Losing Weight: The Power of Food Journaling

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Article Title:

Losing Weight: The Power of Food Journaling

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Article Description:

So many of us say we want to lose weight or eat healthier,

but frequently we don't realize what we're actually

eating. We understand that a diet of fried food is bad, or

that we need to limit our deserts, but we may not appreciate

how much of these foods we are managing to sneak into our

diets. Fortunately, there is a very simple tool called a

food journal that can help us take measure of our eating

habits. From there we can learn to manage what we eat.

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Distribution Date and Time: 2009-12-31 10:15:00

Written By: J. Price

Copyright: 2009

Contact Email: mailto:julie.j.price@...

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Losing Weight: The Power of Food Journaling

Copyright © 2009 J. Price

Habit Changer

http://www.HabitChanger.com/

So many of us say we want to lose weight or eat healthier, but

frequently we don't realize what we're actually eating. We

understand that a diet of fried food is bad, or that we need to

limit our deserts, but we may not appreciate how much of these

foods we are managing to sneak into our diets. Fortunately, there

is a very simple tool called a food journal that can help us take

measure of our eating habits. From there we can learn to manage

what we eat.

What Is It?

A food journal is a daily record of all the foods you eat - every

meal, snack, or drink consumed throughout the day is written down

to provide a comprehensive record. The level of detail can vary.

Some journals include only the items in each meal. The best ones

record at least some basic nutritional information, which can

include portions, number of calories, or the levels of fat and

cholesterol. To make it fun, some people even include personal

reviews of the food they eat.

What Does Writing Have To Do With Dieting?

Of course, the act of writing won't burn enough calories to help

you lose that weight. The real benefit of the journal is to give

you a comprehensive list. If you diligently record your meals for

seven days, you can examine the levels of calories and fat

you've taken in and begin to understand your own eating

behaviors. The longer you journal, the more information you gain

about yourself. This information allows you to make informed

choices about your intake and can lead you to a level of

awareness that will help you make better decisions.

So How Do I Get Started?

First, you need to get the journal set up. Keep in mind that the

journal doesn't have to be a fancy leather-bound book. You can

easily set up a document on your computer or use a simple spiral

bound notepad available at any drugstore. There are even iPhone

apps available (like 'Lose It') that can make recording meals

easy. Pick the method you're most comfortable with.

Next, you will need to identify your system. Simply recording the

meals you eat is a start, but the more information you enter the

better. Pick information types (called 'metrics') that fit with

your goals. If you want to lose weight, you will probably need to

record calories consumed. If you're concerned about your heart,

then cholesterol, salts and certain fats will be your focus.

Finally, when you start journaling, make sure to keep it simple.

Begin by recording the meals and portions you eat for a full

week. At the end of the week, go back and fill in the metrics for

each day and then your totals for the week. These totals will

give you a 'big picture' snapshot that you can use to measure

your overall goals. The day-to-day entries will allow you to

break down any needed changes into manageable pieces.

What Does It Mean?

You'll probably be surprised by what you find but don't get

discouraged. Nearly everyone gets a shock when they see just what

their real diets look like. Keep with it. The longer you record

the information, the better and more complete the picture will

become.

If you're on a 2,000-calorie a day diet, the week should be

about 14,000 calories. If you went up to 18,000, you will know

that somehow you ate an extra two days' worth of food during the

week. This is good information that will not only help to

identify a problem, but also the degree of the problem. In this

example, if you can eliminate just 300 calories per day, you will

have achieved your goal.

Since you'll be making a complete record of each meal, and

noting the values associated with the meal, you will be able to

see where you can 'win back' some of your meals. Maybe it will

be from omitting a daily snack here and there or reducing the

size of a meal by a small amount. Either way, you have the

information you need to begin taking steps to modify your eating

behavior. This applies to any metric you choose - keep a good

record, tally up the numbers, and you will see the patterns that

you need to change.

Take Control

The biggest advantage of food journaling is that it really is

easy to do. It can take some practice but the time commitment is

minimal. It takes less than a minute to write down that you had a

roast beef sandwich, a bag of chips, and a soda for lunch. If you

only take another two minutes to research the nutritional

information in that meal and write it down, you've committed

only three minutes. For as little as one hour per week you can

account for every meal. It's a small step that you can easily

fit into your existing routine. Once it becomes habit, you will

have information that isn't just generalized or abstracted, but

very specific to your personal needs. And you can take control of

your eating and your health.

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J. Price is Director of Weight Management at

http://www.HabitChanger.com/ offering effective

and empowering solutions for losing weight.

Try our 42-day weight loss program at:

http://www.habitchanger.com/losingweight