In 2018, I started with Stronger U for one reason: I desperately wanted to lose weight. I had no idea what it meant to track my food, and when I started reading about food scales, cooked versus raw weights, making recipes, and what it meant to eat a meal away from home, I was instantly overwhelmed. No way could I do this, right?
Definitely wrong.
Weighing my food during my weight loss phase (and now even in maintenance) has taught me more than I could’ve ever imagined. Without weighing my food for a period of time, weight loss would’ve been a heck of a lot more difficult, I’m sure of that. I’m also certain that I wouldn’t have the knowledge I have now to confidently maintain that weight loss not just for a little while, but forever. And what’s extra cool is that I get to use that knowledge to help other people do the same thing.
As a coach, I never expect anyone to weigh and track their food forever. That’s not something I want to do myself, and while some people may enjoy that level of accuracy in their intake, it’s not for me (or most of my members) forever. However, it is a tool I can return to when I need a reality check.
To step away from tracking and food weighing, you’ve got to give it some time and attention up front. It may feel like a big task but treat it as you treat anything new you learn. Dive in, let yourself make mistakes, ask questions, and pay attention. If you do, I can promise you that you’ll come out the other side armed with the knowledge you need to build a balanced day and a balanced life with food.
What did I learn?
I learned that I was eating a LOT more calories than I could’ve imagined. I didn’t feel like I was overeating, but those calories were sneaking up on me. My typical day—“just a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a handful of nuts with some cheese and crackers for lunch, a salad for dinner, and an apple with peanut butter as a snack”—was actually packing in thousands of calories. And that was before accounting for the alcohol!
Tracking opened my eyes to the real reason I couldn’t lose weight. It wasn’t hormones or something else that made me a special case for continuing to gain weight. I was eating too much, plain and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t love this realization, but I had to look at it, accept it, and deal with it. Understanding why I’d gotten to the place I was in was empowering. Understanding allows for adjustments to be made. We’ve all heard that knowledge is power, right? I absolutely believe that to be true.
Weighing my food showed me what real portion sizes looked like. It empowered me to take ownership of my actions, to take accountability for the way I felt and the progress I was (or was not) seeing. It taught me what my food brings to the table (literally) and where I was coming up short (with protein, like most people). I’m also pretty good at estimating my intake when we go out to eat and that’s all because of the time spent practicing at home.
Food is fuel, sure, but food is also culture. It’s social and a big part of the way we connect with others. Weighing and tracking my food didn’t take any of that away. In fact, I believe it strengthened my ability to enjoy when it really matters to me without guilt or shame. Now I know how to balance it out because I have the knowledge I was missing.
Weighing my food and putting it into my tracker before I ate allowed me to build a balanced day. It taught me how to build meals that not only helped me meet my goals, but I could do it in a way that helped me feel better. I could focus on foods that helped me feel fuller for longer and understanding portion sizes allowed me to focus on slowing down and paying attention to my food.
Now that I’ve weighed my food on and off for years, I understand what foods support my goals even as they shift. I know what foods help me feel more satisfied. I know what foods are more challenging for me to control. I understand what I eat (and how much!) affects my energy level, my sleep, my workouts, and my life! Weighing my food is definitely not something I do every day, but it’s a great tool for learning and something I come back to when I need to get honest with myself.
If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about where to start, you don’t have to figure it out alone. That’s the beauty of Stronger U. With personalized support, practical tools, and a coach by your side, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to reach your goals and maintain them for life. Ready to take the first step? Schedule a free membership consultation today and see how Stronger U can help you transform your relationship with food and find balance that lasts.
