A food record is an easy but effective tool in weight loss. It is simple, requiring only a pen and paper, or for many, only an App on your phone. Keeping track of calories helps make you accountable for how much you eat. It also helps you realize how much you have eaten and maybe why you eat, if not for hunger.
What should be recorded?
Place: Where you ate. At home? At a restaurant? In front of the tv? Eating mindfully is an important step to weight loss or maintenance.
Time: The time of day you ate. Eating at least 3 meals each day is the goal. You may eat very little throughout the day and eat more than you plan at night. Spread out your meals and snacks to keep your blood sugars levels and from becoming overly hungry.
Food/Beverage: What you ate or drank. Be specific. How was cooked? Fried? Baked? Grilled? Fat and calories can be added or subtracted depending on the cooking method.
Amount: How much of the food or beverage you ate or drank. Use measuring cups or a scale if you have them to help you gauge correct portions. If you don't have these, eyeball it using references like a deck of cards equals 3 oz of meat; a baseball equals a cup; a lightbulb equals half a cup.
Hunger Rating: How hungry you are when you ate or drank. Starving? Stuffed? Keeping track of how hungry you are will help you realize why you are eating. True hunger? Bored? Anxious?
Keeping a food record is a great tool to use if you are trying to lose weight, along with figuring out a food allergy or intolerance in which case you would keep track of symptoms also.
A food record holds you accountable and opens your eyes to the amount you consume. See a dietitian for help finding the right calorie intake for you, for counseling to make lifestyle changes, or for any other nutrition concerns you may have.
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