At Ascend Performance, macro tracking isn’t about perfection—it’s about precision, awareness, and consistent feedback. But even with the best intentions, clients often make avoidable mistakes that stall their progress, skew their data, and leave them frustrated.

Here are the seven most common macro tracking mistakes we see—and what to do instead.

1. Guessing Portions Instead of Weighing Food

The Mistake: Estimating serving sizes instead of using a food scale.
The Fix: Weigh everything you can—especially calorie-dense foods like oats, oils, nut butters, and rice. An extra 10g here and there adds up quickly.

Ascend Tip: Even “eyeballing pros” should recalibrate by weighing every few weeks to stay accurate.

2. Logging Cooked vs. Raw Weights Inconsistently

The Mistake: Switching between raw and cooked weights without realizing it alters macros dramatically.
The Fix: Choose one method (we recommend raw) and stick to it. If logging cooked food, make sure your app entries are specifically for the cooked version.

Ascend Tip: Use custom entries or save your frequently cooked meals with accurate weights and methods.

3. Not Tracking Bites, Licks, and Tastes (BLTs)

The Mistake: A few spoonfuls of peanut butter or a slice of cheese while cooking "doesn’t count"—but it does.
The Fix: Track all BLTs honestly. Even small snacks and cooking samples contribute to your daily intake.

Ascend Tip: If you wouldn’t serve it on a plate, don’t ignore it in your log.

4. Using Generic App Entries Without Verifying Macros

The Mistake: Relying on community-submitted entries in apps like MyFitnessPal, which are often inaccurate.
The Fix: Use verified entries or cross-check macros with food labels or trusted databases like USDA or Food Standards Australia.

Ascend Tip: If it seems too good to be true (like “zero calorie oats”), it probably is.

5. Forgetting About Oils, Sauces, and Condiments

The Mistake: Logging chicken breast but forgetting about the olive oil it was cooked in or the mayo in the sandwich.
The Fix: Track cooking oils, dressings, sauces, and condiments. They’re often where hidden calories live.

Ascend Tip: Create a list of your common extras and save them as meals or snacks in your tracking app.

6. Not Adjusting for Packaged Foods with Variable Weights

The Mistake: Logging a whole protein bar as 200 calories without checking if it actually weighed 55g instead of the standard 50g.
The Fix: Weigh packaged food when possible. Chips, cereal, bars—actual weights can vary.

Ascend Tip: If the packet says “serving size: 30g,” but you pour 45g into your bowl, log 45g.

7. Getting Stuck in Perfection Paralysis

The Mistake: Giving up entirely when you’re not sure how to log something.
The Fix: Tracking something is always better than tracking nothing. Make the best estimate you can and move on.

Ascend Tip: Progress over perfection. The goal is data awareness, not obsessive control.

Final Thoughts:

Tracking macros is a skill—just like learning to lift or cook. It takes time, repetition, and refinement. At Ascend, we focus on building your tracking accuracy and awareness without fostering food anxiety.

If you're making any of these mistakes, you're not alone—and you're not failing. Use this blog as your nudge to level up your tracking habits so your data becomes a weapon, not a weakness.

Need help troubleshooting your macros or want us to audit your food log? Just reach out to your coach—we’re here to help.