Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Keeping Track Of What Exactly You Eat: How To Do It Correctly

By Jeffery Omalley


When you first start your diet one of the things you will learn right away is that keeping a food journal is very helpful. Keeping your food log not only helps you see clearly what you are consuming, it helps you see what you are not eating. For example, after keeping a food journal for a few days, you might see that you are not taking in very many vegetables but that you are consuming lots of sugar and bad carbohydrates. Writing all of it down will allow you to see exactly which parts of your diet program really need to change as well as how much exercise you are going to need to do to make sure that you keep your caloric intake in check.

But what happens if you've been writing everything down and still aren't reducing your weight? There is a great way and a lazy method to track the food you eat. A food log isn't merely a list of the items you've eaten during the day. You need to record other crucial pieces of information as well. Here are some of the tips that can make it easier to become much more successful at food tracking.

You ought to be very precise when you write down the things that you are eating. You have to do more than simply write down "salad" into your food record. 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 must also include the quantities of the foods you take in. "Cereal" seriously isn't as good an entry as "one cup Honey Nut Cheerios." Remember the more you take in of something the more calories you eat 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 the time that you're consuming things. This helps you figure out when you feel the most hungry, when you are susceptible to snack and what you can do about it. You'll observe, for example, that even though you eat lunch at the very same time every day, you also--without fail--start to snack as little as an hour later, every day. You may possibly also be able to identify when you are eating only to have something to do. This is important because those are times that you can choose other things to fill your time with than food.



Record your spirits while you eat. This really helps to show you whether or not you turn to food as a response to emotional issues. It also makes it possible to see plainly which foods you tend to choose if you are in certain moods. Many of us will reach for junk foods if we are upset, angry or depressed and will be more likely to choose healthier options when we are happy or content. Not only will this allow you to notice when you reach for particular foods based on your mood, it will help you find ways to keep healthier (but similar) alternatives 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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