Answered in 8 episodes
How do I track macros when eating out?
Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated
The short answer
Order simple dishes you can estimate, like salmon with rice and vegetables, ask for sauce on the side, ballpark the portion, find something similar in your app, log it and move on. Weighing food at home trains your eye, and asking for extra protein keeps you on track. The goal is consistency and awareness, not perfection.
Hear it from the show
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Michelle on ordering simple restaurant meals and estimating portions without a scale
Plays from 26:11 · Ep. 349: Can Eating More Help You Lose Weight After 60?
Amber Brueseke on ballparking restaurant meals and logging them anyway
Plays from 35:36 · Ep. 47: Why You Keep Self-Sabotaging Your Fat Loss Goals
Lona on weighing food at home so she can spot portions and add protein out
Plays from 25:53 · Ep. 277: Losing 50 Pounds After Menopause by Eating More Food
Nikkiey on why she always asks for extra protein at restaurants
Plays from 16:23 · Ep. 257: How Much Protein Do You Need? Common Mistakes and Fixes
Nikkiey on checking the menu ahead and picking a meal that fits your plan
Plays from 20:26 · Ep. 298: How to Date While Tracking Macros and Staying on Track
The full answer
The guests on The WarriorBabe Show who do this well keep it simple. On Ep. 349, Michelle orders basic plates like salmon with sautéed vegetables and brown rice, gets the sauce on the side, and skips dishes like casseroles with dozens of ingredients she can't estimate. She guesses the portion and rounds up, logging a piece of fish that looks a bit over four ounces as six. On Ep. 47, Amber Brueseke calls this "all or something" instead of all or nothing: estimate the amounts, find something similar in your tracking app, log it and say you did your best. Your eyeballing won't be great at first, and that's fine. It improves the longer you track.
A few habits make it easier:
- Weigh your food at home. On Ep. 277, Lona says that's why she knows exactly what a portion looks like when she goes out.
- Ask for extra protein. Nikkiey explains on Ep. 257 that restaurant protein portions are usually only two to three ounces, so she adds a side of chicken, orders an egg white omelet or asks for egg whites on the side.
- Look at the menu ahead of time. On Ep. 298, Nikkiey says going in without a plan, especially when you're nervous, makes comfort food more likely.
There is some nuance across episodes. On Ep. 37, Nikkiey tells women not to track macros on vacation at all and to focus instead on balanced choices like an egg white omelet, a chicken wrap, or salmon or steak with rice and vegetables. Michelle chose to track loosely on vacation and came home with no change. Either way, the point is the same: one meal or one trip won't undo your progress, and a rough estimate beats abandoning the plan.
From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.
Women also ask
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Macros & Macro Tracking
Do I have to track macros forever?
No. Nikkiey is clear that you don't have to track macros for the rest of your life. Tracking and weighing your food is a temporary, educational phase that teaches you what real portions of protein, carbs and fat look like. Do it consistently for a couple of years and it becomes second nature.
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Macros & Macro Tracking
How do I start tracking macros as a beginner?
Start by learning to track before chasing any numbers. Nikkiey has beginners log what they normally eat in MyFitnessPal for seven days, then focus on protein first and add fats and carbs later. Keep your meals simple and repetitive for the first few weeks so tracking becomes a skill, not a source of overwhelm.
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Macros & Macro Tracking
How long does it take to get good at tracking macros?
Expect a learning curve of about three to four months, with tracking feeling noticeably easier somewhere between six months and a year. Nikkiey's first planning sessions took up to an hour and a half; years later she logs a full day in about two minutes. Some women, like guest Valerie, hit their numbers within two weeks.
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Watch the full episodes
More episodes →
22 minHow Much Protein Do You Need? Common Mistakes and Fixes
Episode 257 · May 9, 2025
49 minWhy You Keep Self-Sabotaging Your Fat Loss Goals
With Amber Brueseke
40 minCan Eating More Help You Lose Weight After 60?
Episode 349 · Apr 3, 2026
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