The word ‘need’ defined is something that is required or a necessity. So do we need to track calories to lose body fat? No! Would we speed up the process? Probably!
I always advise clients to start tracking calories from the beginning. The reason for this is not just to give them something else to do! It encourages them to learn the ins and outs of calories and macronutrients. After a while they start to get a full understanding of what foods are in line with our goal and what foods are not.
Soon, they will be able to look at a pack of peanuts and say “wow, these are extremely high in calories – probably not the best option for a snack”. Or else if they have 20 grams of protein left to hit and only 150 calories, they use their head and say a couple of sausages probably aren’t the best option!
My goal for all clients is for them to; (1) to be able to look at a menu in a restaurant and be able to make a clever decision in line with their goals; (2) to be skilled enough to look at a meal that they’re having in a restaurant and give a good estimate at what they are looking at calories and macros wise.
I don’t expect you to track foods forever! I don’t do it anymore as I can intuitively eat. And i want the same for you.
So my advice is to start by tracking! You will speed up your fat loss process 10 fold. And with time, you’ll know when you can eat intuitively!
For anyone who does need help setting your calories and macros, I offer some personalised meal plans and online coaching starting in November! Make sure to check out the product descriptions and let me know if you have any questions or queries!