Most of us would like to think that we eat relatively healthy. You might be thinking, "I exercise, I try to drink water and I eat 3 meals a day. I should be losing weight, right?" But why does the scale seem to be stuck at the same number? Perhaps THE most powerful tool for weight loss is the very thing that most of us don't do- keep a food journal. I know, you're saying, "I don't have time to write down everything I eat." In today's fast-paced society, we are always multi-tasking and one thing that we've mastered is eating on-the-go. We eat at our desks at work. We eat in the car. We eat while watching TV. We even eat as we're cooking! Since we're always eating while doing other things, it can be very easy to underestimate how much food we actually consume in a day. I know, I know, you don't have time to write down everthing you eat. Well, I would argue that for those of you who need to lose weight, you really can't afford NOT to.
Keeping a food journal doesn't have to be difficult. There are a ton of online tools, downloable and printable food jounrals for you to choose from. Just pick the one that works best for you and your lifestyle. For the tech-savy, there are some great applications for the iPhone and other smart devices that will allow you to track food intake, calories, exercise and weight loss all in one!
You don't have to write down everything you eat forever. I recommend keeping a journal for at least 7-10 days with a weekend included. Once you have enough information recorded, you should sit down and review everything (preferrably with a nutritionist or dietician). You will see almost immediately that there is a big difference between what you THINK you eat and what you ACTUALLY eat. Your journal will help you identify triggers, meal patterns, and unconscious eating. You can also see where you're consuming too many calories due to poor meal planning. You'll even be able to understand any emotional issues connected to the foods you eat.
Remember, there is just one golden rule when it comes to keeping a food journal- HONESTY! Just keep it real and write EVERYTHING DOWN. I'm not gonna lie, IT'S NOT EASY, but once you do it, you'll be glad you did!
You are STRONG. You ARE FIT. YOU can DO IT. GOD IS ABLE!
~D
Check out these links to help you get started:
Food Journal (w/ exercise log):http://walking.about.com/library/cal/fooddiary.pdf
Great Calorie Count website:http://www.calorieking.com/
If you have questions or comments on this blog, shoot me an email or post your comments below.
