My clients have seen their biggest weight loss when they keep a food journal. There is a transition that occurs in the mind when you actually note what you eat. Food journaling is a great way to take notice and make necessary changes to your diet. Take the challenge to be accountable for what you eat and learn how your emotions affect your eating habits. Below are tips to get started!
Buy a journal of your taste. Write down what you eat on three weekdays and one weekend day, using the following guidelines:
• Record everything you eat and drink immediately.
• Note what you’re doing while you’re eating―driving, watching TV, etc.
• Describe how you felt while you ate: angry, sad, happy, nervous, starving, bored?
• Be honest. It’s a journal, not a newsletter, and no one has to see it but you.
• At the end of each day, examine how your emotions affected your eating.
Every day, try to make sure that you’re getting at least:
• 1 serving of whole-grain cereal, brown rice, or vegetable pasta (½ cup) or bread (1 slice).
• At least half your body weight in ounces of water
• 2 servings of fruits and vegetables ( 1cup each).
• 1 serving of low-fat milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese or almond milk substitute (1 cup).
• 8 ounces of lean meat, poultry, or fish or a non-meat equivalent (1 ounce of meat = 1 egg, ½ cup beans, or 2 to 3 ounces of tofu or green veggies).
Record your changes over the month and comment on this blog to share your challenges and improvements.
