Maintain a food diary - Keep track of the food you eat!

[TroyBurger]

One of the best ways to control your diet is to take note of everything you eat for a week. It doesn't matter what it is you put in your body (food or beverage) make a note of it, by either carrying around a small notebook with you, recording it in your phone, or whatever. It is really hard to make necessary alterations to your diet or change it if you don't know what you are ingesting in the first place. Some studies have found that people who maintain food diaries eat up to 15% less than dieters who don't.

[JokerzWild]

I think I might try this. I'll just have to remember to do it. Are you just supposed to record what you eat, or how much of it, as well?

[Charlotte]

I think this will be a really good idea, not just now, but especially over the holidays so I can track where I gained all the weight LOL

[Speeddemon]

This isn't a bad idea, Super Troy...but aside from the Joker's good point about recording what you eat, what are you supposed to do once you've made your little diary? Are you supposed to then go through a process of elimination of what you think is bad for you or what you think is causing weight gain? Are you supposed to take what you learned to a dietician or your doctor?...what's the next step? Seriously, eT? You don't have any comments about this one? I thought keeping food diaries would be right up your alley :P

[enviroTodd]

[QUOTE=Speeddemon;n1834 Seriously, eT? You don't have any comments about this one? I thought keeping food diaries would be right up your alley :P[/QUOTE]

Not this time, SD. I think that tracking is a good idea, but I can never keep it going over the long term.

[JennyR]

I have to agree with enviroTodd. I've tried this before - keeping a food journal I mean - and I just never have any luck with it. I can do it for the first week, but after that I don't seem to pay much attention to it after a while. I just forget to do it or I forget to take my journal with me, or I just get plain old lazy. I do hope y'all have better success with it if you try it and if you find out how to do it effectively, I'd love to know your suggestions!

[Speeddemon]

Not this time, SD. I think that tracking is a good idea, but I can never keep it going over the long term.
[/QUOTE]


Wow, I’m stunned....that said, I can’t really keep track of it either. I just don’t have the self-discipline or the motivation to do it.

[enviroTodd]

Wow, I’m stunned....that said, I can’t really keep track of it either. I just don’t have the self-discipline or the motivation to do it.

That is precisely it. I am more conscious of making proper decisions in the present that will produce the positive energy flow that I want to achieve into the future. Tracking requires steady noting as well as referring back to discover patterns and trends. I would rather not try to turn my everyday habits into a science experiment. By doing that, I will lose touch of the will to continue for the right purpose.

[TroyBurger]

I think I might try this. I'll just have to remember to do it. Are you just supposed to record what you eat, or how much of it, as well?

That's entirely up to you. Personally I just keep it simple to start and make a record of everything I eat and nothing else. At the end of the week I can see everything I ingested and I might be able to see some patterns (i.e. how much of the same type of food I've eaten and how many times I may have eaten it throughout the week or even in one day. On the second week I start to make a note of how much I'm eating. It's really up to you how detailed you want to make it. Just do what is easiest. The point is to help you, it shouldn't' feel like a chore.