Which Tracking Option Should I Choose at Check-In?

At the first step of your weekly check-in, Carbon asks how you tracked your food that week. Your answer tells the coach whether to evaluate your progress based on your tracked targets or your coach-provided targets, and then determines if you need an adjustment your calories and macros or if they should be held steady. Picking the right option is what makes your coaching accurate.

You'll see four choices:

When it is time to check-in, open the Coach tab and tap Check In. The tracking question is Step 1 of 3, under the heading Your tracking.

Pick the option that matches what actually happened last week, not what you wish had happened. Here's what each one means and when to use it.

I tracked everything I ate this week Choose this if you logged every meal, snack, and drink in Carbon for the full week. Carbon will analyze your metabolic response using your logged macros and adjust your targets for the week ahead. This is the option that gives you the most accurate coaching.

I only tracked some of my meals Choose this if you logged part of the week but not all of it. Carbon can't make an accurate adjustment from partial data, so your targets stay the same for another week. Use this option when you want to hold your current plan steady, such as after a vacation, a sick week, or any stretch where your logs don't reflect your real intake.

I didn't track, but met my targets Choose this when you didn't log in the app but you know you hit your calories and macros. Carbon treats the week as compliant and reviews your progress based on your weight change and the targets it provided you.

Common use cases:

I tracked in another app Choose this if you used a different macro tracking app for the week. You'll enter your weekly totals or daily averages for calories, protein, carbs, and fat. Carbon uses those numbers to adjust your targets the same way it would with data logged directly in the app.

What's the difference between "I only tracked some of my meals" and "I didn't track, but met my targets"? "I only tracked some of my meals" means your data is incomplete, so Carbon holds your targets steady. "I didn't track, but met my targets" means you're telling Carbon your plan was followed, so it can review your progress and adjust based on your weight change.

Which option should I pick if I was on vacation and eyeballed portions? "I only tracked some of my meals" is usually the right call. Eyeballed quantities generally aren't reliable enough for Carbon to adjust from, and this option keeps your calories the same while you get back on plan.

Which option should I pick if I was sick and ate under my targets all week? "I only tracked some of my meals" is the safest pick. Illness and low activity can cancel each other out on the scale, and an adjustment based on that week won't reflect your normal metabolism.

How do I skip an adjustment and keep my targets the same? Select I only tracked some of my meals at the tracking step. Your calories and macros will stay the same for another week.

Can I change my answer after I submit? Not directly. Email support@joincarbon.com and the team can reset your check-in so you can resubmit with the right option.

Pick the option that best matches your week, and your Weekly Check-In will keep your macros dialed in from here!