| Have you kept a food journal? Journaling is a very | | | | 4. When you are cognizant of the food you are |
| important aspect in successful weight loss and is | | | | consuming, you are then more aware and |
| claimed, by many, to be the pivotal point in their | | | | watchful of the choices being made. Mindful eating |
| success. The benefits are most pronounced when | | | | decisions are then more likely to be based on the |
| beginning a nutritional eating plan. However, at | | | | quality and nutritional value of the item in |
| various times throughout your weight loss | | | | correlation with the total daily calorie, point or carb |
| journey, one can refocus their efforts by once | | | | allowance. |
| again implementing the journaling process. | | | | 5. As you become more conscious of the foods |
| When I started my weight loss journey, I made a | | | | you are eating, better choices can be made. For |
| simple food journal where I wrote down | | | | instance, you may observe that too many |
| everything that went into my mouth. And, I do | | | | carbohydrates are being eaten and not enough |
| mean everything! I also made note of my general | | | | protein. You may become keenly aware that |
| mood, i.e. happy, sad, lonely, etc. and recorded | | | | vegetables are lacking. In my case, I learned to |
| any major events. | | | | eat more protein when I was truly hungry and to |
| Now, the process of journaling doesn't have to be | | | | reserve the carbohydrate-laden snacks for times |
| all consuming or take a lot of time; it just needs | | | | when I felt relatively full. |
| to be a conscious effort to accurately record | | | | 6. By journaling your food, you remain in total |
| your food intake and emotions. The initial | | | | control. There are no foods off limits, only that |
| commitment to record your journal should be for | | | | you plan accordingly to stay within your allowed |
| a minimum of 2-3 weeks as it takes that long to | | | | calories OR occasionally decide to exceed your |
| see the patterns emerge and gain a true picture | | | | calorie limits and accept the consequences of your |
| of your relationship with food. Personally, I kept a | | | | choice. You remain accountable to you and there |
| journal for several months when I began as it | | | | is just no benefit in not being truthful. |
| afforded me the most control over my behavior. | | | | 7. When reaching a plateau or occasionally sliding |
| Here are the benefits of journaling. | | | | up the scale, a food journal provides the material |
| 1. Journaling promotes conscious eating. This was | | | | needed for review by a friend, mentor or |
| a big thing for me. I can't tell you how many | | | | physician. A problem area can usually be identified |
| times I would walk by a candy jar and indulge in a | | | | quite quickly with a journal at hand. |
| few pieces or grab some food from the kitchen | | | | Journaling does not require an arsenal of tools, but |
| table at work where it had been placed for all to | | | | there are a few that are essential and those that |
| share. No thought process even entered my mind. | | | | are helpful. |
| I didn't stop to assess whether I was hungry or | | | | A notebook or journal (even plain paper can be |
| think about whether I was "dieting"; it was in my | | | | used) along with a or pencil. This does not have to |
| mouth and gone before any conscious thought | | | | be anything formal, but represents the basic tools |
| entered my mind. Writing everything down, and | | | | for journaling and is most essential. |
| being consistent about it, allowed me to STOP | | | | Measuring cups are essential in portioning your |
| making poor choices and allowed me to truly | | | | food as we guesstimate on the high side. |
| engage my thought process, my choices, the | | | | Measuring spoons allow smaller quantities of items |
| consequences of those choices and then proceed. | | | | to be measured accurately and can drastically |
| S = Stop | | | | affect your daily caloric intake. An example would |
| T = Think | | | | be salad dressing; at 80 calories for 2 TBSP of |
| O = ChOose | | | | low-calorie dressing, pouring 2 or 3 times that |
| P = Proceed | | | | amount can make the difference of whether you |
| 2. One of the best benefits of a food journal is | | | | lose weight, remain the same or gain. |
| the ability to monitor what you are eating, how | | | | Calorie resources are essential to your weight loss |
| much you are eating and when you are eating. It | | | | success. Calories can be found on the product |
| provides a clear picture of our interaction with | | | | packaging or by using an Internet resource such |
| food, which allows us to modify certain behaviors. | | | | as Points, carbohydrates or diabetic exchanges |
| You may uncover things like eating too little during | | | | are other acceptable ways to measure your food |
| the day, finding a food that triggers a binge | | | | when journaling. |
| episode or eating too many carbohydrates and | | | | Plastic baggies are helpful in portion control. Some |
| not enough protein. | | | | food items, especially snack items, state the |
| 3. Documenting your moods and/or significant | | | | number of portions in the box or package. It is |
| events will allow you to see a correlation between | | | | easier to divide the package into equal portions |
| your emotions and food. The knowledge of this | | | | upon opening the package. The calorie count can |
| allows us to implement a plan of action to better | | | | be written in permanent marker on the baggies |
| prepare for future events. | | | | for easy reference. |
| In my journal, I realized that when I was sad and | | | | A calculator is helpful to divide package calories |
| lonely, I not only ate in excess but my food | | | | into smaller portions than those listed on the box. |
| choices were not nutritional. First, that information | | | | A scale is helpful to weigh ounces. |
| supplied me with the knowledge of my behavior. | | | | Journaling provides us with the key to unlock the |
| Second, it allowed me to devise a plan to alter | | | | treasure chest of knowledge that explains our |
| the outcome. For instance, when I was sad and | | | | behavior and relationship with food. This, in turn, |
| lonely, I would leave my home to go participate in | | | | allows us to devise a map to modify our behavior |
| a happy social activity with friends or visit family. | | | | and chart our path to success! |