Dear Diary: You Bite It You Write It

Challenge for the week:

Food Diary, Food Log, Food Journal, call it what you will, but I've noticed that throughout my *almost* 27 years of life I'm the most healthy and lose the most weight or maintain the best when I'm keeping a food diary! Like with the water challenge, I often think I'm doing great with what I'm consuming until I really pay attention and write it down. What better way to see that you've actually consumed 2,000 calories rather than 1,200 calories than to have a sheet of paper with all the grub 'o the day staring right back at cha babe? Now I will be the first to admit there are time that I have actually chosen not to write down that mini (or king sized) candy bar because I really thought that would make me feel better not having to see those extra cals listed. WHO ARE WE KIDDING? No one ever has to know but the person consuming the item and will it really do anything to help that sagging butt to "pretend" we didn't eat it? No Way! I've heard people say, "Well I just chewed the chocolate to curb the craving then spit it out." Nope, that doesn't count on the no calorie food items list. Did you know you still consume calories that way? Yep, it's true! Google it.

*SHEESH*

Where was I? Ah, yes. You Bite It, You Write It sistah! If it so much as enters your mouth you write it down. And please don't wait until the end of the day to do so. By then you've chanced either forgetting what you've eaten or already going over you calories and feeling like you have to starve yourself for the rest of the night even though you haven't had dinner yet! Not good.

Here's the skinny on the Diary:

Find the tool that works best for you

Paper and pen, posting on your blog, or the latest app on your iPhone, there is just no wrong way to go about this! There are so many great ways you can log information now-a-days that there's almost no excuse NOT to do it! Here are a couple tools I've found:

http://befitandstrong.com/free-printable-food-diary/
This little website is a pretty good one for your basic info and they have a free printable food diary. Also note the section at the bottom of each page to check off how many glasses of water you drank each day. Saweet!
*Notice this is the website I borrowed the pic from* :)

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
There are so many website you can go to log your food intake that help you find the calories, but I choose this one because I really like their app for the iPhone. I never actually log onto the website because the app is so easy. After a simple *free* sign up process and entering in my info I can search food quickly, track my progress, and see how many calories, fat grams, protein and fiber I have left for the day!

Log what works for you

Some people work best just focusing on calories. Others like to know Calories, Fat, Protien, Fiber, Sugar, the works, and some of you may be counting weight watchers points. The fact is this: you won't do what doesn't work for you. Maybe this is your first time starting a Food Diary so you just want to keep it simple and write down the calories. GREAT! The point is that you're writing it down and holding yourself accountable.


Size Matters
One word here: PORTIONS
Have you ever eaten something and thought, "Sweet! Only 50 calories!" Then you look a little closer and find that there are 4 servings in that cute little pack that you just snarfed? (Yes, I said snarfed.) Please be cautious here. Label makers know this is a common mistake and are more and more clever with the packaging. Also if you're cooking, it's pretty easy to over eat if you're not careful. I tend to cook enough food so I have some to take with me for lunch the next day and I may or may not have eaten the entirety of what I made when I sat down for dinner! We can talk more about portion control at a later date, but please pay attention.

Make measurable changes each day

I get that this part seems like more challenges, but what's the good of a food diary if we aren't learning and changing from it? Also you can take the first week to simply commit to log everything down just to get in the habit. Then the next week look at what you ate from that week and commit you are going to do better or continue to eat healthy the next day/week. Maybe it's as simple as increase your water intake by one glass or extreme as no candy the next day. *GASP!* Remember, this is your Diary so you need to do what will work for you.


Celebrate your Success
Give yourself the pat on the back you deserve for your success that day. Again you determine what that success is. For me, if I can go all day without a diet coke I'm pretty freakin' stoked! Maybe you're hard core like my sis and your good day is no candy, 8 glasses of water, and all your fruits and veggies. YOU GO GIRL! (Love you sis!) :) You must reward yourself. Even if it's just acknowledging the fact that you did good or telling someone else that you did good, it's going to boost your confidence and determination to do good again the next day. If you're constantly hard on yourself you'll find success is harder to come by. Let's face it, being happy makes you feel better!

Well all you Fitsters out there: GOOD LUCK! I bid you all good luck and I know that if you commit to YOURSELF to do this, you can!


Now, let's see if I can practice what I preach! :)

~Chellor