Step 2: All Tools Required For Tracking

Now that you have your calories and macros set up, you're going to need a couple of things.

1.Digital Food Scale

This is ESSENTIAL for your success with IIFYM and tracking macros.

Remember, macros have their own calorie per-gram make-up.

Therefore, measuring foods in terms of grams = tracking calories. Yes, you can measure in ounces/mL/etc.

And if we remember from the previous lesson, calories determine whether you lose or gain weight.

Macros determine where that weight comes from fat or muscle.

I have 2 food scales (you only need one).

It's great for measuring larger portions of foods and mixing.

It's for travel purposes or if I need a back-up.

It works fine and it's only $10.

Because they are inaccurate.

No one ever REALLY only puts 1/2 cup or 1 cup.

There is always USER ERROR with measuring cups.

Somedays, you're feeling generous with your measurements and put an extra 100 calories in your food without even knowing it.

Not only that, but there have been videos on YouTube showing how inaccurate measuring cups are.

That is why we use a digital food scale.

IT DOES NOT LIE.

You can still use measuring cups for other things (i.e., oils) and mixing, but not for actual measuring when trying to track calories and macros.

For example, you can put the measuring cup on top of the food scale and put whatever ingredient in the cup, like so:

Remember all that ugly math we went over in the previous lessons?

Ya, MyFitnessPal does all that for you, and that is why we use it.

It makes tracking macros and IIFYM effortless.

It's really helpful.

We're going to go over that in the next lesson.