You ARE What You Eat!Journaling = The Magic Formula

You ARE What You Eat!JOURNALING =THE MAGIC FORMULA

Finish this sentence…

“Today, I ate ______________.”

Can you remember?

Finally! The key to weight loss success! We all know there isn’t a magic pill or prescription for successful weight loss.

However, it has been proven over and over in numerous research studies that there is ONE change in habits that can DOUBLE your weight loss.

Keeping a food journal Food journaling is the most successful strategy for the majority of people trying to lose weight.

The best predictor of weight loss over the course of one year was the number of food records kept per week.

People who track their food intake in a food “diary” or “journal” lost TWICE as much weight as those who did not track their food.

Why keep a food journal?

Tracking the food we consume forces us to take responsibility for our food choices. It shows us what we are really eating.

An accurate food journal helps us see eating patterns, giving us insight into when and why we eat.

Monitoring the foods we eat helps us estimate calorie intake, so we can make adjustments, by eating less or exercising more.

Where do I start? Start with a baseline food journal, keeping track of a typical week of food choices and exercise.

You will begin to get an understanding of problem times or situations, circumstances that make it difficult to eat healthy, etc.

Think back through your day so far… Using your food journal template, fill in the following:Time of day you ate:What you ate:How much you ate:Who you were with/other activity you were involved in:Your mood while eating:What you drank and when:Any exercise you did today and when:

Did you include…Any snacks, condiments, candy or chewing gum you had?An estimate of portion sizes?Any “quick” and “mindless” grabs…from the office candy dish, or as you were grocery shopping, or while sitting in traffic?

Instant awareness Keeping a food journal instantly increases your awareness of what, how much, and why you are eating.

This helps you to cut down on mindless munching.

7 strategies for food journal success 1. Know your reasons.

◦ Be clear about your intent. If you want to become aware of food triggers, or emotional eating, cut back on portions or just make healthier choices, your food journal will help.

2. Choose your format.◦ Several types of formats are available: online, pen & paper, even sticky notes!◦ Be sure to include the categories as you see on the templateTime of day you ate:What you ate:How much you ate:Who you were with/other activity:Your mood while eating:What you drank and when:Any exercise you did today and when:

3. Decide how often to update/enter information.◦ You should aim to write in your food journal every day. ◦ Decide if you want to fill it in as you go, or set some time aside at the end of the day

to update it.◦ Your record will be more accurate if you do it right after eating….and record

everything.◦ It is tempting to avoid recording an unplanned indulgent treat, but this is the MOST

IMPORTANT time to record.

4. Be accurate about portion sizes.◦ Make sure amounts are as accurate as possible.◦ Measuring out portions on a food scale is most accurate and will give you a better

sense of appropriate serving sizes.◦ If measuring is too tedious, use a standard measure (like your fist/hand/thumb) to

determine portion sizes for tracking.

5. Include the “extras” that add up!◦ The more thorough you are when recording what you eat, the more ways you will find to cut

back on those calories.◦ That handful of M&Ms at the office, the mayonnaise on your sandwich, the sauce on your

entrée…when you look back at your diary, look for those “nibbles and bites” that really add up.

◦ Did you know an extra 150 calories a day (one alcoholic drink or a slather of butter on your bread) could result in a 15- to 18-pound weight gain in one year?

6. Beware of common obstacles◦ Are you embarrassed or ashamed about your eating?◦ Do you have a sense of hopelessness, thinking this is impossible for you?◦ Does is seem to inconvenient to write down everything?◦ Do you feel bad when you “slip up”

These are the most common obstacles to keeping a food diary.

Remember this is a tool for your use, and it’s intent is to provide you with insight!

7. Review what you wrote.◦ Food journaling is most helpful when you look back at what you have written.◦ Do this on your own, or ask one of your trainers to review it with you.◦ Look for patterns that are preventing you from losing weight and brainstorm some

alternatives.

Use food journaling as a tool Keeping a food journal can be a bit uncomfortable because it forces us to recall things we would rather not take note of.

However, your body is already keeping track, regardless of whether or not you wrote it down…so you may as well write it down…because you can’t wish it away!

Bottom line for weight loss and health

Keeping a food journal is an important tool for any weight loss journey.

It not only helps you monitor your caloric intake, but also gives you insight into why, when, where, and how you eat.

Being aware of your eating patterns can make it easier to identify the issues that may be holding your back from reaching your weight loss goals.

While it may be a challenge, use of a food journal can be the impetus of change when used consistently.