Why I do this before every prep
Before every bodybuilding show, I do the same thing.
About 30 days before my real prep starts, I begin tracking everything again at maintenance, usually around 2700–2800 calories.
I’m not trying to lose weight yet.
The goal is:
- mentally prepare for strict dieting
- re-learn accurate tracking
- find a real baseline before cutting
What actually happens (every time)
1. I realize I’ve been under-eating without knowing it
When I’m “just eating healthy” without tracking, I assume I’m eating enough.
I’m usually not.
Once I start tracking again:
- I notice I’m underestimating intake
- I’m actually eating less than I think
I end up having to add food back in just to hit maintenance.
2. Junk food calories add up way faster than expected
This is the flip side.
If I eat clean without tracking, I under-eat. If I eat junk, I overshoot quickly.
There’s almost no middle ground without tracking.
3. The first 1–2 weeks are always rough
This is probably the most overlooked part.
Getting back into tracking isn’t automatic.
- I forget to log things
- I don’t want to be exact
- I fall out of the habit
It takes about 1–2 weeks before it becomes automatic again.
After that, it’s easy.
4. Structure changes everything
Once I’m tracking consistently again:
- I feel more in control
- I’m more motivated to train
- I’m more active overall
Nothing about my personality changes.
The structure just makes everything easier to execute.
5. I’m not perfect with it (and that’s fine)
If I’m out with friends or family, I don’t stress about being exact.
I estimate and move on.
Trying to be perfect in those situations just makes the system harder to stick to.
Consistency matters more than precision.
What changed over the 30 days
Even though I’m aiming for maintenance:
- I’ll usually drop a few pounds
- I feel more energized
- Training feels more consistent
It’s less about the weight change and more about getting back into a controlled system.
What I’ve learned from doing this multiple times
- Most people are way less accurate than they think
- “Eating healthy” is not the same as eating the right amount
- Tracking is a skill you have to rebuild
- Simplicity matters more than anything
One thing that started to bother me
I used to rely on Myfitnesspal for tracking.
It worked well for a long time.
But over time:
- more features got added
- more things got locked behind premium
- the experience felt more cluttered
It made something simple feel more complicated than it needed to be.
The real takeaway
Most people don’t fail tracking because they’re lazy.
They fail because:
- they’re inaccurate
- they’re inconsistent
- or the system is too annoying to stick to
Every time I go back to simple, consistent tracking, things fall back into place.
What I’m doing now
I’m continuing the same process:
- track consistently
- keep it simple
- rebuild the habit before prep
Because once prep starts, there’s no room for guessing.
Logbook
A focused fitness tracker that makes workouts easier to record, review, and repeat with consistency.