Give up tracking for 2024?

[Anonymous]

I have tracked calories, macros, steps, sleep, workouts —- you name it — for YEARS.

I don’t think it’s made a difference. (Other than helping with portion control but at this point I’m a human MyFittnessPal. I’ve memorized all the food stats!)

On Strava, I don’t use the data, I don’t care about calories burned, I’m not trying to train for races anymore. It’s just one more app. I’m sick of charging my watch, and hate how it feels sleeping with it anyway.

I’m toying with the idea of putting them all away for 2024 and eating and exercising intuitively. It sounds liberating, but also scary. I think I’m addicted to tracking (and maybe Strava kudos, if I’m honest).

Has anyone else ditched the data?

[Anonymous]

I’ve had a Whoop for 3 years and it’s due to renew in February. I’m also debating giving it up and going back to basics and intuitively tracking my fitness gains, health and diet the way I used to before all these apps and devices came in to play. I’m 47 and at this point I know when I haven’t slept well, eaten well and need to take a rest day, etc. “Gamifying” fitness has never really worked well for me as a motivator. It is a little scary to give it up I think because we’re so used to wearing and tracking these things but it sounds like you’re pretty in tune to your body.

[Anonymous]

The only two pieces of tracking that work for me and is so easy is …
1. happy scale app. Just a daily number. Done.
2. On a bigger effort, making a food journal. But on the advice from someone, I make it a pre-journal. I can always scratch stuff off and change if I need. But usually I stick to what I wrote. I do 3 days at a time. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Makes me excited for the delicious days ahead.

I’m serious when I say the only time ^2 doesn’t “work” is when I don’t do it.

It always results in weight loss or maintenance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only two pieces of tracking that work for me and is so easy is …
1. happy scale app. Just a daily number. Done.
2. On a bigger effort, making a food journal. But on the advice from someone, I make it a pre-journal. I can always scratch stuff off and change if I need. But usually I stick to what I wrote. I do 3 days at a time. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Makes me excited for the delicious days ahead.

I’m serious when I say the only time ^2 doesn’t “work” is when I don’t do it.

It always results in weight loss or maintenance.

Me again. I made a template on a google doc. I adjust the dates for each day’s heading. I type in my 3 day, 3-meals-per-day plan. Lunch is always Leftovers OR and then I type in another meal idea.

I use that same exact doc every time, so there are no new files. Print it off, hang it up in kitchen.

I order or pick up the groceries for those days, if needed.

I write my morning weight at the top of each day.

If I change meals, I just cross out/pencil in what I actually ate.

[Anonymous]

I lost weight earlier this year while on vacation and eating way more than I usually do. I think it was bc I was so stress free! Ever since then, I stopped tracking calories and don’t weight myself anymore, even at the doctors. I eat intuitively as I’ve done the tracking thing for so long. So far so good, I don’t feel like I’ve gained any significant weight, my clothes are fitting well and I’m still enjoying my runs (which is affected when I gain weight). In other words, I let go of the subconscious stress of tracking calories and weight and focusing on sleeping more and dealing with managing other stressors (eg work and kids).

You should give it a go. You can always go back to tracking if it doesn’t work out.

[Anonymous]

I think its good to reassess periodically, especially after 2-3 weeks of no weight loss.

Scale was stagnant for 2 weeks until I recalculated what I eat in a day. Realized the honey roasted nuts from costco that I would eat before dinner, added 1k calories for a cup worth!

[Anonymous]

Do it, OP!

I like meal planning for the day, but not tracking in an app or any kind of journaling. I got one of those daily planner tear-off pads and I write in my plan for the day.

I track protein and water, but not all the time - just when things feel off and I need to reset.

[Anonymous]

I did this in 2023. Read Intuitive Eating and stopped any kind of food/calorie tracking. My weight stayed constant through the year. Most years I gain, so this was great! I just ate when hungry and stopped when full. I found that I ate bigger meals at breakfast and lunch and zero snacks. And usually eat less at dinner. Previously I was eating small meals, snacking, then having a big dinner and more snacks as I micromanaged my food intake and was never satisfied.

I do like heart rate tracking/active zone mins tracking though, so I wear a watch for that. The only stat I track is whether I am getting 150 mins active time per week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have tracked calories, macros, steps, sleep, workouts —- you name it — for YEARS.

I don’t think it’s made a difference. (Other than helping with portion control but at this point I’m a human MyFittnessPal. I’ve memorized all the food stats!)

On Strava, I don’t use the data, I don’t care about calories burned, I’m not trying to train for races anymore. It’s just one more app. I’m sick of charging my watch, and hate how it feels sleeping with it anyway.

I’m toying with the idea of putting them all away for 2024 and eating and exercising intuitively. It sounds liberating, but also scary. I think I’m addicted to tracking (and maybe Strava kudos, if I’m honest).

Has anyone else ditched the data?

No, however your tracking seems excessive so I get it. Also I think age and gender matters here. I'm 58F, postmenopausal (obviously). Because of where I am in life it's critical FOR ME that I track my workouts as I'm trying to maintain muscle, and I casually track my protein intake. By that I mean that I don't weight and measure, I just eyeball it. I don't count calories, that said I have always been an intuitive eater. I stop when I'm not quite "full", I hate that full feeling. Because I eat a fairly balanced diet I rarely have cravings or find the need to snack. Good on you OP for striving to eat intuitively it is quite liberating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have tracked calories, macros, steps, sleep, workouts —- you name it — for YEARS.

I don’t think it’s made a difference. (Other than helping with portion control but at this point I’m a human MyFittnessPal. I’ve memorized all the food stats!)

On Strava, I don’t use the data, I don’t care about calories burned, I’m not trying to train for races anymore. It’s just one more app. I’m sick of charging my watch, and hate how it feels sleeping with it anyway.

I’m toying with the idea of putting them all away for 2024 and eating and exercising intuitively. It sounds liberating, but also scary. I think I’m addicted to tracking (and maybe Strava kudos, if I’m honest).

Has anyone else ditched the data?

No, however your tracking seems excessive so I get it. Also I think age and gender matters here. I'm 58F, postmenopausal (obviously). Because of where I am in life it's critical FOR ME that I track my workouts as I'm trying to maintain muscle, and I casually track my protein intake. By that I mean that I don't weight and measure, I just eyeball it. I don't count calories, that said I have always been an intuitive eater. I stop when I'm not quite "full", I hate that full feeling. Because I eat a fairly balanced diet I rarely have cravings or find the need to snack. Good on you OP for striving to eat intuitively it is quite liberating.

Same with me (49F). I need a loose set of criteria to track because many of things I need to do - walk, eat protein, etc - do not come naturally to me.