“I feared that if I ceased tracking macros, I would lose my physique.”
After years of meticulous macro tracking, Dr. Fundaro ultimately recognized that the method was no longer effective for her. However, she was hesitant to abandon it.
If anyone ought to have confidence in their food choices, it would be Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro. After all, she holds a PhD in Human Nutrition, possesses over a decade of nutrition coaching experience, and has participated in six powerlifting competitions.
Yet, upon truly reflecting, Dr. Fundaro recognized that she felt rather uncertain about food. For many years, she had relied on macro counting to maintain her “on track” status with her diet.
And it was effective… until it wasn’t.
After years of monitoring macros, Dr. Fundaro grew weary of it all. She was exhausted from ensuring her macros were perfectly aligned. She was frustrated with not being able to simply select whatever she desired from a menu and relish the meal, trusting that her health and physique wouldn’t falter as a consequence.
But the thought of not tracking filled her with anxiety. Each time she ceased tracking, she fretted:
“What if I don’t consume sufficient protein and lose all my muscle?”
“What if I eat too much and gain fat?”
“What if I no longer know how to nourish myself without tracking macros? And what does that imply about my expertise in the nutrition field?”
The more Dr. Fundaro grappled with macro tracking, the more she yearned to discover an alternative.
Something that would assist her nutritional objectives while also providing her a sense of freedom and tranquility around food.
Calorie counting wouldn’t suffice. That was just as limiting as macro counting—possibly more.
Intuitive eating didn’t appear to be a suitable option either. Intuitive eating depends significantly on a person’s capacity to tune into intrinsic hunger and fullness signals to navigate food choices and quantities. After years of depending on external cues (like her macro goals), Dr. Fundaro lacked the confidence in her own instincts; she sought more structure.
Simultaneously, at the gym, Dr. Fundaro started lifting based on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale—a framework that aids individuals in quantifying the effort they are exerting during a particular movement or activity. It’s acknowledged as a useful tool for helping people train safely and effectively according to their capabilities and objectives. (More details on that soon.)
While employing the RPE scale in her workouts, Dr. Fundaro discovered she was not only becoming stronger but recovering more efficiently. There was something about this blend of structure and intuition that simply clicked.
<pAnd then, it struck Dr. Fundaro like an apple falling on Sir Isaac Newton's head:
If Rate of Perceived Exertion could enhance her training, could a similar framework improve her eating?
Thus, the RPE-Eating Scale came into existence.
Dr. Fundaro has since utilized this alternative approach to assist herself and her clients regain confidence and self-trust around food; enhance nutritional awareness and proficiency; and liberate themselves from food tracking.
(Indeed, Dr. Fundaro now trusts her eating decisions—no macro tracker present.)
In this article, you will discover how she accomplished this, along with:
- What the RPE-Eating scale entails
- How to engage in RPE-Eating
- How to employ RPE-Eating for weight loss or gain
- Whether RPE-Eating is suitable for you or your clients
- What to consider if you’re doubtful about the concept
What is RPE-Eating?
Developed by Gunnar Borg in the 1960s, Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a scale utilized to assess an individual’s perceived level of effort or exertion during physical activity.
Although Borg’s RPE operates on a scale from 6 to 20, many contemporary scales use a range of 0 to 10 (which is the