Are you the type of person that meticulously tracks calories until you’re left deciphering the contents of General Tso’s chicken only to say “screw it?” For many, there’s a fine line between obsession to detail and not caring. Here’s why extreme detail might not be necessary.
Picture: Janine/Flickr
First of all not everyone requires the same level of detail when it comes to their diet and exercise program. According to nutritionist and author Lyle McDonald:
How detail oriented you need or have to be depends on a lot of factors. One of these is where you’re starting out. Someone going from 30% bodyfat to 25% bodyfat or just trying to lose a few pounds won’t have to pay nearly the attention to the details as the individual trying to get from 10% bodyfat to 5% bodyfat with no muscle loss.
Most people reading this will be fine with tracking detail when you can, while learning to estimate portions when you can’t. Black-and-white thinking is what leads to the never-ending diet rollercoaster.
When you can’t be super meticulous, it’s important to know that you don’t have to throw in the towel. We recommend that you buy a kitchen scale and measuring cups for tracking at home when you can, then eyeball the closest match on your favourite tracker (like MyFitnessPal) when this isn’t possible.
For more details on finding the balance between eyeballing and obsession, as well as why you shouldn’t mess with something if it’s working, check out the full article below.
How Detail Oriented Do You Need to Be [BodyRecomposition.com]
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