The single best weight loss tool ever
...if you choose to use it!
When people meet me, they think I always eat healthy. They think I never cheat. They think I’ve been eating like this most of my life. I like when these people meet people who have known me for a long time and find out that it’s just not true. They find out how “CRAPPY” I eat sometimes. Let’s face it, I’m human and I fall off the wagon too.
Ok, so here is the real deal. I eat healthy 90% of the time. I eat a lot of grilled chicken and fish and roasted vegetables and salads. But I really love food and on a Saturday night, I cheat. A glass of wine. A dessert shared with my husband. And while most people would say that there is nothing wrong with that (and there isn’t), I know that my problem is that I can’t stop there. A glass of wine turns into three. A dessert shared between my husband and I turns into two desserts that I finish myself. And all the diet progress I made during the week is lost in the span of one meal. And if I’m not careful that starts to snowball and I start eating crappy on Sunday and Monday.
It’s a slippery slope.
Sound familiar?
Well, for me the only way to stay on track and not slide down that slippery slope is to use the best weight loss tool ever. No, its not some fancy piece of exercise equipment. No, it’s not expensive supplements. And no, its not some crazy diet. It’s actually free and I’m going to share it with you today. You will have the answer in your hands and you can be successful too...if you choose to use it!
So what is it?
It’s a food log.
The simple act of writing down what you eat.
Why is this such a great weight loss tool? Well, it keeps you honest. When you have to write down what and how much you have eaten, it forces you to be honest.
So if it is so simple, why doesn’t everyone food log? Well, here are just three of the many reasons.
Being honest with yourself is not always fun
Let’s face it, no one wants to food log because it makes you have to be honest with yourself about that cookie you had in the break room at the office or the french fries you took off of your son’s plate at the diner as you ate your grilled chicken salad. To be successful, you need to log it all, forget anything and you aren’t being honest. But just remembering that you’ll have to log that cookie may make you not eat it.
It’s time consuming
To really make food logging effective you need to think about your meals, prep them ahead of time, and count everything. That includes measuring out your food. From the number of almonds in a serving to how many ounces of chicken you put on your salad. I know that this is where food logging becomes most effective for me. I can spend weeks eating right and not lose weight because I am over eating the “right things”. When I start measuring what I’m eating I become successful.
We become complacent
I don’t food log all the time. Pretty much for the reasons discussed above. I food log for a while, lose the few pounds I was looking to lose. Tell myself that I am doing a good job and then stop logging. I become complacent, and I’ll be good...for a while. But after a week or so I can no longer keep my over eating in check and need my food log again. I know that if I want to continue to be successful, I need to keep on logging.
How can you make it easier?
The right tools
Accurately logging what you have eaten is not an easy task but can be made much easier with the right tools. Keep your measuring cups handy and invest in a food scale. I bought one from pampered chef. Its battery powered and measures either in grams or ounces. I use it every day, especially when I am packing my lunch for work for the next day, or when I am portioning out a large batch of a recipe. You can get a decent food scale for under $20 and it is a huge help.
There’s an app for that
There are so many food logging apps out there that are also available on the web so that you can log your meals on your phone or using your computer. Personally, I have only used one but it has been very easy to use and helpful. I use Myfitnesspal. It is free for the standard version and has a few features that make food logging easier. First, on the phone app you can scan the UPC code of any packaged food and you will instantly have all the nutritional information logged. Second, it allows me to repeat meals so that if I have the same lunch or dinner I can just copy and paste the entire meal and make any edits to portion size as needed. Lastly, I like to cook my own meals and it allows me to input recipes and save them so that the next time I make the same recipe the information is already saved on my profile. You can even download the recipe from a webpage directly into the app.
Prelog
Part of logging is planning. When you are planning your meals you can use your food log app to calculate calories and grams of fat, carbs, and protein. It will also help you spread your calories out throughout the day so that you don’t get too hungry and start snacking. Pre-logging your daily food will help you keep track without going over your goals.
So why food log?
Because it’s worth it. If you really want to be successful, food logging is the way to go. You already know what to eat and what not to eat. We all do. Now just plan ahead and keep track and you will drop the weight sooner than you think.
