on your goals.

For Amy, if her goal is fat loss, she could continue around 2,200 calories or adjust slightly lower.

PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE...

...If Amy had followed MyFitnessPal’s recommendation of 1,200 calories, while her actual maintenance was likely around 2,400–2,600, how long do you think she would have lasted on that kind of steep deficit? 😰

How long would you last?

MOVING FORWARD

If you plan to track calories or macros, start by understanding how you’re actually eating and don't make too many changes at once. That is how overwhelm happens.

Tracking isn’t just about logging numbers. It’s about learning your habits:

• What’s your maintenance calorie range?

• Where are the gaps in your macros?

• Do you need more protein or fiber? Maybe more protein at breakfast?

..and don't forget... STAY OJBECTIVE!

Think of calorie tracking like a hammer. Sure, you can use any part of the hammer to hit a nail, but using it the right way makes the job easier and more effective. Tracking calories is the same. You can just log numbers, but when you use it correctly, strategically, and intentionally it becomes an effective tool to support your goals.

If you’re in need of more assistance or accountability, my 1:1 coaching is here to help. I work with clients to find their maintenance calories so they know exactly how much their body needs to maintain, lose, or gain weight without extreme restrictions or guesswork.

From there, we focus on building sustainable habits that fit your lifestyle, like balancing meals, improving protein and fiber intake, and making small tweaks that create big results.

I don’t just give numbers. I teach you how to use them. Together, we track, analyze, and adjust based on your body’s real data, so you feel confident every step of the way.

Learn More

Happy Tracking!

Allyson