Food Tracking: Pros, Cons & How to Work Out Your Daily Calorie Needs

⭐ The Advantages of Food Tracking

1. Awareness is power
Most of us underestimate how much we eat. By logging your food, you suddenly see your calorie intake, your portion sizes, and those sneaky snacks that add up.

2. Helps with weight management
Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance, knowing your numbers keeps you in control. It’s like having a financial budget — but for your body.

3. Improves nutrition quality
Tracking doesn’t just reveal calories; it shows you where they’re coming from. Too many ultra-processed foods? Not enough protein? Tracking highlights the gaps.

4. Builds better habits
Logging meals makes you more mindful. Over time, this awareness can naturally lead to better choices — without needing to track forever.

⚠️ The Disadvantages of Food Tracking

1. Time and effort
Let’s be honest: scanning barcodes and weighing food can get tedious. Not everyone wants to spend their evening logging a baked potato.

2. Can feel obsessive
For some people, tracking every bite creates stress or guilt. If it starts feeling like punishment, it may not be the right tool for you.

3. Doesn’t always account for everything
Restaurant meals, grandma’s cooking, or “just a bite” of cake aren’t always easy to log — and mistakes can add up.

4. Not a long-term lifestyle
Most people won’t track food forever. The goal is to use it as a learning phase to improve awareness, not a lifelong commitment.

🎯 How to Work Out Your Daily Calorie Target

Here’s the fun part: how do you know how much you should be eating each day?

1. Find your calorie needs – Your body burns calories through daily activity and exercise. The number you need depends on your age, weight, height, activity level, and goals.

2. Use a calculator – Instead of guessing, use a free, reliable calculator to get a personalised number. If you are on a weight loss journey, I  A great one is the TDEE BMI & calorie calculator here. 

3. Adjust for your goals:

   • Weight loss → Aim for a calorie deficit of around 300–500 calories below your maintenance level.

   • Muscle/strength gain → Add 200–400 calories above maintenance (focusing on protein and strength training).

   • Maintenance → Stick close to the calculator’s daily target.

4. Track and review – No calculator is perfect. Use it as a starting point, then monitor your progress. If your weight, energy, and strength are moving in the right direction — you’ve nailed it.

✅ Final Thoughts

Food tracking isn’t for everyone, but it can be a game-changing tool when used the right way. Think of it as training wheels for nutrition: it helps you balance, learn, and move forward until healthier habits become second nature.

If you try it, set yourself a short challenge — maybe track for two weeks — and see what you discover about your eating habits. Even if you stop after that, the lessons you learn will stay with you long-term.

Remember, food tracking is a tool, not a rule. The real goal is finding a way of eating that fuels your workouts, supports your goals, and keeps you feeling strong and healthy. 💪