Fitness Transform member, Alan Irwin, has lost a whopping 100 pounds and he has kept it off for over 10 years! Alan attributes a lot of his success to writing down what he eats and he shares that with us here…
What is a food journal?
A food journal is just like what it sounds, a notebook in which you record your daily food intake. You can track of a number of things in it, such as how you felt when you were eating, to uncover any emotional triggers, as well as any personal observations. Or you can keep it simple and just write down what you ate. In either case, it’s a great way to examine your eating habits.
How can you get started?
Here are 5 Simple Tips:
1. Carry your notebook with you and write down what you eat when you eat it, rather than relying on memory.
2. Be aware of portion size. One way is to measure. Another is to use relative sizes such as “two palm-sized slices” or a scoop “the size of a fist.”
3. Track the date and time of day.
4. Jot down any exercise you did that day.
5. Make a note of how you felt when you were eating and any personal observations. (optional)
If you are not one to carry a notebook but always have your smartphone with you, consider using an app on your smartphone to track what you eat, such as myfitnesspal.com.
Regardless of which approach you use, remember to update your journal every day and review it on a regular basis. It’s important to note when you hit certain fat loss or fitness goals as well as when you gain weight and to look at the causes.