Are you one of the many people who feel frustrated because you think you eat well and exercise regularly, but you just can't seem to lose weight? If so, a food journal is a great tool to help you reach your weight loss goals. It will help to determine any patterns in your eating habits, it will force you to be accountable for what you eat, and it will help you to see where you are consuming your "hidden" calories.
The first thing I always tell people when they start to keep a food journal is to write down EVERY bite they put in their mouths. When most people think back over their day and what they had to eat, they go straight to their meals. It's amazing, though, how all of those calories you consume in between meals add up. You might think that one little piece of chocolate doesn't count, so you don't need to write it down, but that one little piece of chocolate every afternoon can add up to quite a few calories over the course of a week. Many mothers of young children tend to finish what their kids leave on their plates, but a chicken nugget here and three bites of macaroni and cheese there really add up! Be sure to write it down right after you eat so you don't forget.
It's also important to be very specific when recording what you eat. For example, don't just write "turkey sandwich" for lunch. Instead, write down "4 ounces turkey breast and 1 slice Swiss cheese on whole wheat, with mustard, tomato and lettuce." The mayonnaise on your sandwich, butter on your baked potato, and creamer in your coffee may be contributing empty calories and fat to your diet that are easy to cut. And speaking of that coffee, don't forget to write down what you drink. Your mid-morning mocha latte or your glass of wine with dinner contain calories, too!
Another thing to include in your food journal is the time you eat each meal or snack. Then, when you look back over your notes you can determine if you have any "trouble times." If you tend to eat junk every day around 4:00, then you might want to start having a healthy snack each day before that time, before you get too hungry and grab whatever is in sight. Or, if you see that you get the munchies every night while watching TV, you are probably eating out of boredom. When you know that is a problem for you, it's easier to distract yourself.
Keeping a food journal can make you accountable for what you eat. I know that I am much less likely to have a big piece of cheesecake if I know I have to write it down! It will also make it much easier for you to determine what your eating patterns are and where you can cut calories that will make all the difference in your weight loss!
Download FREE Diet Journals today:
http://www.shapefit.com/diet-journals.html
Kris Bierek is a fitness specialist for the health and fitness site http://www.shapefit.com where you can find FREE fitness tools like fitness newsletters, dieting tips, weight loss help, exercise questions and a free fitness analysis to help you get into the best shape of your life!
Batchtown Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareR...real foodE...exerciseS...spiritual stuff first and the other stuff secondU...ultimately, you... Read More
It all begins with water .... Water makes up 75%... Read More
If only we could solve this question, the world (for... Read More
The government, nutritionists, doctors, and dietitians implore us to eat... Read More
As if you needed another reason to hit the snooze... Read More
As our bodies move from Winter into Spring we can... Read More
Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are... Read More
Do you know what the words really mean on food... Read More
Have you ever stopped to calculate how much time you... Read More
We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat... Read More
Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the... Read More
All of the things we tell sick people so that... Read More
"I eat like a bird, why do I gain weight?"... Read More
Unfortunately, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, with over 60% of... Read More
The South Beach Diet works, for most people. Its low... Read More
Are you one of those who hate dieting? Well, you... Read More
Healthy eating has become part of your life, but you're... Read More
Every regime has its supply of useless folk lore and... Read More
More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that... Read More
Obesity is now assuming epidemic proportions. Worldwide there are over... Read More
Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is often viewed as a quick... Read More
I never intended to get fat! I am not exactly... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
Okay, so you've read some of these articles, done your... Read More
Obesity raises the risk of various types of cancer. And... Read More
shuttle from Midway Munster are ..LivingAfterWLS reader feedback indicates snacking is the single biggest problem... Read More
Any doctor worth their salt will tell you diets don't... Read More
Fasting, when done properly, can be a basic part of... Read More
At its most basic, dieting is about burning more calories... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
I thought I could avoid this when we moved to... Read More
One of the difficulties with dieting is the well known... Read More
Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
With this key, I GUARANTEE YOU WILL LOSE ALL THE... Read More
On a little island half way in between Guam and... Read More
Welcome to lesson #2. First of all, I believe that... Read More
The Dr Atkins Diet has been around for ages, but... Read More
There's more to gastric bypass than surgery and rapid massive... Read More
Chances are if you've stepped foot in a gym or... Read More
Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss Revealed!*... Read More
In life, various factors contribute to weight gain. Be it... Read More
Obesity and overweight, weight reduction and weight management therapies, miracle... Read More
Just like any other diet, the Atkins diet can become... Read More
Which diet pill are you currently taking for your weight... Read More
Yep, it is that time of year again! Time to... Read More
Whether coming from a close friend, the nightly news or... Read More
In our quest to get that "perfect" body, we actually... Read More
A metabolism drug like ephedrine, has shown many people how... Read More
It seems there are two schools of behavior patients follow... Read More
The long marginalized San tribe of South Africa has suddenly... Read More
Weight Loss |