Believe it or not, calories and macros are not enough.
I had to learn that the hard way.
When I first discovered macros, I thought I was given the keys to total freedom and the body I desired.
Ironically, it was right after a New Year, New You challenge that I joined and lost a significant amount of weight.
In fact, I got to my lightest weight since high school.
You may think that’s a win. Unfortunately, I was miserable. Hated the way I looked. Hated the way I felt.
Oh, and then there was that pesky little issue that popped up called orthorexia where I became obsessed with clean eating.
It threw a wrench in a number of important relationships and left me feeling empty and lost.
Then I found macros.
I thought calories and macros were THE answer.
Well, first I had gained a bunch of weight back … then I found macros.
I thought the game was over.
You remember playing old school Nintendo and you would figure out some trick to beat the game?
Low key, Bubble Bobble was the best game ever. Fight me.
Anyway, that’s how I felt when I first started tracking macros.
I could eat anything I wanted and as long as it fit my macros I just kept getting leaner.
Donuts? Pop tarts? Ice cream? Pancakes? Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
All of it.
At first, it felt like freedom.
Then, it felt like prison.
Tracking calories and macros became an obsession.
I traded one obsession for another. I traded the obsession of eating clean with the obsession of hitting macros perfectly.
I started to panic about social events. I would freak out on vacations or any situation where I couldn’t meticulously track.
And what’s worse, I was destroying my gut.
I was constantly bloated, fatigued, and inflamed.
You mean eating a bunch of crap all the time doesn’t lead to feeling your best?!
Who knew.
But the part that really stuck with me is what happened to my metabolism. And then to my gut.
Since that time, I’ve worked really hard to repair my metabolism. I ended up with hypothyroidism and a slower metabolic rate.
I spent a full year trying to eat at maintenance to build muscle.
The gut health implications lingered for a long time until recently when I finally said enough is enough.
I’m more than 30 days into my gut healing protocol which I believe was exacerbated by the stress I put on my body through chronic dieting AND the period of time that I had horrible food quality.
And therein lies the rub.
Calories and macros are NOT the answer to a long and healthy lifestyle.
Can they be used as one tool in the toolbox? Of course.
But they are not enough. They do not tell the full story.
Your body is not a calculator. Your body is an adaptive and reactive system.
I don’t care if you have the perfect macro prescription … it won’t work forever.
And if you’re not taking care of what’s going on internally, then you won’t see long term success.
Not only that, but most of what matters is the behaviors, habits, and beliefs that you carry.
Tracking macros is simply following a plan.
Changing your behaviors is what follows you through life.
And if you don’t change your identity and your beliefs about yourself .. you’ll also default back to your current belief system.
I think this is the one area that coaches need to do better.
I see way too many programs who are purely macro based.
And they do nothing to address behavior change and belief shifting.
They don’t address hormone health or gut health.
They don’t address the reasons why you self sabotage.
They just want you to follow a plan without giving you the real support in making a lasting change.
Now, coaches are not solely to blame.
You have to take responsibility too.
You have to recognize the difference between a program that treats you like a numerical equation and one that truly addresses who you are as a person.
You have to be willing to commit to the behavior change approach and be open to doing the work to shift your beliefs.
You can’t hide from developing the skills to process your emotions, to stop treating your thoughts as fact, and to stop allowing every single feeling to dictate your behaviors.
It takes work, it takes practice, and it takes patience.
You want to know why our coaching program isn’t for everyone? Look no further.
Not everyone is ready for that kind of work. Some people still believe that they should just be given marching orders and sent on their way.
Some people would rather just be a walking formula.
We go deeper. We address the behaviors and habits that will serve you forever. We support your metabolism in the most sustainable way possible. We make sure you can still enjoy your life through the process. We help you navigate the mental roadblocks and reasons for self sabotage.
You will not coast through our way of doing things. Granted, you’ll feel better than you ever have and your results will be lasting. But it takes a commitment to yourself and it looks different than what you’re used to.
If you want to keep playing the game the way you’ve always played it … we are not for you.
If you want to truly dive in and change your life in a way that you can’t even imagine …
We are here.
There’s a reason why our 1 on 1 clients average 20-30 lbs. of fat loss over our 6 month program and never have to worry about gaining the weight back. Plus, they have full confidence in knowing what makes them feel their best and what their body responds to.
