The Word on Weightloss

Most people have no idea about how much food they consume on a daily basis. With busy schedules, it becomes difficult to keep track of the total amount of food they eat. That is why you should make use of a food diary.

One of the methods most successful for losing weight is counting calories. Keeping a food diary will help you do this effectively. Research carried out by Kaiser Permanente Center for Research shows that individuals who keep a food diary of their food consumption have a higher likelihood of losing weight than those who do not. That is why Weight Watchers, one of the most successful diet programs encourages participants to journal their food intake. You can read some Weight Watcher’s reviews here.

There are a number of reasons as to why you should start keeping a food diary. This includes the fact that you will know the actual amount of food you eat in a day. According to Carrie Latt Wiatt, a nutritionist and author of Portion Savvy and Eating by Design, most individuals underestimate how much food they consume on any given day and even more so when they eat out. According to a study at Cornell University, most people underestimate the amount of calories they eat by somewhere between 250 to 750 calories. Therefore, instead of guessing the amount of your caloric intake, why not keep a food dairy so as to get an accurate picture of the actual amount of calories consumed. Most people snack a lot in between meals hence, unconsciously adding calories without even realizing it. A food diary will help you realize just how much more food you are consuming in addition to your regular meals.
 
Eating a balanced diet in the correct proportions is the key to weight loss according to Suzanne Farrell, R.D who runs Cherry Creek Nutrition in Denver. A food journal will help you know whether you are eating a balanced diet. Some of the tools you can use to ensure you have a balanced diet can be found at mypyramid.gov, which has the most up-to-date guidelines for healthy nutrition.

A food diary will also help you identify your unhealthy eating patterns, as well as monitoring your progress. You will be able to see any positive progress that you are making, which will motivate you to continue eating healthy and to maintain a healthy weight. In fact, you can go a step further and combine your food diary with a “mood” diary, or even how you feel physically after eating certain foods. Many obese people have underlying emotional issues that lead to overeating and a more complex food diary may help you to identify those feelings or situations that make you want to eat. You can then avoid them, or at least be conscious of the fact that you eat, say, when you are depressed or stressed. Behavior modification is a positive result of keeping a food diary.  

When you start to work on your food diary and your weight loss plan, it is crucial to keep a number of things in mind. This includes being honest and recording everything you eat. You also need to customize the diary to meet your needs so as to record information that is essential to you. Also choose the most convenient medium for you to record the information. You have the option of using pen and paper or using computer software when you start counting calories and there are apps available for smart phones. Food diaries are easily accessible online to help you journal your food intake. Finally, analyze your food diary regularly to evaluate your eating habits and how they can be improved. Don’t forget to reward yourself when you make any positive achievements and down play the occasional slip-up.