## Chapter 8 — Tracking Food, Calories & Macros > ### "_Fuel Awareness Without the Overwhelm_" You’ve got your goals. You’ve started journaling. You’ve shown up for yourself with Me Time. Now it’s time to start tracking your **fuel** — The calories and macros that power the body you’re rebuilding. --- > [!quote] > This isn’t about punishment. > This is about **intel.** > > You’re gathering data to stop running blind. --- ## 📆 The 30-Day Rule: **Just Log It** Seriously. That’s the only rule for now: **Log what you eat. Don’t change it (yet).** You’ll learn more from tracking your normal habits than you will from trying to force a perfect diet from day one. --- ### 📲 How to Start - Download a tracker app (like **MyFitnessPal** or **Chronometer**) - Enter your info _truthfully_ (yes, even if it hurts to click “sedentary”) - Log **everything** — that teaspoon of butter, splash of juice, handful of chips > This month is about awareness, not aesthetics. You're not dieting yet. You’re **observing without judgment**. --- ## 💰 Calories Are Currency Here’s a painful truth: Most people are eating way more than they think. And when they don’t track it, they lie to themselves. > _“It’s weird, I don’t even eat that much…”_ Nah. You forgot the 800-calorie cookie incident in the pantry at 11:47 PM. If you’re not tracking, your brain will **gaslight you** into thinking you’re crushing it. Logging gives you **receipts**. And receipts build awareness. --- ## 🤷‍♂️ What About the “You Don’t Need to Track” Crowd? Sure, some people say tracking isn’t necessary. Cool. Let them cook. But **you’re not most people**. You’re rebuilding with **self-accountability and clear data**. Until you’ve tracked consistently, you don’t really know what you’re working with. This isn’t obsessive. This is **self-respect through data**. --- ## ⚙️ Macros: The Cliff Notes Here’s all you need to understand right now: - **Protein** & **fats** = crucial for recovery, muscle, and hormone function - **Carbs** = fuel — especially useful **after training** - Trying to gain muscle? Keep carbs in. - Trying to lose fat? Keep carbs controlled. It’s that simple for now. We’ll get more specific later. --- ## 🧠 Main Takeaways - **Tracking creates awareness** - You’ll discover where you’re overshooting - You’ll collect historical data that’s _gold_ later - You **can’t fix** what you **don’t track** This habit is **non-negotiable** if you want lasting results. --- > [!tip] > Awareness > Willpower > > Once you _see_ what’s happening, change becomes automatic. --- ### 🔗 Continue the Journey 📘 **[[08 WTF is a Macro|Next: Remove Friction & Train on Easy Mode →]]** 🔗 _[[Download The Vault|Vault Companion Download]] 🔁 _[[00 The Order of Things|Back to Series Overview]]