LOOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT LOGGING EVERY BITE THAT PASSES YOUR LIPS? HERE'S HOW 👇🏻

Ollie King
Aug 14
2 min read

Tracking Without Obsessing: Finding the Sweet Spot

If you’ve ever fallen into the “all or nothing” trap with tracking your food, you’re not alone.

Some weeks, my clients are absolute wizards with their logging: every meal, snack, and coffee carefully entered. Other weeks? Life happens. There’s a birthday, a BBQ, a hectic work schedule, or a weekend away…and suddenly logging falls off the radar completely.

This week alone, I had:

A client admit they “forgot to take photos of meals most days” even though the food itself was pretty good.
Another say they “dropped off a bit” with tracking because it didn’t feel like they were getting what they wanted out of it.
Someone else say they “became a bit obsessive” and worried about everything they were eating, even though their habits were already solid.

The truth? Both extremes: not tracking at all or tracking every crumb obsessively can hold you back.

Tracking is simply a feedback tool. It’s there to help you ⬇️

Why We Track in the First Place

Spot patterns (like always going low on protein at weekends)
Make informed swaps (like switching a carb-heavy lunch for something more balanced)
Keep a level of awareness without relying solely on guesswork

The goal is not to create a second job for yourself.

Signs You’re Over-Tracking

You feel guilty when you can’t log a meal perfectly
Eating out feels stressful because you “can’t track it properly”
You spend more time measuring food than actually enjoying it

If this is you, it might be time to loosen the reins a bit.

Signs You’re Under-Tracking

You “forget” to log entire meals (especially at social events)
Your results have plateaued but you’re not sure why
You can’t recall what you ate yesterday without thinking hard

If this is you, it’s not about obsessing more — it’s about getting just enough data to work with.

Here’s how I encourage my clients to strike the balance ⬇️

The Sweet Spot: Flexible Tracking

Track 80% of the time, 100% honestly
- If weekends are a blind spot, make them the focus rather than doubling down Monday–Friday.
Prioritise the big hitters
- Protein, total calories, and hydration are your main pillars. If you’re hitting those, the smaller details matter less.
Use visual reminders
- Even if you can’t log straight away, snap a quick photo of your meal to enter later.
Plan for the “untrackable”
- Eating at a restaurant? Estimate. Choose balanced options. Focus on portion control, not perfection.

Real Client Wins

One client who struggled with tea-time tracking simply switched to lighter, higher-protein dinners they could log easily.
Another decided to track just protein and calories, removing the overwhelm of tracking every micronutrient.
Someone else went from obsessively logging everything to a more relaxed approach, and their results improved because they could stick with it long term.