KEEPING A FOOD AND ACTIVITY DIARY
This simple task can be one of the most helpful pieces of assistance available. There has been a tremendous amount of scientific study about record keeping and all evidence points to the usefulness of recording one’s food intake. It is so important that I am going to insist that you begin with this exercise. Here is how it works.
Carry the diary with you always. Write down everything you eat or drink during the 24 hour period that day. Write down the time you ate. Estimate the amount of food or beverage you took in. It’s not vital that you are extremely accurate in your estimations. People tend to under estimate the amount of calories they take in, but the point of keeping the diary is to get a better idea of your individual eating habits and to try to improve on them. I have also found that recording your food intake serves somewhat as a deterrent to over eating. Sure, one can intentionally omit or under report their intake, but what is the point of going through the time, trouble, and the expense of this program if you are going to cheat on yourself. If you can’t do this initial exercise, then perhaps you are not ready to make the commitments necessary to be successful.
There should be space to include your physical activity for the day in the diary as well. This helps to get you to feel that physical activity counts as well toward meeting your goals.
Remember the sites on your smart phone like Lose It! that make journaling that much easier.
Good luck with the diary keeping. Believe me, it will really help.
Remember the sites on your smart phone like Lose It! that make journaling that much easier.
Good luck with the diary keeping. Believe me, it will really help.
I have been having a hard time committing to my "new lifestyle". This week has been better. I hope I am settling in.
ReplyDeleteThe applications on the smart phones make is so much easier to journal. I absolutely hate journaling but the smart phone apps make it more interesting. As you put in the foods you have eaten for each meal/snack, the apps keep a running total and lets you know how many calories you have left for the day. This helps me to plan and be conscious of my intake. I use "Lose It" and "My Fitness Pal" apps. I like them both. You can search for restaurants and store brand foods as well as input calories on packaging if you can't find them on the apps.
Thanks Dr. LeBlanc for helping to get our "sparks" going.