If you've never tracked your food before — or you've tried and it felt like learning a second language — you're in the right place.
This isn't about perfection. It's not about obsessing over every gram or being chained to an app for the rest of your life. It's about building a skill that gives you real information about what you're eating so you can actually make progress.
Think about it like this: if someone handed you a budget but you had no idea how much money you were spending, you'd be screwed. Tracking your food is the same damn thing. You can't manage what you don't measure.
Here's the deal: Tracking is a temporary tool, not a life sentence. You're learning it now so you build awareness. Eventually, you'll be able to eyeball portions like a pro. But first — we gotta learn the basics. And that's exactly what this guide is for.
So grab your food scale (or go buy one — I'll tell you which), pour yourself some water, and let's do this.
Let's goo.
Before you track a single thing, you need a few basics. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. Here's your starter kit:
This is non-negotiable. You need one. They're like $10-15 on Amazon and they'll change the game for you.
What to look for:
Just search "digital kitchen food scale" on Amazon. Anything with good reviews in the $10-20 range works perfectly. You do NOT need anything fancy.
Good news — you don't need to download some separate app. The Fit For a Riot app has a built-in meal tracker and that's what we use. It's the same app where you see your workouts, check in, and message me. Everything in one place.
The food database is USDA-verified, which means the nutrition info is legit — not random stuff people typed in. You can search for foods, scan barcodes, and enter your grams right there.
You probably already have these. They're not as accurate as a scale, but they're helpful for liquids and times when you don't have your scale handy.
I know what you're thinking — "Do I really need a food scale?" Yes. I promise you, what you think is "a serving" and what's actually a serving are two very different things. That's not a dig at you — it's true for literally everyone. The scale removes the guessing. That's the whole point.
Short answer: Use grams.
Grams are smaller units, so they're more precise. And most nutrition labels, food databases, and your app default to grams. It makes your life easier.
| Measurement | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 ounce (oz) | ~28 grams (g) |
| 4 ounces | ~113 grams |
| 6 ounces | ~170 grams |
| 8 ounces | ~227 grams |
| 1 pound (lb) | ~454 grams / 16 oz |
You don't need to memorize any of this. Your scale switches between grams and ounces with a button. Just set it to grams and leave it there.
Place it on a flat, hard surface (not on a towel or cutting board).
It'll show the weight of the dish. That's fine — we're going to zero it out.
This is the magic button. It resets to zero with your dish still on it. Now when you add food, it only measures the food — not the plate.
The number you see? That's just the food. Log it in your app.
You just built your whole plate and tracked everything without dirtying 5 bowls. You're welcome.
You're going to use this button constantly. Every time you add a new item, tare first. Think of it as hitting "reset" so you're only ever measuring the thing you just added.
Pay attention because this is where most people mess up and don't even realize it.
Food changes weight when you cook it. Meat loses water and gets lighter. Pasta and rice absorb water and get heavier.
The golden rule: Whatever version you search in the app — raw or cooked — that's the version you weigh. Search "chicken breast, raw"? Weigh it raw. Search "chicken breast, cooked"? Weigh it cooked. They must match.
What happens: Loses water → gets LIGHTER
How much: Most meats lose about 25-30% of their weight.
Example: 227g raw chicken → ~170g cooked.
Best practice: Weigh RAW before you cook it.
What happens: Absorbs water → gets HEAVIER
How much: Roughly DOUBLES in weight.
Example: 56g dry → ~112g cooked.
Best practice: Weigh DRY before cooking. The nutrition label on the box is for dry weight.
What happens: Absorbs water → gets HEAVIER
How much: Roughly TRIPLES in weight.
Example: 45g dry → ~135g cooked.
Best practice: Weigh DRY before cooking.
What happens: Gets slightly lighter when baked/roasted.
Best practice: Weigh raw.
What happens: Lose water → get lighter.
Best practice: Weigh raw when you can. Veggies are so low calorie that being a few grams off won't matter. Don't stress about these.
Best practice: Just log by number. 1 large egg = ~50g. Don't overthink this one.
Someone cooks chicken, weighs 6oz cooked, but logs "chicken breast, raw." Now they've under-counted calories because 6oz cooked ≠ 6oz raw. Always match what you weigh with what you search.
You need to track these. Sneakiest calorie source there is.
How: Put your pan on the scale, tare it, pour your oil. You'll see exactly how many grams you're using.
Notorious for being under-tracked. A "tablespoon" can easily be 2+ if you're scooping freely.
A serving is 32g (2 tbsp). Weigh it once and you'll see why eyeballing doesn't work.
These count too. Especially coffee creamer — that shit adds up fast.
How: Put your mug on the scale → tare → pour. For water-based liquids, 1 mL ≈ 1 gram.
The easiest to track — the label tells you everything.
Look at the serving size (e.g., "28g / about 12 chips"). Weigh it out. You'll probably be surprised.
Example: Chili = 2,000g total, 5 servings = 400g each.
You're not bringing a food scale to a restaurant.
| Food Type | Hand Guide | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Your palm | ~4 oz / 113g |
| Carbs | Cupped hand | ~½ cup / 100g |
| Veggies | Your fist | ~1 cup |
| Fats | Your thumb | ~1 tbsp |
| Nuts | Small handful | ~1 oz / 28g |
Not as accurate as a scale, but a hell of a lot better than guessing randomly.
Let's walk through exactly what logging a meal looks like in the Fit For a Riot app.
Tap the "+" button on the bottom right → select "Meal"
You can snap a photo of your plate (optional but helpful for me to see), or skip and go straight to logging.
Tap the search bar → type "chicken breast raw"
Or scan the barcode on the package — tap the barcode icon and point your camera at it.
Select the entry → type in 170 grams
Search "white rice dry" → enter 60g
Search "broccoli raw" → enter 100g
Search "olive oil" → enter the amount (e.g., 10g)
The app auto-tags it as Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Snack based on the time. Tap Log and you're done.
Boom. Meal logged. Takes about 2 minutes once you get the hang of it.
Any food you've logged before shows up in your Recent tab. Next time you eat the same thing, just tap it from recents instead of searching again. The more consistent your meals are, the faster this gets.
This is the part where everyone asks: "But what do I actually eat?"
Here's the thing — you don't need a fancy cookbook or a 47-ingredient recipe. The simpler you keep it, the easier it is to track, the more likely you are to actually do it, and the faster you build the habit.
Simplicity scales. Fancy fails. The clients who get the best results aren't making gourmet meals — they're making simple plates with real food and tracking it consistently.
Every meal = Pick 1 from each column:
| Protein | Carb | Veggie | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | White rice | Broccoli | Olive oil |
| Ground turkey | Sweet potato | Spinach | Avocado |
| Salmon | Pasta | Bell peppers | Cheese |
| Eggs | Oats | Zucchini | Peanut butter |
| Lean ground beef | Potatoes | Asparagus | Nuts/seeds |
| Shrimp | Whole wheat bread | Green beans | Butter |
| Greek yogurt | Fruit | Carrots | Dressing |
That's it. Pick one from each column, cook it simply, and you've got a meal. No recipe required.
Breakfast: Eggs + oats + banana (fruit) + peanut butter
Lunch: Chicken breast + white rice + broccoli + olive oil
Dinner: Salmon + sweet potato + asparagus + butter
Snack: Greek yogurt + fruit + nuts
This is the part that blows people's minds. Look at the difference between foods:
| Food | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | 99 cal | ~24g |
| Turkey breast | 135 cal | ~30g |
| Chicken breast | 165 cal | ~31g |
| Lean ground beef (93/7) | 152 cal | ~26g |
| Regular ground beef (80/20) | 254 cal | ~26g |
| Salmon | 208 cal | ~20g |
| Eggs (2 large = ~100g) | 143 cal | ~13g |
| Greek yogurt (nonfat) | 59 cal | ~10g |
| Food | Calories | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Potato (boiled) | 87 cal | Super filling for the calories |
| Sweet potato (baked) | 90 cal | Packed with fiber + vitamins |
| White rice (cooked) | 130 cal | Not the enemy — just measure it |
| Pasta (cooked) | 131 cal | Nearly identical to rice once cooked |
| Oats (DRY — 40g serving) | ~155 cal | Makes a big bowl once you add water |
| Food | 30g = | What That Looks Like |
|---|---|---|
| Avocado | 50 cal | About 1/5 of a medium avocado |
| Cheese (cheddar) | 121 cal | About 1 slice or thumb-sized cube |
| Almonds | 174 cal | A small handful (~23 almonds) |
| Peanut butter | 176 cal | About 2 tablespoons |
| Olive oil (1 tbsp / 14g) | 119 cal | One pour. ONE. |
100g of spinach = 23 calories. 100g of cheese = 403 calories. Same weight. Wildly different calories. This isn't about avoiding anything — it's about knowing what you're working with so there are no surprises.
| Food | Calories |
|---|---|
| Spinach | 23 cal |
| Bell peppers | 30 cal |
| Green beans | 31 cal |
| Broccoli | 34 cal |
| Carrots | 41 cal |
You basically can't overeat vegetables. Load up on these — they fill your plate, fill your stomach, and barely touch your calories.
Here's what I see happen all the time: someone goes to the grocery store with no plan, fills a cart with random stuff that "looks healthy," comes home, stares at the fridge, and goes "...what the hell do I make with this?"
Then they order takeout. Sound familiar?
The fix is simple — you just need to do the steps in the right order. Most people do them backwards.
The right order: Pick your meals FIRST → list the ingredients → check what you already have → THEN go to the store. Not the other way around.
Go back to the Build Your Meals tab. Pick 3-4 meal combos you want to eat this week. That's it — don't overcomplicate it.
Example:
Look at your meals and list out everything. Be specific — don't just write "chicken." Write how much you need for the week.
Example:
Before you leave the house — check what you already have. You probably still have rice, oats, oil, and seasonings from last week. Cross those off your list. Only buy what you're actually missing.
This one step alone saves you money and stops you from buying duplicates that sit in the back of the pantry for 6 months.
Stick to the list. Walk in, get what's on it, walk out. The aisles are designed to make you buy random stuff you don't need. Your list is your armor.
This saves you from zigzagging around the store 5 times. Group your list like this:
Broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, bananas, berries, avocados, onions, garlic
Chicken breast, lean ground turkey, ground beef (93/7), salmon, shrimp
Eggs, Greek yogurt (plain, nonfat), cheese, butter
Rice, oats, pasta, peanut butter, olive oil, almonds, seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)
Frozen broccoli, frozen stir-fry veggies, frozen shrimp, frozen fruit for smoothies
Keep a running grocery list in your Notes app. As you use stuff up during the week, add it to the list. By the time shopping day comes, your list is basically already done.
Chicken breast, ground turkey, and rice are cheaper in bulk. Buy the big packs, portion them out when you get home, and freeze what you won't use this week.
Frozen broccoli, mixed veggies, and stir-fry blends are flash-frozen at peak freshness. They're just as nutritious as fresh, way cheaper, last longer, and you're not throwing away wilted spinach every week. No shame in the frozen aisle.
Store-brand rice, oats, eggs, frozen veggies, canned beans — it's the same stuff in different packaging. Save the brand loyalty for things that actually matter.
I know this sounds basic, but seriously — eat before you go. Hungry shopping = impulse buying = $40 worth of snacks you didn't plan for.
Most of what you need is along the outside walls of the store — produce, meat, dairy, eggs. The inner aisles are mostly processed/packaged stuff. You'll hit the pantry aisle for rice, oats, and oil, but you don't need to browse every aisle.
Most grocery stores (Walmart, Target, Kroger, etc.) let you shop online and pick up for free or get it delivered for a few bucks. This is a game-changer for two reasons:
Build your list from the meal formula, order online, pick it up on your way home. Done.
Eating simple, whole foods and cooking at home is already cheaper than eating out or buying pre-made meals. A week of chicken, rice, veggies, eggs, and oats costs way less than 5 DoorDash orders. You're saving money AND getting results. Win-win.
"What do I cook? How do I meal prep? When do I do it?"
I hear this every single week. So here's your no-BS, step-by-step meal prep process. Follow this and you'll never be standing in front of the fridge at 6pm going "I have no idea what to eat."
The goal: Prep your proteins, carbs, and veggies separately — like building blocks. Then mix and match throughout the week. Same ingredients, different combos, zero boredom.
Pick 2 proteins, 2 carbs, and 3 veggies from the meal formula chart. That's it. Don't overcomplicate this.
Example shopping list:
These take the longest but need zero attention. Get them going and then do everything else while they cook.
Chop broccoli, slice peppers, wash spinach. Get everything ready. This is the most boring part, but it takes 10-15 minutes and saves you all week.
Brown the ground turkey in a pan. Season it simply — salt, pepper, garlic powder. Done. You can also cook your veggies now (roast the broccoli, sauté the peppers).
Here's where your food scale comes in:
This whole process takes about 1.5-2 hours. And it sets you up for the entire week. That's less time than you spend scrolling every night trying to figure out what to eat.
Now you've got building blocks in your fridge. Here's how different meals come together from the SAME prep:
Chicken + rice + broccoli + olive oil drizzle
Ground turkey + sweet potato + sautéed peppers + avocado
Ground turkey + rice + spinach + cheese
Chicken + sweet potato + broccoli + butter
Same ingredients you prepped Sunday. Four completely different meals. No boredom.
Life happens. If you run out of prepped food mid-week, fall back on "emergency meals" — things you can throw together in 10 minutes with zero prep: eggs + toast + spinach, Greek yogurt + oats + fruit, or a rotisserie chicken from the store + microwave rice + bagged salad. Done.
Match what you weigh to what you search. Period.
A couple tablespoons of oil = 200-300+ untracked calories. That alone can stall your progress.
A "cup" of rice varies by 50+ calories depending on how packed it is. The scale doesn't lie.
Creamer in your coffee. Handful of crackers. Bite of your partner's dinner. These add up.
If it goes in your mouth and has calories, it gets tracked. That protein bar in the car counts.
The app's database is USDA-verified which helps, but always cross-check with the nutrition label when you can.
By 9pm you will NOT remember how much peanut butter you had at 7am. Track as you eat.
You're going to mess up. That's fine. This is a skill and you're learning it. Progress, not perfection.
Plain salt/pepper/garlic powder = basically zero calories. But BBQ sauce, teriyaki, dressings? Those have calories. Log them.
First week = clunky. Second week = easier. Third week = second nature. Push through.
Screenshot this and keep it on your phone.
Same weight, wildly different calories. Knowing this changes the game:
Cheese, avocado, nuts, oils — they're all fine. The point is knowing that a small amount packs a lot of calories, so you measure them instead of eyeballing. That's where most people's "mystery calories" are hiding.
Important — read this first: For your first 7 days, you're tracking with no macro targets. That's on purpose. I'm not giving you calorie or macro goals yet. Here's why:
Before I can set you up with the right numbers, I need to see how you actually eat right now. Not how you eat when you're "being good." Not some cleaned-up version. The real, everyday, normal version.
This first week gives me a picture of:
This helps me build your plan around YOUR life — not some cookie-cutter template. So don't try to eat "perfectly" this week. That actually makes the data less useful. Just eat how you normally eat and track it honestly.
Eat what you normally eat. Focus on getting the hang of your food scale and logging in the app. It's going to feel clunky — that's totally normal. Just weigh what you can and log it.
By now the scale and app should feel less foreign. Start capturing everything — meals, snacks, drinks, cooking oils, creamer in your coffee, all of it. Track as you eat, not hours later.
Give me two solid, fully tracked days. Everything that goes in your mouth gets logged — including the weekend (weekends usually look different and I need to see that too).
Once I've got 7 days of data, I'll review everything and set your personalized macro targets. That's when the real work begins. This week is laying the foundation — it's not sexy, but it's what makes everything else work.
Tap to check things off as you go:
Tracking isn't complicated — it's just new. The beginning feels awkward, the middle feels annoying, and then one day you're doing it without even thinking about it.
That day is coming. I promise.
Let's goo.
Fit For a Riot — @iam.amandajoyce