Tracking meals & keto macros is part of our keto mini challenge this week, so I thought it would be helpful to give you a live example.
The Benefits of Tracking Keto Macros
In addition to staying around or below 20 net/total carbs per day, tracking your meals & macros allows you to easily identify any potential culprits that could be affecting your weight loss or causing certain symptoms.
I use the MyFitnessPal app (the free version) and this is how I have it set up to track net carbs. The net carbs column only shows up online (not on the mobile app), so on mobile I just subtract fiber from total carbs to get my โnet carbsโ number.
It also has areas to log your weight, track how much water youโre drinking, log your exercise โ and it even syncs with Fitbit and other services to give you a bigger picture of your overall progress.
Macro Tracking is incredibly helpful for identifying โproblem foodsโ and culprits, but the biggest benefit for me personally is mindful eating and making more mindful food choices. Especially when I log before I make/order the meal. ๐
It definitely helps me (a lot!) to track as I go, and before I eat (meaning: before I make or order a meal even!) so I can be accountable to ending the day on point.
Some people prefer the Carbmanager app. Iโve heard good things about that one too.
Live Example: Tracking Keto Macros
I had a beautiful keto breakfast meal for lunch on Saturday, with a lot of fun variety. ๐ณ๐ฅ๐๐ฅโ I ordered 3 fried eggs over medium, half an avocado, 2 orders of bacon and a bowl of berries (strawberries & blueberries only, please). ๐ Delicious!
Simple whole foods, very low carb, lots of color & flavor variety and good nutrients to fuel my day. ๐
I donโt normally eat a big breakfast like that, but this was actually a late lunch around 1:30pm and my first meal of the day. And it was delicious!
I ordered a la carte from the options down the middle of the menu at the Cumberland Biscuit Company โ a great little local restaurant downtown where I met a friend.
This meal logged as 619 calories, 7 net carbs, 15 total carbs, 72% fat and 35 grams of protein. ๐
I donโt normally eat 1/4 cup of blueberries. I enjoy those more in moderation, usually half that amount at most. But this being my first big meal of the day as a late lunch, it fit in to my day just fine.
Hereโs how I logged this meal in MyFitnessPal:
See โketo macros made easyโ โ youโll see how I get net carbs in the free version of MFP on that page too. โ
I hope that proves helpful.
As you can see, with restaurant meals, even big salads with a variety of foods on one plate, I log each food individually (instead of trying to โlog a mealโ).
With restaurant orders, if they donโt publish nutrition facts, or if I modify my order from the menu, I use my โbest guessโ on the amounts of each food portion.
Iโve gotten good at eyeballing portion sizes from weighing/measuring foods at home. ๐
I use a small, convenient Ozeri Kitchen Scale, which is super helpful for macro tracking!
During this mini-challenge weโre keeping it SUPER SIMPLE and just focusing on staying committed to 20 net or total carbs per day โ period.
But a BIG question a lot of people have is whether you should limit protein, or whether too much protein can be a bad thing (the answer is: no).
See: How Much Protein Should You Eat?
That post ^ also includes 5 Keto Food Diary Examples with LCHF Macros so you can see even more of my live examples of keto meal tracking in MyFitnessPal.
Do you track your meals & macronutrients, and if so: which app do you use? ๐
If you have any questions about keto macro tracking, leave a comment & let me know!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. If you arenโt already a part of our Low Carb Challenge Facebook Group, youโll find the link on this page: http://www.90DayLowCarbChallenge.com (but you donโt have to commit to 90 days for these FUN year-end mini challenges!) ๐
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
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Lynn, this is my dilemma. I had surgery Thursday 10/31. My surgeon wants me to drink 1-3 protein shakes a day to help with healing. I am struggling with balancing my macros from 1 protein shake, so I donโt want to think about adding 2 more. I am not able to get my fat macros to 70% after I add the shake. I did switch from Premier protein shakes to the Atkins protein shakes and have gotten closer on my macros but Iโm still not there. Any suggestions?
Hi Ronda,
Did you surgeon recommend shakes specifically for a liquid diet, or are you also able to eat solid food? Did they also give you a protein goal, a certain number of grams per day, or just say 1-3 shakes?
Protein is GREAT for healing. I would focus on that: healing & resting, and not worry so much about the fat/protein ratios until you are able to eat solid food and/or cook.
Iโm not sure the whole situation. If you can eat solid food, nut butters are a great source of both protein and fat. A nice hot mug of chicken broth might be good too โ you could add collagen protein and butter to that, to make it both richer and fatter (more satisfying) and also to add more protein.
Hey Lynn, the shakes are a part of my regular diet. I am able to eat solid foods. He didnโt give me a protein goal, just to drink 1-3 shakes with meals for 7 days post surgery. I do have some Legendary Foods & Perfect Keto nut butters as well as some ketologie bone broths. I would just hate to undo all of the progress Iโve made. Oh- I do have some pecans, walnuts, & Perfect Keto bars as well. I also prepped some low carb muffins & soups before my surgery. The soups just donโt contain a lot of fat. I want to remain as close on track as I can so that it wonโt be too hard to get back into the swing of things when Iโm able.
Ah, youโre set then! ๐ The Perfect Keto bars have collagen protein in them too, and the nut butters are great.
You wonโt undo anything at all eating higher protein, btw. Just stay around 20 net carbs max to stay in ketosis and youโll be just fine. ๐
I increased my daily protein intake by grams with good results. You can always add butter to your soup, have a pat of butter on your muffins, etc, but if you donโt meet your 70% fat goal for a few days itโs not going to cause any problems.
What is it youโre most concerned about, when it comes to possibly getting less fat than normal? That wonโt knock you out of ketosis.
Are you tracking in an app too, so you can see how your macros & ratios come out? That may reassure you. ๐
Iโm most concerned about not remaining in ketosis if Iโm not meeting my fat macros which I knew I wasnโt because Iโm still tracking in MFP. The last 4 days have been 66%-69% fat, 4%-5% carbs, & 26%-29% protein. Hopefully I will be able to cook next week! In the meantime, I will try to manage the best I can. Thank you so much for your assistance, words of wisdom, & for being my inspiration!!!
Oh no โ that wonโt knock you out of ketosis as long as you are eating super low carb. And youโre very close to 70% fat anyway, so youโre fine. ๐
No stress, just rest & recoveryโฆ youโre doing great!
p.s. The 70% fat is meant to make you feel satisfied (get full faster, stay full longer), and also give you energy.
When you limit your carbs so low, your body uses fat for energy instead of sugar/carbs. But right now you just need to rest, or at least take it easy, and youโre close enough to the usual keto macros that it wonโt make ANY difference at all. ๐
It would be different if you were eating LOW fat, but youโre not.
The fat is for energy, satiety, and eating fat also promotes fat burning (of body fat). Thatโs itโs purpose. You get and remain in ketosis by limiting carbs.
I hope that puts your mind at ease. ๐
Oh Lynn, you just donโt realize how you have put my mind at ease! I can breathe easy now & focus on healing!! Thanks again! Iโve never met you but I feel like you are a close friend who is giving me sisterly advice (keeping it real) & I love you for that!! YOU ROCK!!!!!
Your note made me smile so big. ๐ Thank you, and youโre most welcome. Wishing you a fast & full recovery!
Hi Lynn,
I was trying to put the MFP on my phone with the macros. The link you sent for the add-on for Chrome is for desktop only. Is there anyway I can track these on my Iphone or does it have to be desktop or Ipad?
Hi Kammy,
The free browser plugin to see a net carbs column only works online, not on the mobile app.
On mobile I go to the nutrition tab and you subtract fiber from total carbs to get net carbs โ so I just do the math on mobile.
Day 2..keeping it simple..!
Hi, do you have any Amazon discount codes?