Can I track macros if I have a history of disordered eating?

On Ep. 80, Nikkiey pumps the brakes on her usual push to commit to tracking. If you've had an eating disorder or disordered patterns in the past, she says those are what need nurturing, not your macro numbers. That means getting curious about how you view food and why. In her words, there's usually something deeper, an experience in your life that led to this relationship with food. Macros may be a triggering word, but she argues the approach itself isn't the root problem. The work is unpacking that history first. Then you can introduce tracking as a skill set. If that history is still active for you, bring your doctor or another qualified professional into the conversation before you start.

On Ep. 102, guest Mike Millner, a nutrition coach and host of the Mind Over Macros podcast, speaks more broadly about macros' reputation for being disordered or stressful. He calls macros a tool with no feelings attached, a way to build awareness, because awareness precedes change. He compares it to reviewing your budget when you want to save money. Nobody calls that disordered. Note the nuance: Mike is talking about tracking in general. Nikkiey is the one who draws the line for women with an eating disorder history.

Nikkiey also frames tracking as temporary. She tracked for a couple of years and now eats intuitively while keeping her results, using the skills tracking taught her. Once you're ready, she says, it takes real commitment, not tracking two days out of seven. The payoff she describes is a more realistic, sustainable relationship with food. If tracking felt wrong before, it may not have been you. It may have been the order things were done in.