Tammy’s Tidbits – Topic 4
Do you feel like you’re efforts in the gym just aren’t paying off? If you exercise intensely most days of the week (which is great) but then bemoan the fact that you aren’t seeing the equivalent results in weight loss or toning, you may want to take a closer look at your diet. People have a general tendency to underestimate how much they eat and overestimate how much they exercise which can further contribute to the frustration. What I have found in the vast majority of these cases is that once these people keep a food journal they begin to see where all the calories accumulate and it’s usually from grazing. Today’s Tidbits are all about Food Journaling. 1. Keep your journal in the “HOT” zone – Tape it to the fridge or attach it to the pantry. This will ensure that you record precisely what you eat, including those sneaky little snacks that people tend to graze upon when they are bored, tired or stressed. 2. Record EVERYTHING – Write down anything and everything you consume from prepared meals and snacks; the grab and go foods (nut, candy, chips, cookies etc); gum and mints, and all liquids – even water. You’ll also want to record serving sizes. If you’re unsure of the amount, use this site to help you. Also include the TIME you consumed it. 3. Record a minimum of 3-5 days – The best way to identify where you’re picking up the extra calories is to record your food journal for a minimum of 3 days, with 5 days being preferable. Whichever you choose, include at least one weekend day in there, as our eating behaviors can be different during the routine of a weekday versus a Saturday or Sunday. Once you’ve completed the journaling the very least you should be able to determine is where and when you take in the extra calories. You may be able to pinpoint specific times of the day this occurs. For example, if you find every day after 3pm you have a tendency to hit the pantry often – this could be because of an afternoon crash, not a good enough lunch or maybe it’s just that time of day where you’re at home, bored. If you want to take this a step further you can take this journal to a Registered Dietician, nutritionist or experienced personal trainer to calculate your exact daily caloric intake. You may be surprised to see that just a handful of nuts or some other seemingly harmless snack can add up to hundreds of calories. Lastly, you may want to keep the food journal around for the long haul because the journal itself acts as a deterrent. When people know they will have to record what they eat, they are less likely to be so liberal with their snacking or their portion size and number.
