Thursday, November 14, 2013

The Very Best Way To Track Your Food

By Darrel Blount


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. Tracking all of the food you take in can help you figure out which foods you will be eating as well as which foods you are not eating enough of. For example, once you keep a food log for a few days you may notice that even if you eat lots of fruit, you almost never eat any vegetables. Having it all written down may help you determine the elements 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 what if you've been writing every thing down and still aren't slimming down? There is a proper way and a incorrect way to observe your food. A food journal is more than just a simple list of the foods you eat during a day. You must account for a few other very important information. Here are some tips that you can use to help your food tracking be more successful.

Be as precise as you can get whenever you note down the things you eat. You need to do more than merely write down "salad" into your food log. The correct way to do it is always to record all of the ingredients in the salad as well as the kind of dressing that is used. You should also include the amounts of the foods you eat. "Cereal" is not as good an entry as "one cup Honey Nut Cheerios." Remember the more you eat of something the more calories you take in so it is vital that you list quantities so you know exactly how much of everything you're eating and how many calories you need to burn.

Write down precisely what time of day it is whenever you eat. This can help you discover when you feel the most hungry, when you are prone to snack and what you can do about it. After several days you'll note that even though you might be eating lunch at the same time every day, you are still hungry an hour later. You should also be able to observe whether or not you are eating since you're bored. This is very important simply because, once they are revealed, you can find other ways to fill those moments than with unhealthy foods.



What kind of mood are you in when you eat? Write it down! This can show you if you use foods to solve emotional issues. It will also identify the meals you choose when you are in certain moods. There are lots of people who seek out junk food when they feel angry or depressed and are just as likely to choose healthy things when they feel happy and content. Not only will this enable you to notice when you reach for specific foods based on your mood, it will help you find ways to keep healthier (but similar) selections on hand for those same moods and help you figure out whether or not someone professional can help you deal with the issues that are sending you towards certain foods in the first place.




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