The Absolute Basics of Tracking Your Nutrition

Nutrition is the simplest, most difficult thing to understand and master. It gets overcomplicated because everyone’s chasing the next best thing—whether it’s a new diet, a new drug, or some shiny shortcut.

But despite all this noise, we’re living in the most unhealthy society to date. And honestly? That’s not your fault. Nobody teaches us the basics. A few people figure it out and find success. Some share real info, but most are just selling flashy ideas that don’t care about your long-term health.

What I want to do with this post is simplify nutrition the best I can—based on my experience over the years and what I know to be true.

For the record, I’ve worked with a nutrition coach for 3 years now. Even with everything I know, they’re still an asset. Why? Because we’re always changing as humans. There’s always more to learn. And I trust that they have my best interest in mind.

Let’s Start With the Truth:

Weight loss or gain is a math equation.
If you eat less than your body needs, you’ll lose weight.
If you eat more, you’ll gain.
It’s really that simple.

But here’s where most people go wrong:

You need consistency to solve the equation.
You can’t “kind of” track and expect to see progress. The numbers need to be accurate to reflect how your body reacts.

How It Works (Simplified):

Let’s say (hypothetically) you think your body needs somewhere between 2,000–2,300 calories per day to maintain its weight.
This number comes from your BMR (the calories your body needs just to survive—breathing, heartbeat, etc.) plus activity.

So what do you do?
You pick a number and stick with it for a couple of weeks. Track your weight. Look at trends.

• If your weight trends up, you're in a surplus.
• If it trends down, you’re in a deficit.
• If it stays the same, you’re at maintenance.

This is the experiment.
Everyone is different, so you have to test and adjust. That’s the game.

And no, just starving yourself doesn’t work. That’s not sustainable, and it’s definitely not going to help you feel strong, healthy, or capable. We want to be badass and do cool shit, not feel depleted and weak.

Where Most People Fail:

They kind of track.
They sometimes weigh things.
They guess too much.

And then they say “this isn’t working.”
But the truth is, you haven’t done the experiment properly.

How to Track (Simply):

I use an app—MyFitnessPal or MacrosFirst—and a $10 food scale from Amazon. That’s it.
I measure everything in grams or ounces. It keeps things simple and objective.

Let’s Briefly Talk Macros:

We’ll go deeper in another post, but here’s the basics:

• Protein: Builds muscle, keeps you full. You need it. Aim for 1g per pound of body weight.
• Carbs: Not the enemy. They give you energy and fuel your brain.
• Fats: Do not make you fat. They’re just more calorie dense (9 calories per gram vs. 4 for carbs and protein). They help with recovery, hormones, and heart health.

Calories = whether your weight goes up or down
Macros = how your body looks and performs

Think of it like this:
Calories are the foundation. Macros are the details.

My Top Tips for Getting Started:

1. Shrink your menu (at first)
   Not your calories—your food variety. Eat repeatable meals so it’s easier to track consistently. If you love tacos, eat tacos consistently. Makes it simple to log.
2. Pick a calorie number and stay there
   Don’t bounce around. We’re looking for trends, not daily fluctuations (which can easily swing 5 lbs either way).
3. Track weekly weight averages, not daily numbers
   Your daily weight doesn’t mean much. The average over time tells the truth.
4. Don’t expect perfection. Expect progress.
   It won’t work perfectly right away. That’s normal. Nutrition is a learning process, not a magic fix. Stay in it.
5. There are no “bad” foods
   Some foods are more nutritious than others, sure. But if you hate what you’re eating, you won’t stick with it. Enjoy your food. That’s key to long-term success.

Final Thoughts:

If you feel stuck, reach out. Ask your coaches. I love talking about this stuff, and so does the rest of the team at CFA. We're here to help you figure it out.

Hope this helped—see you on the next topic.

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