Calorie counting and macronutrient tracking are common methods for managing caloric intake. Unfortunately, these methods can be tedious, as they require clients to weigh, measure and track every food and beverage they consume, which can be challenging. Some of your clients, especially those new to making nutrition changes, may struggle with understanding portion sizes or simply don’t have the time to weigh and measure everything they eat. Add in other factors such as cooking for a family, frequently eating out or traveling, and tracking intake can start to feel particularly burdensome. When tracking starts to feel like a barrier, it’s a signal to coach the behavior, not the math.

Even clients who are diligent about tracking can wind up with numbers that don’t match reality. As it turns out, not only are calorie counting and macro tracking difficult to stick to for a long period of time, research shows these methods aren’t particularly accurate. Self-reported caloric intake data is frequently underreported by as much as 30%, including by those individuals who are weighing and tracking foods. More recent research continues to show that self-reported dietary assessment (recalls, records and food-frequency questionnaires) is prone to systematic misreporting—even among motivated participants—and that newer approaches (e.g., technology-assisted tools and objective biomarkers) may help reduce (but not eliminate) these limitations.

That’s not to say these methods are completely without merit. Used strategically, tracking can be a short-term teaching tool—especially when a client likes data and has no red flags for disordered eating. Below, you’ll find helpful guidelines for recognizing when calorie or macro counting may be helpful, as well as recommendations for who might be better off using an alternative method. When tracking isn’t the best fit, the four coaching upgrades that follow can help clients improve diet quality without turning nutrition into a second job. Even when tracking works well for a client, it helps to present calorie and macro targets as a range rather than an exact number. After all, database entries can vary, restaurant counts are estimates, and real-world portions and prep change from day to day.

For some clients, tracking can build awareness and precision, particularly for those already accustomed to self-monitoring and athletes or fitness competitors who require a high level of dietary precision or manipulation of calories or macronutrients. It’s also the most precise way to track intake when clients weigh and measure foods; “eyeballing” or guessing portion sizes increases the margin of error. For clients who enjoy data but don’t want to track indefinitely, a practical middle ground is periodic tracking: a three- to seven-day “audit” every few months (or a few times per year), paired with a focus on diet quality and routine the rest of the time. Even short audits can help clients learn portion and serving-size awareness and recognize differences in caloric density between foods such as fruits and vegetables and highly processed foods or snacks.

For some clients, tracking can do more harm than good. Anyone with a history of an eating disorder or disordered eating practices should refrain from counting calories unless under advisement from a medical professional (e.g., registered dietitian nutritionist or therapist). Recent research has shown that calorie tracking in combination with daily self-weighing is predictive of disordered eating behaviors. For this reason, calorie counting should not be used for clients who may be prone to disordered eating or who are highly weight focused. More recent systematic reviews also suggest diet/fitness app use can be associated with disordered eating symptoms and body image concerns in some populations. However, much of the evidence is cross-sectional (a one-time snapshot), so it can’t show whether app use causes these outcomes. Coaches should therefore screen carefully and tailor recommendations to the individual.

Given the margin of error in calorie counting, as well as the fact that clients may not have the time or desire to track caloric intake for long periods of time, alternative methods for improving nutrition habits may be required. What follows is a review of four methods you can offer your clients to help them improve the quality of their diets without having to count calories or macros. Clients may find these strategies easier to implement, which may be beneficial in helping make long-term habit changes. 

1. Focus on nutrient-dense and satiating foods. 

If you do just one thing with clients who are done counting, start here: build meals around protein, fiber and minimally processed foods. High-protein foods such as lean meats, Greek yogurt and eggs, and high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans are generally more satiating as well as minimally processed. For example, a 2019 study found that individuals who consumed an ultra-processed diet ate an average of 500 excess calories per day compared to those who ate an unprocessed diet. By prioritizing protein, fiber and minimally processed foods at every meal, clients will begin to notice increased satiety, especially if they were previously accustomed to eating an ultra-processed diet. Feeling more satisfied after eating a meal may help reduce the temptation to overindulge.

Since that 2019 inpatient trial, larger evidence syntheses have continued to report associations between higher ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and various adverse health outcomes. At the same time, experts continue to debate aspects of UPF classification and how confidently we can infer causality from observational UPF research, so it’s often most helpful to translate this into practical coaching language: “Shift the balance toward minimally processed, fiber- and protein-rich foods most of the time.”

Applied coaching: While clients who are starting with a highly processed diet could see a great improvement by eating more nutrient-dense foods, they may find it challenging to make changes for a variety of reasons. These may include not knowing how to cook or shop for healthy foods, regularly consuming fast food, or having family members or peers who don’t accept or support their efforts. To keep momentum, start with the easiest “add” each client is willing to make—then build from there.

To help clients move toward a diet filled with more nutrient-dense foods, help them to identify the foods they enjoy eating and would be willing to include with their meals. Ask clients to make lists of all the fruits and vegetables they like (noting what is in season/available in their geographic area). You can also help them identify appropriate protein sources and how to cook them, as well as review simple recipes or meal prep techniques.

Another way to ease into eating more nutrient-dense foods may be to pair more processed food with a fruit, vegetable or protein. For example, if a client is accustomed to eating sugary cereal every morning, they may be willing to have a banana or boiled egg on the side to increase the protein/fiber intake for the meal. Alternatively, if the client is unwilling to change a less-than-healthy breakfast habit, they may be willing to start by having a healthy lunch or afternoon snack. Beginning one meal at a time, or prioritizing a fruit at each meal, for example, can be a simple way to ease into incorporating more nutrient-dense foods into the diet. Utilize motivational interviewing skills to determine which meal or snack the client would be interested in starting with first, rather than assigning a meal plan or goal. As clients feel more satisfied after meals, it often becomes easier to dial in portions—without the feeling of restriction.

2. Focus on smaller portion sizes. 

Portion size is one of the fastest ways to reduce energy intake without asking clients to track. A 2020 study on energy intake found that eating smaller portions of main-meal foods “resulted in significant decreases in daily energy intake.” More recent systematic reviews and evidence syntheses also support portion-size reduction as an effective lever to reduce daily energy intake.

Applied coaching: An easy way to help clients better understand portions and reduce caloric intake is to encourage them to aim for hand- or palm-sized amounts to visually determine appropriate portion sizes. To keep it simple in the moment, use the client’s hand as the guide. Typical hand portions for adults are as follows:

• Protein: a palm-sized serving (approximately 3 oz or 20 to 30 g protein)
• Grain or starchy carbohydrate: a cupped hand-sized portion, or about 1/2 cup cooked (20 to 30 g carbohydrate)
• Fruits and vegetables: a fist, or about a 1-cup serving
• Fats: about the size of a thumb (7 to 12 g fat, depending on the fat source)

If you're an ACE Certified Professional, be sure to check out the bonus tool bar at the top of this page. We've created a simple, client-ready handout on estimating portion sizes that makes it easy to identify appropriate serving sizes of a wide range of foods.

Hand-size methods are intentionally approximate, so be sure to remind clients that hand size varies by person and that this method is meant to reduce decision fatigue—not create a new “perfect” rule set. While there is obviously still a margin of error due to “eyeballing” portions, it can take the stress out of needing to weigh or measure food and help clients understand how much to put on the plate. Because hand measurements require less work than typical calorie or macro counting, clients may find it easier to stick to this method for the long term. To reinforce that point, remind them that this is a coaching tool, not a test.

If “servings per food group” feels too abstract, skip the counting and start with a plate-based visual—then adjust based on hunger/fullness, performance and progress. Depending on individual calorie needs, most people should consume four to eight servings from each food group per day, which could be broken down into larger meals or smaller meals with snacks. Have clients take photos of a plate with their portioned food as a way to provide accountability. Starting with one meal per day based on hand portions may be beneficial in building self-efficacy with this practice. Once a client can do this consistently for one meal a day, you can build on that awareness with simple self-monitoring to spot patterns.

3. Practice self-monitoring using a food journal or meal planner. 

Done well, self-monitoring supports awareness without turning food into a math problem. There are several ways to use a food journal, such as planning a day or week ahead of time or utilizing the journal like a diary at the end of the day (or after each meal/snack). Tracking meals throughout the day or at the end of the day can help clients notice patterns in their own nutrition or notice where they may have room for improvement. For example, when recording the day’s intake, a client may notice she always reaches for sweets after lunch; this, in turn, may encourage her to make different choices moving forward or to choose chocolate only a few times per week rather than every day. Likewise, planning meals ahead of time can take the stress or guesswork out of “choosing” a meal or snack on the spot because the decision has already been made. To reduce the risk of perfectionism (especially for weight-focused clients), consider using “pattern journaling” prompts (e.g., hunger level before and after eating, mood/stress levels, sleep quality, protein/produce intake) instead of, or in addition to, detailed numbers.

Applied coaching: The best self-monitoring method is the one your client will actually use, so keep it simple and flexible. Daily monitoring can be recorded in a variety of ways, including pen and paper, with an app, by taking photos, or by utilizing an electronic note or document to record meals and snacks. It may also be helpful to encourage clients to note how they feel after specific meals or if there were any emotions related to the foods they were choosing in an effort to self-identify any emotional eating that may occur. If a client uses apps, be sure to talk about “guardrails” to ensure the apps are providing support rather than increasing anxiety. For example, daily weigh-ins and rigid calorie targets should be avoided if they trigger anxiety, guilt or compulsive behaviors.

4. Use intuitive or mindful eating practices.

Once clients have a basic foundation of diet quality and portions, mindful eating skills can help them self-regulate without relying on rigid rules. These techniques may help clients learn to self-regulate their intake and avoid the need to rely on “rules” or restrictions for eating, which can make adherence and improvement greater in the long run. It’s important to note that intuitive eating practices can be harder to apply when consuming a diet that consists primarily of highly processed foods, as these foods are not satiating.

A more nuanced framing is that mindful/intuitive eating can be harder to apply when a client’s baseline diet is dominated by ultra-processed, highly palatable foods—so pairing mindful eating skills with gradual diet-quality improvements may work best. Recent systematic review evidence suggests mindfulness-based interventions can improve several “obesogenic” eating behaviors for many people. In practice, that often means pairing mindful eating skills with simple, concrete food and portion upgrades.

Applied coaching: Here are a few strategies to offer your clients to help them begin to eat intuitively. Urge them to start by practicing these skills with one meal a day.

• Eat slowly. Most busy people have a habit of eating quickly. Slowing down makes it easier to notice fullness cues. Encourage clients to set the pace by putting the utensil down between bites or taking a sip of water mid-meal.
• Next, stop when satisfied or around 80% full. Many people have a habit of eating until they are full or “stuffed,” meaning they have probably consumed more than their bodies needed. Additionally, increasing fiber intake can help with satiety. If clients struggle with “80% full,” urge them to use a simpler cue: Pause mid-meal for 30 to 60 seconds and ask, “How would I feel if I stopped here?” They can then decide if they want to continue eating.
• Finally, turn off distractions. Snacking or having meals while multitasking or watching television, working on a computer, or scrolling the phone or tablet can make it easy to overeat and not feel satisfied when the food is gone. Turning off distractions can help clients be more mindful and more easily notice when they are feeling satisfied, which is much harder to gauge when eating while watching a screen.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here, and that’s good news for coaches. Remember, some methods may work better than others depending on your client’s personality type, how new they are to understanding nutritional principles, as well as the social support (or lack thereof) they receive from friends or family. Some clients may even prefer monitoring the data of calorie or macro tracking. As coaches, it’s your job to help figure out the best method for the client’s lifestyle and personality, rather than recommend the same method to each person. Some individual factors to consider include the amount of time the client has to dedicate to planning or tracking meals, prior experience with making nutritional changes and control/perceived control over food intake (e.g., frequent dining out or travel).

Before recommending any form of tracking, it may be helpful to use a screening tool for disordered eating history and rigidity/perfectionism tendencies. The purpose of these questions is to uncover the presence of current or past disordered eating, as well as rigidity/perfectionism tendencies to better determine if tracking is likely to improve insight or increase anxiety or shame in your client.

Frame the process as an experiment, not a pass/fail test. Finally, encourage clients to look at their nutritional changes as an opportunity for improvement rather than an exact science with an expected outcome or guarantee. In contrast to a rigid set-in-stone approach, taking a collaborative, curiosity-driven and investigative approach can make behavior change easier to navigate and result in better client outcomes in the long run.