# TrakMac

> Voice-first macro tracking for fitness enthusiasts. TrakMac estimates the calories and macros in what you ate from a spoken description — no barcode scanning, no food database grind. Body-composition aware: onboarding asks about strength and cardio signals (bench press, mile time, echo bike, muscle-ups) instead of leading with gender, then adjusts daily calorie and protein targets accordingly.

## About

- App: iOS (Swift / SwiftUI), TrakMac AI for food estimation
- Company: TrakMac is a tracking and education company. Not medical or dietary advice.
- Site: https://trakmac.com
- App: https://trakmac.com/

## TrakMac Knowledge

General-knowledge articles on macros, training, body composition, GLP-1 medications, and the research behind common claims.

- [Does late-night eating actually cause weight gain?](https://trakmac.com/learn/does-late-night-eating-actually-matter): The 'don't eat after 8 pm' rule gets repeated everywhere, but the research mostly disagrees. Here's whether late-night eating actually causes weight gain.
- [How to Handle Your Macros When You're Sick | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/learn/macros-when-sick): Being sick changes your calorie needs less than you would think. Here is how to handle macros when you're sick, what to prioritize, and when to pause tracking.
- [Protein maxing — what the research actually says (not the TikTok trend)](https://trakmac.com/learn/protein-maxing-what-research-says): Protein maxing is the social media trend of eating 200-300g of protein daily. The research consensus is that 0.7-1.0 g/lb works for almost everyone. Here's the honest read on the gap between trend and evidence.
- [The Cheapest Protein Sources, Ranked by Cost Per Gram](https://trakmac.com/learn/protein-maxing-on-a-budget): Hitting a high protein target on a budget starts with cost per gram. See the cheapest protein sources ranked by what your dollar actually buys at the store.
- [Is Two Days a Week of Strength Training Enough?](https://trakmac.com/learn/is-two-days-a-week-of-lifting-enough): Two sessions a week is the schedule most busy people can actually sustain. The research on training frequency says that is enough to build muscle, as long as one specific thing is true.
- [Salt for athletes — most need more, not less](https://trakmac.com/learn/salt-for-athletes): The 'limit sodium to 2,300mg' guidance was developed for sedentary populations with high blood pressure. Athletes lose significant sodium through sweat and often need 3,000-5,000mg daily. Here's the honest read.
- [Will Lifting Weights Make Women Bulky?](https://trakmac.com/learn/will-lifting-make-me-bulky): The bulky fear keeps women in the 5lb dumbbell section for years. Here is what the research on sex differences in muscle growth actually shows, and why the look people are afraid of is harder to build than they think.
- [Do You Need to Load Creatine? What Loading Actually Buys](https://trakmac.com/learn/creatine-loading-do-you-need-it): Do you need to load creatine? Loading saturates your muscles in about a week instead of a month. That speed is the only thing it actually buys you.
- [How to Track Macros With ADHD: What Actually Works](https://trakmac.com/learn/tracking-macros-with-adhd): Standard advice ignores the executive-function tax of logging meals all day. Here is how tracking macros with ADHD actually works, or how to skip it without losing results.
- [Is Dairy Inflammatory? What the Research Actually Shows](https://trakmac.com/learn/dairy-and-inflammation): Is dairy inflammatory? For healthy adults, research shows it is neutral to slightly anti-inflammatory, and one of the best everyday protein sources.
- [Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start Lifting Weights](https://trakmac.com/learn/why-the-scale-goes-up-when-you-start-lifting): Does the scale go up when you start lifting weights? Yes, and it is water, not fat. Here is what is happening and how long it takes to settle down.
- [How to Estimate Macros Without Weighing Every Meal](https://trakmac.com/learn/tracking-macros-without-weighing): You can estimate macros without weighing every meal. Consistent estimates within 20 percent beat perfect tracking you quit in two weeks. Here is how it works.
- [How Many Calories to Eat on a GLP-1 Without Muscle Loss](https://trakmac.com/learn/calorie-needs-on-glp-1): How many calories to eat on a GLP-1 like Ozempic or Mounjaro, plus the protein target that protects muscle while you lose fat. Fitness guidance, not medical.
- [How Much Protein to Build Muscle: 0.7 to 1g per Pound](https://trakmac.com/learn/how-much-protein-to-build-muscle): How much protein to build muscle: 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound daily, backed by a decade of meta-analyses. See the range for your goal, age, and cut or bulk.
- [Eating on a long flight or travel day](https://trakmac.com/learn/eating-on-a-long-flight-or-travel-day): Travel days are uniquely bad for nutrition: airport food, time zone changes, dehydration, and 8-12 hours of disrupted eating windows. Here's the playbook for keeping a travel day from derailing your week.
- [How much protein endurance athletes actually need](https://trakmac.com/learn/protein-maxing-for-endurance-athletes): The protein maxing trend was built for lifters, not runners. Here's how much protein endurance athletes actually need and where high intake backfires.
- [Progressive Overload: What It Means and How to Do It](https://trakmac.com/learn/progressive-overload-explained): Progressive overload is the one training principle that actually decides whether you build muscle. It is also the one most people skip, doing the same weights for the same reps for years.
- [The 30g protein per meal rule — does it actually matter?](https://trakmac.com/learn/30g-protein-per-meal-rule): The 'cap MPS at 30g per meal' claim is everywhere on fitness social. The research is more nuanced. Here's what the studies actually show, and why for most people the per-meal limit is overstated.
- [Creatine Myths: Hair Loss, Kidneys, and Steroids](https://trakmac.com/learn/creatine-myths-hair-loss-kidneys): Three claims keep people off creatine: it damages your kidneys, it causes hair loss, and it is basically a steroid. Here is where each one came from and what the evidence actually supports.
- [Does Creatine Cause Bloating or Water Weight?](https://trakmac.com/learn/does-creatine-cause-bloating): The bloating fear keeps a lot of people off creatine. The honest answer: the water is drawn into the muscle, not under the skin, and the loading phase causes the version people actually notice.
- [How to track macros at a buffet, wedding, or brewery](https://trakmac.com/learn/tracking-macros-buffet-wedding-brewery): The hardest tracking situations are the ones with no labels, no portion control, and no easy way to log. Buffets, weddings, and breweries are macro tracking edge cases. Here's the realistic playbook for each.
- [Macros for athletes training twice a day](https://trakmac.com/learn/macros-for-two-a-day-training): Two-a-day training adds 600-1,200 calories of expenditure most days, plus a recovery demand that single-session calculators miss. Here's the actual nutrition math for 2x daily training, plus the practical timing playbook.
- [How Much Creatine Should Women Over 40 Take?](https://trakmac.com/learn/creatine-for-women-over-40): Creatine is the most-studied supplement in sports nutrition, and women carry far less of it naturally than men. Here is the actual dose, why timing is noise, and what the research shows for women who lift.
- [Hybrid Athlete Macros: Between Lifting and Endurance](https://trakmac.com/learn/hybrid-athlete-macros): Hybrid athlete macros sit between strength and endurance plans. Here is how to set protein, carbs, and calories based on where you land on the spectrum.
- [How Accurate Are AI Calorie Tracking Apps? The Real Numbers](https://trakmac.com/learn/how-accurate-are-ai-calorie-tracking-apps): AI calorie tracking apps land within roughly 15 to 25 percent on common foods: worse than a scale, better than guessing, and good enough if you stay consistent.
- [Emotional eating: how to recognize the signs and what helps](https://trakmac.com/learn/emotional-eating-recognizing-the-pattern): Emotional eating is one of the most common reasons tracking feels like it fails. Learn the signs that separate it from real hunger and what actually helps.
- [Healthy Eating After Disordered Eating Recovery](https://trakmac.com/learn/healthy-eating-after-disordered-eating): In stable recovery, standard macro advice can backfire. Here's how to approach healthy eating after disordered eating with regularity, not optimization.
- [Protein Needs by Age: How Much at 40, 50, and 60](https://trakmac.com/learn/protein-needs-by-age): How your protein needs by age actually shift: total intake stays similar, but aging muscle needs a bigger per-meal dose to respond. Here is what changes.
- [Plant-based protein maxing — does it actually work?](https://trakmac.com/learn/plant-based-protein-maxing): Plant proteins have lower amino acid completeness and slightly lower digestibility than animal proteins. That doesn't mean plant-based protein maxing fails — it means the math has to be adjusted by about 15-20%. Here's how.
- [Protein maxing for women — the bro number is wrong, here's what works](https://trakmac.com/learn/protein-maxing-for-women): The 1.5-2g/lb protein number was derived from male bodybuilders. Female athletes need protein scaled to their physiology, not their boyfriends'. Here's the actual research-backed range and how it changes through life stages.
- [Why are my calorie targets so low? Here's the fix](https://trakmac.com/learn/why-are-my-calorie-targets-too-low): If your app says to eat 1,600 to 1,900 calories and it feels punishing, the standard formula misfires for muscular, athletic bodies. Here's why and what to do.
- [GLP-1 Nutrition: The Practical Guide for Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy & Zepbound](https://trakmac.com/learn/glp-1-nutrition-guide): Everything to eat, train, and track on a GLP-1: calorie floor, protein target, how to keep your muscle, and what changes when you come off. Built for real life.
- [Why Maintaining Weight Is Harder Than Losing It | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/learn/maintenance-harder-than-cutting): Most people regain weight after a cut because maintenance has no daily target or feedback. Here's why maintaining weight is harder, and how to hold it.
- [Are Seed Oils Bad for You? What the Research Shows](https://trakmac.com/learn/are-seed-oils-bad-for-you): Are seed oils bad for you? The research is mixed and often exaggerated. Here's an honest look at canola, soybean, and sunflower oils, and what's actually supported.
- [Are Carbs Bad for Athletes, or Do We Actually Need Them?](https://trakmac.com/learn/why-athletes-shouldnt-fear-carbs): Are carbs bad for athletes? For people who train hard, low-carb advice backfires. Here's the honest read on why athletes need carbs and where keto rules don't apply.
- [How to Spot Fake Healthy Foods at the Grocery Store](https://trakmac.com/learn/how-to-spot-fake-healthy-foods): Spotting fake healthy foods comes down to four patterns in the ingredient list. Learn the red flags brands use to fake a health halo, and how to see through them.
- [What Healthy Eating Actually Means in 2026, Honestly](https://trakmac.com/learn/what-healthy-eating-means-in-2026): What does healthy eating mean in 2026? A modern, honest definition built around GLP-1s, ultra-processed foods, and how adults actually eat now, not 2010 guidelines.
- [Voice vs Photo Food Logging: Which Is More Accurate?](https://trakmac.com/learn/voice-vs-photo-food-logging): Voice vs photo food logging both estimate macros with AI, no database needed. Voice gives more control and accuracy, photo wins on effort. Here's how to choose.
- [Does fasted training actually work for fat loss?](https://trakmac.com/learn/does-fasted-training-actually-work): Fasted morning cardio has been popular for decades, but the research disagrees. Here's whether fasted training actually helps fat loss and the trade-offs.
- [How to eat healthy without ruining your social life](https://trakmac.com/learn/healthy-eating-without-blowing-up-social-life): Strict diets often fail on social cost, not willpower. Here's how to eat healthy without ruining your social life or being the difficult one at dinner.
- [How to eat healthy when you cook zero nights a week](https://trakmac.com/learn/healthy-eating-no-cook-week): Most healthy eating advice assumes meal prep and nightly cooking. Here's how to eat healthy without cooking, hit your protein, and mostly eat real food.
- [Healthy Eating for Athletes, Not General Wellness](https://trakmac.com/learn/healthy-eating-for-fitness-enthusiasts): If you train 4 to 7 times a week, general wellness advice underdelivers. Here's a healthy eating framework for athletes: more protein, carbs around training.
- [What to Eat Before a Race or Hard Workout | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/learn/eating-before-a-race-or-hard-session): Pre-race nutrition comes down to timing and food choice. Here's what to eat before a race, from the night before to the hours ahead, by event length.
- [Is Butter Bad for You? What the Research Shows | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/learn/is-butter-bad-for-you): Butter was the villain of the low-fat era, then quietly rehabilitated. Here's what the research shows about whether butter is bad for you and what to cook with.
- [How Accurate Are Nutrition Labels, Really? | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/learn/how-accurate-are-nutrition-labels): The FDA lets nutrition labels be off by up to 20% on calories and macros. Here's what that margin means for your tracking and how to work around it.
- [Are Eggs Healthy, or Bad for Your Cholesterol? | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/learn/are-eggs-actually-healthy): Eggs were blamed for high cholesterol for decades, but the research reversed. For most healthy adults they're a top protein source. Here's what changed.
- [Why You Crave Carbs After a Bad Night of Sleep | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/learn/sleep-deprivation-and-cravings): After a short night, ghrelin rises and leptin drops, so cravings after bad sleep are hormonal, not weak willpower. Here's how to manage them calmly.
- [What to Eat After a Race or Competition to Recover](https://trakmac.com/learn/post-competition-recovery): Recovery nutrition after a race or competition, from glycogen to protein timing. What to eat in the first 24 to 72 hours, and what athletes get wrong.
- [Does Intermittent Fasting Work for Fat Loss?](https://trakmac.com/learn/intermittent-fasting-honest-evaluation): An honest look at whether intermittent fasting works for body composition, what controlled research shows, and where the marketing runs ahead of the evidence.
- [Mediterranean diet for fitness enthusiasts](https://trakmac.com/learn/mediterranean-diet-for-fitness-enthusiasts): The Mediterranean diet has the strongest research base of any eating pattern for long-term health. Adapting it for athletic needs (more protein, calories, training-time carbs) preserves the benefits.
- [Keto for athletes — what the research actually says](https://trakmac.com/learn/keto-for-athletes-honest-evaluation): Keto works for some athletic profiles and poorly for others. The evidence is clearer than the social media debate suggests. Here's who benefits from ketogenic eating, who doesn't, and what to expect.
- [Signs you're protein maxing too aggressively](https://trakmac.com/learn/signs-protein-maxing-too-aggressively): Most 'high protein' warnings fear-monger about kidneys. The actual signs of overdoing protein in healthy adults are subtler: GI symptoms, food monotony, displaced carbs, worse training. Here's what to watch for.
- [Tracking macros while traveling — when you can't weigh anything](https://trakmac.com/learn/tracking-macros-while-traveling): You can keep your macro tracking honest on the road. The trick is dropping precision-mode and using estimation defaults that account for the things you can't measure. Here's the exact playbook for travel weeks.
- [Red meat — what the research actually says](https://trakmac.com/learn/is-red-meat-bad-for-you): Red meat is one of the most polarized foods in modern nutrition. The honest read: unprocessed red meat at moderate intake is roughly neutral; processed red meat carries real risk; the research is messier than either side admits.
- [Coffee for athletes — how much is too much?](https://trakmac.com/learn/coffee-for-athletes): Coffee is one of the most-studied performance enhancers, and the research is almost entirely positive at moderate doses. Here's the honest read on caffeine for training, real upper limits, and when coffee starts hurting.
- [TrakMac vs MyFitnessPal: which macro tracker should you use?](https://trakmac.com/learn/trakmac-vs-myfitnesspal): MyFitnessPal is a food database you search. TrakMac is a voice interface that estimates. A fair comparison: where each one wins, who should pick which, pricing, platforms, and whether you can switch.
- [What 'metabolically healthy' actually means](https://trakmac.com/learn/what-metabolically-healthy-actually-means): 'Metabolically healthy' has become a catchall wellness term, often disconnected from actual clinical definitions. Here's what the research actually defines as metabolic health, the markers that matter, and how to know where you stand.
- [What is a voice macro tracker?](https://trakmac.com/learn/what-is-a-voice-macro-tracker): A voice macro tracker is a food-logging app where you describe what you ate out loud instead of searching a database or scanning barcodes. AI estimates the calories and macros, you confirm, it logs. How it works and what to look for.
- [Alcohol and body composition — the honest read](https://trakmac.com/learn/alcohol-and-body-composition): Alcohol doesn't directly fatten you. It derails body composition through sleep disruption, lowered protein synthesis, and disinhibited eating. Here's the real cost of drinking on training and how to mitigate it.
- [Healthy eating for someone who hates vegetables](https://trakmac.com/learn/healthy-eating-for-vegetable-haters): Most healthy eating advice assumes you like vegetables. A real percentage of adults genuinely don't. Here's the honest playbook for hitting nutrient and fiber targets without forcing kale you'll never eat.

## TrakMac Support

How TrakMac works: voice logging, body-type signals, streaks, paywalls, troubleshooting.

- [How to Edit, Fix, or Delete a Logged Meal | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/support/how-to-edit-a-logged-meal): To edit a logged meal in TrakMac, tap it on the dashboard to fix the description, adjust macros, swap an item, or delete it. Your daily totals update right away.
- [How to Retake Your Fitness Assessment and Reset Targets](https://trakmac.com/support/how-to-retake-fitness-assessment): Retake your TrakMac fitness assessment from Settings and your calorie and protein targets recalculate instantly. Here's how to do it and when it's worth redoing.
- [Voice Logging Not Recognizing Food? Quick Fixes | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/support/voice-log-not-recognizing-food): If voice logging is not recognizing your food, it usually comes down to three fixable causes: a mis-transcription, a vague description, or an uncommon item. Fixes inside.
- [How to fix a wrong food estimate and teach TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/support/what-to-do-when-trakmac-is-wrong-about-a-food): TrakMac targets within about 20% on common foods, but some come back clearly off. Here's how to correct a wrong food estimate and teach the app to improve.
- [Weight not moving while hitting your macros? | TrakMac](https://trakmac.com/support/what-to-do-if-weight-isnt-moving): If your weight isn't moving despite hitting your macros for weeks, the math likely needs recalibrating, not more discipline. Here's what to check and fix.
- [How TrakMac estimates foods it's never seen before](https://trakmac.com/support/how-trakmac-handles-unfamiliar-foods): TrakMac uses a restaurant cache, USDA data, and AI to estimate unfamiliar foods. See how the five-layer lookup works and how to get accurate numbers.
- [What is the streak in TrakMac and how does it work?](https://trakmac.com/support/what-is-the-streak-and-how-it-works): Your TrakMac streak counts consecutive days where you logged at least 1,000 calories. The threshold exists to keep the streak honest — it tracks days you actually ate and tracked, not days you tapped the app once.
- [What happens when your TrakMac trial ends?](https://trakmac.com/support/what-happens-when-trial-ends): Your TrakMac trial runs 7 days. After that the paywall appears the next time you open the app. Subscribe ($7.99/month or $59.99/year) to keep logging. If you don't, your data stays put, sign in anytime later and pick up where you left off.

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