I like to put my food into a calorie tracker everyday and I know Brooke doesn’t recommend this but it gives me a great feeling of control and security. I’m worried that this need to know how many calories I eat everyday may be something that will keep me from real freedom around food.

I have a solid foundation in nutrition and understand that not all calories are the same. But I feel like it helps me stay conscious of what is going in my mouth each day. I plan my protocol in the tracker the night before.

The problem with this is that it is a bit tedious to plan (would be quicker to just write it on a piece of paper) and also that sometimes I get pleasure from eating less than 1000 calories per day and I think that it’s like playing a game with myself rather than setting up new life patterns.

I tried writing a simple protocol like Brooke’s (two meals, 4 oz protein, 10 oz vegetables, 1-2 TB fat) and followed it for three weeks but felt extremely nervous the whole time, like maybe I was eating too fatty of meat or too starchy of vegetables and this would keep me from losing weight. I did lose a pound a week but had an exception of chocolate cake on the third week and then had three pieces and then went totally off protocol for the next three months.

Like weighing everyday, I feel like putting my food in the tracker helps me to just know where I am at. I know this is ultimately my decision, of course, but I’d love to hear your insights.