A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a semi-healthy grocery list and claimed to not track my macronutrients. It's true, I wasn't. Until two weeks ago. For those that don't know, macronutrients are the building blocks of nutrition, meaning what category a food typically falls under. These building blocks are your proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. You see, you can put a limit on your calories, but if you are eating a mango for every meal, you are consuming all your calories in carbs. You probably already know that's not healthy, but I wanted to put it into perspective.

The reason I started tracking my macros was that I knew I was eating too many fats and not enough proteins. I would literally continue eating Kit-Kats (primarily fats and carbs) until my stomach hurt, and chicken was the last thing I wanted to eat for lunch.

I'm not saying you need to start tracking your macros, but I am saying it is a good idea to realize what food groups you consume too much of and what food groups you need more of. I struggle with eating too much fat in my diet (holla, peanut butter lovers), so I created a list of things you might do to eliminate some fat from your diet.

1. Start using MyFitnessPal

This is a great free app. First, you input how many calories you need to eat in a day. Right now, I am eating a little over 2100 calories, and I adjust my macros to that number. Then you can begin inputting what you're eating manually or by searching for the food. Play around with the app and YouTube questions, it took me a little while to figure it out.

2. Start measuring your fatty foods, like peanut butter and olive oil

This is so crucial. I used to eat peanut butter spoonfuls. That was probably 2x the serving size. Three weeks ago I wasn't measuring these things, and I can assure you I was overeating these foods.

3. Start looking at nutrition labels

I love protein bars. I found a new one, Power Crunch Peanut Butter Creme, which I loved. Come to find out it had 13 grams of fat in it. A Snickers bar has 14 grams of fat. Be wary of protein bars and things that claim to be healthy. Look at the nutrition facts of everything before you buy it.

4. Stop getting the frappe with extra caramel sauce

This is loaded with carbs and fats. There are so many healthier options when buying coffee. My favorite right now is cold brew with three pumps of sugar-free vanilla and one pump of hazelnut syrup with a splash of cream. It comes out to approximately 3 grams of fat.

5. Make food swaps

Sometimes, swap out regular peanut butter for powdered peanut butter. Don't knock it until you try it. Try turkey slices wrapped around cucumber slices. Try using non-fat plain Greek yogurt as sour cream. I think it tastes exactly the same. Get some low-fat granola bars like Nature Valley. I could eat those things all day. And in the mornings, English muffins with an egg (good fat in moderation) are so yummy.

Once you get used to checking and/or tracking, it becomes second nature. It took me long enough to start, but I know I am not going to stop now.