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!
reliable maid service Park Ridge ...The only way you will ever follow through on an... Read More
What is the advantage of these new half sugar and... Read More
I wrote this article back in the late fall when... Read More
Losing Weight is All About Counting Calories/Carbs and Exercising. Or... Read More
The diet that worked for meI have had a lot... Read More
My name is Greg Ryan. I am a best selling... Read More
Obesity is a disease that is not caused by a... Read More
Reading labels is an essential part of any weight loss... Read More
According to a recent survey by the National Health Institute,... Read More
As many of us know, it's the first few days... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Both men and women around the world are becoming fatter... Read More
What is the relationship between intake of nutrition and metabolism... Read More
For years the experts have been telling us that diets... Read More
Are you one of the many people who feel frustrated... Read More
With summer completed and school back in session, it'll be... Read More
These fat burning tips can help you discover a fat... Read More
Chant the following each day, several times. They are mantras... Read More
Here are a few free tips on losing weight that... Read More
When embarking on a weight loss program people will almost... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More
Running For Weight Loss??.Slow DownYou may be out running your... Read More
Got milk? New research suggests you should if you want... Read More
Thinking about weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Over two-thirds... Read More
professional maid services Glenview ...I wrote this article back in the late fall when... Read More
The importance of drinking water is mentioned in almost every... Read More
What is a calorie? The definition of a calorie is... Read More
Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the... Read More
You have probably heard the old myth, that you should... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
With summer completed and school back in session, it'll be... Read More
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is... Read More
The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go AwayFad diets come... Read More
Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that are added to certain... Read More
One Reality TV show, The Swan, thrives on makeovers. Often... Read More
Many people today are interested in weight loss and weight... Read More
Abdominal fat is now seen as a growing health hazard,... Read More
It's always great to find a protein supplement with very... Read More
Many patients of gastric bypass report feeling fearful of succeeding... Read More
Dietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein diets.Whether it's... Read More
ObesityToday, 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are... Read More
Lose Weight - Grab A GlassIn childhood, we heard it:... Read More
First off, let me start by saying this list is... Read More
All weight loss diets make you FatThat's right, because on... Read More
To continue the educational series on your health and fitness... Read More
We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat... Read More
With the growing epidemic of diabetes and obesity in our... Read More
"Polyols" or sugar alcohols are a number of different carbohydrates... Read More
In the old West tricksters sold a snake oil to... Read More
Weight Loss |