What I Learned From Tracking Macros for Almost 15 Years (and How I Do It Differently Now)

Embrace Your Real

Julie Ledbetter

Health & Fitness, Fitness, Body, Mindset, Movement, Health, Acceptance, Macros, Love, Positivity, Nutrition, Loss, Weight

5 • 965 Ratings

🗓️ 3 November 2025

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today's episode is one I've been so excited to record because this is a story that's been such a big part of my own journey — and one that I know so many of you will relate to.

We're talking all about what tracking macros has actually taught me.

I'm going to share what tracking gave me, what I wish I had known sooner, and then walk you through the six phases I went through — from tracking every single thing to where I am now, which is living in a place of peace, trust, and balance.

By the end, you'll know how to stay consistent without obsession, how to use tracking as a tool instead of a rule, and how to build the kind of food freedom that lasts.

What I Discuss:

The real lessons I learned from tracking macros for nearly 15 years — beyond food, into mindset, discipline, and self-trust.
Why tracking isn't meant to control you, and how I use it now as a tool for freedom, not restriction.
The six phases I went through on my journey, from tracking every bite to living in full peace and balance with food.
How under-eating doesn't make you disciplined…it makes you depleted.
How fueling your body actually builds confidence.
The key shift that helped me move from obsession to awareness — and why real food freedom comes from knowing, not guessing.

And if you loved this one, you will also love Episode 546: How to Count Macros Without Obsessing Over Numbers

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/

Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter,
0:05.4	a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk
0:11.4	and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving
0:16.6	your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get and let's go.
0:26.2	Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your podcast. Today is one that I've been
0:31.7	so excited to record because this has been a story that has been such a big part of my own
0:36.8	fitness journey and one that I know
0:38.6	that many of you guys are going to relate to. We're going to be talking all about what tracking
0:42.9	macros has actually taught me. Now, not just what I have learned about food, but also the
0:49.3	discipline, the intuition, the mindset, the balance between structure and freedom, I'm going to be sharing what
0:55.0	tracking gave me and what I wish I would have known sooner and then kind of walk you through
0:59.3	the six phases that I went through from tracking every single thing to where I am now,
1:03.6	which is living in a place of peace, trust, and balance. So if you've ever wondered like what
1:08.6	healthy tracking looks like or maybe you're scared, that tracking will make you obsessive.
1:13.5	I want you to hear this, that tracking macros did not trap me and actually helped to set me free.
1:19.1	Because when you understand how to properly fuel your body, everything else.
1:23.5	I'm talking your strength, your confidence, your energy.
1:25.8	That is all going to start to click into
1:28.2	place. And by the end of this episode, you'll know how to stay consistent without obsession,
1:33.0	how to use tracking as a tool instead of a rule, and how to build the kind of food freedom
1:38.0	that lasts. Before we dive in, though, I wanted to share this review. It comes from Vixter in
1:43.2	1972. She gave a five-star review and said totally relate. Julie talks to you like a real friend. Her episodes are short and to the point. Luckily, I have a lot of episodes to catch up on. I love this so much. Thank you guys so much for taking your time out of your day to send in these reviews. They really do mean the world to me and our team. Just kind of know how maybe the podcast in general is helping you or maybe a specific episode. We'd love to hear it.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Julie Ledbetter, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Julie Ledbetter and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.