Is tracking your food intake as accurate as you think?
Probably not, and here’s some potential reasons as to why…
Under/Over Reporting:
We are all human, sometimes we miss things out or overestimate what we’ve eaten. This is even true for highly knowledgeable and skilled people. There’s research that suggests even dietitians can be way off the mark.
Food Labels:
A label is an estimation of what the portion size contains. It’s not exact!
Competency:
If you’re relatively inexperienced at tracking, it can be quite easy to incorrectly input data into an app. For example, if you simply click the first option that comes up or don’t change the serving.
Errors:
Even when you think you’ve correctly tracked the food, there can be errors on the app itself. Like if you scan a barcode and it comes up with something else. App’s are often open to the public to contribute to, so the content is sometimes user generated, again allowing further opportunity for errors.
Ingestion vs Absorption:
There’s a difference between the food you consume vs what your body actually utilises.
Calibration:
The precision and accuracy of kitchen scales vary.
Cooking:
Have you accounted for the effects of cooking? Protein will weigh less, whereas carbohydrate will weigh more.
Inconsistency:
Tracking is something you need to do habitually in order to get the most from it. If you track things sporadically, this again increases the likelihood of inaccuracy.
It’s important to note, we all do these things knowingly and unknowingly. Don’t beat yourself up about it!
So, in summary, it’s not very accurate at all.
But does that mean you shouldn’t bother?
Not at all! It’s likely the most accurate inaccurate thing you can do, and therefore the most efficient way of achieving the results you’re after.
Is it for everyone, no. But is anything?
All you need to do is get good at it to minimise these inaccuracies, and just like anything else, that takes practice.
When you work with a Pioneer Performance Coach we don’t put you through a single process. You are unique & your goal is unique, so your process should be unique.
One of the reasons our clients are so consistently successful is because we use our expertise to tailor each aspect of their journey.
This attention to detail leaves less margin for error, faster results and the positive experience you are looking for.
