This is one of the things I get asked an awful lot about- How do you keep track?? Do you plan it all out?? and the honest answer to most people is no I do not plan it all out. I try my very best like most to plan lunches depending on what is happening that week, but breakfasts and dinners are pretty much planned as I go. I do track what I eat daily though – as close as possible to what I have consumed. I honestly believe there is no better tool- be honest, and write it-
the good, the bad and the ugly!
I have been trying to think of how I started monitoring what I ate so closely, and I guess it was back in my Weight Watchers days. As part of the plan you would keep a ‘tracker’ in order to log your food and count up your ‘points’. I remember the weeks I would be totally honest and I would do well and the weeks when I just wrote what suited me, I did not. It really was as simple as that. I think the concept of writing down what you eat is much more a psychological thing than anything else. It gets your mind going and makes you stop and think about the types of things you may be putting into your body.
The food diary is also essential to identify trends and patterns in one’s diet. The key is to be honest. Anyone in the nutrition/fitness industry that you go to for advice will first of all like to see what your are currently eating and the best way to present that is in a food diary. The more you can write down the better-
I always remember from my days in Weight Watchers; if you bite it, you must write it.
When I say write, I do not mean literally. There are many ways to record a food diary these days. At the moment I use an app called ‘MyFitnessPal’, It is an american based website that allows you to track what you eat. You can set your own goals, add recipes, add your movement and keep in touch with other people who might be going through the same journey as you.
The idea of a food diary – however great as I think it is, all depends on the end goal as well. When I first began watching what I ate as such I was so obsessed with points and of course losing weight on the scales. That was before I was even remotely educated about food, nutrition and the body. I would be frantically adding ‘points’ daily and saving ‘points’ so I could splurge on drink and crap all weekend. I would use my last few points most days for a bar of chocolate or packet of crisps.?!? Even though it was somewhat moderated surely that was not good for you!!!! In saying all that, this was the base level. My first dabble in ‘healthy eating’ and it helped me shed over 4 stone – so I will give it credit for that.
These days my food diary looks a little bit different 🙂 I have learned so much more about food over the years since my WW’s days. I no longer fill the gap with crap he he!! I turn to clean wholesome foods and I try my best to make it interesting and of course tasty. There are so many products out today that mean you can enjoy treats too and they do not have to be loaded with sugar!! I have been given numerous different food plans since I changed my approach to clean eating and even following a plan- I have always kept a food diary of sorts. A piece of paper in work, a notebook at home, or on my phone ?! Anywhere I could to just make sure I was following the plan. One thing is for sure I have always done well with this approach.
This year I am trying to take it up a notch and I have began Carb Cycling. I use ‘MyFitnessPal’ to log my meals and to work out my macro- nutrients consumed everyday. Carb cycling is based on the concept of having a mixture of low/med/high carb days in the week. I am one week in and I am 3.5kg’s down !!!!! Probably lots of lost water here post Christmas but still I will take it with both hands!! I owe this loss and many others to my strict food diary filling and being 100% honest with it and therefore with myself.
If you are asking yourself; Should I bother writing it down? My answer is YES write it down. Keep it simple and do not get bogged down in the detail. The most important thing is that you are now becoming accountable to the most important person- YOURSELF!
Thanks for reading,
Keep it Clean,
Love, Michelle xx
