By Roy Baber
When you begin a diet probably the most often heard pieces of advice is to keep a food journal in which you write down every thing you eat during the day. Keeping a food log makes it possible to determine the foods you are eating as well as the foods you aren't eating. One example is that, after tracking your meals for a few days you may realize that you are consuming far too many sugars and unhealthy fats without nearly enough organic nutrients. Having it all written down can help you determine the parts of your diet that need to change as well as how much exercise you need to get to make sure that you burn enough calories to keep your waistline in check.
But imagine if you write each thing down but still are unable to figure out how to lose weight? There is a good way and a lazy approach to track the food you eat. A food log isn't just a list of what exactly you've eaten during the day. You need to note down other important pieces of information too. Here are a few of the points you need to do to be more productive at food tracking.
Be as precise as you can when you write down what you consume. It isn't adequate to list "salad" in your food record. The correct way to do it is to note down all of the ingredients in the salad as well as the kind of dressing that is used. You should also note down the amount of of the foods you are eating. "Cereal" is not as beneficial an entry as "one cup Honey Nut Cheerios." Don't forget that the more of a thing you eat, the more calories you are going to consume so you need to list out the measurements of what you eat so that you will know just how many calories you take in and will need to burn.
Write down exactly what time it is when you eat. This can help you find out what times of day you feel the most hungry, when you usually reach for snacks and then you can learn how to deal with those times. After a day or two you could notice that, even though you eat lunch at the same time every day, you still feel hungry an hour or so later. You should also be able to see whether or not you might be eating due to the fact you're bored. This is significant because those are moments that you can choose other things to fill your time with than food.
Record your feelings while you eat. This helps you to demonstrate whether or not you decide on food as a reaction to emotional issues. It also helps you see plainly which foods you are inclined to choose if you are in certain moods. There are lots of people who seek junk food when they feel angry or depressed and are just as likely to pick out healthy things when they feel happy and content. Paying attention to what you reach for while you are upset can help you stock similar but more healthy items in your house for when you need a snack-you could also start talking to someone to figure out why you cure moods with food (if that is something that you actually do).
But imagine if you write each thing down but still are unable to figure out how to lose weight? There is a good way and a lazy approach to track the food you eat. A food log isn't just a list of what exactly you've eaten during the day. You need to note down other important pieces of information too. Here are a few of the points you need to do to be more productive at food tracking.
Be as precise as you can when you write down what you consume. It isn't adequate to list "salad" in your food record. The correct way to do it is to note down all of the ingredients in the salad as well as the kind of dressing that is used. You should also note down the amount of of the foods you are eating. "Cereal" is not as beneficial an entry as "one cup Honey Nut Cheerios." Don't forget that the more of a thing you eat, the more calories you are going to consume so you need to list out the measurements of what you eat so that you will know just how many calories you take in and will need to burn.
Write down exactly what time it is when you eat. This can help you find out what times of day you feel the most hungry, when you usually reach for snacks and then you can learn how to deal with those times. After a day or two you could notice that, even though you eat lunch at the same time every day, you still feel hungry an hour or so later. You should also be able to see whether or not you might be eating due to the fact you're bored. This is significant because those are moments that you can choose other things to fill your time with than food.
Record your feelings while you eat. This helps you to demonstrate whether or not you decide on food as a reaction to emotional issues. It also helps you see plainly which foods you are inclined to choose if you are in certain moods. There are lots of people who seek junk food when they feel angry or depressed and are just as likely to pick out healthy things when they feel happy and content. Paying attention to what you reach for while you are upset can help you stock similar but more healthy items in your house for when you need a snack-you could also start talking to someone to figure out why you cure moods with food (if that is something that you actually do).
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