I Decided to Start A Food Journal. I will get a notebook and start tomorrow morning. I hear that helps with weight loss. Maybe, I can figure out why I'm overeating and how to resolve it. Anyone using a Food Journal? Has it helped speed up the weight loss?
Yup....i does help. I used to be against it because the idea of writing down everything I ate was daunting. I decided though that enough is enough and I started about 3 1/2 weeks ago along with increasing my exercise and I am 8lbs lighter right now (10lbs by my scale). You should go ahead and give it a try.
Before I started journalling I used to eat up to 5 or 6 slices of bread with peanut butter per day. Since I started, I have only had it twice (and its within my calorie limit for the day). Before I eat anything I always refer to my book to see if I have enough calories left.
Oh Vickie it's a must...just being able to see what you ate or plan on eating. It's hard to imagine NOT keeping track of my food. I use an application on my Iphone that has an electronic database of just about any kind of food including restaurant and fast food places. They also have a website. I use My Fitness Pal...but there are several websites that do the very same thing. It's an absolute must for me, I never eat any kind of "new" food without including it in my day. I can also go back and see what I was doing when I had a significant drop in the scale, where I plateaued or where I gained. It's a great tool to keep you on track...
Here are my facts. I refused to keep a food journal for 35 years and always failed to lose weight. This time I accepted that I needed to keep a food journal and have lost 98 pounds. My experience is that journaling is necessary.
I think that it is great that you are going to try it!
Food journaling really showed me a lot about myself and my eating habits. I kept one for 1 month before starting my journey, I didnt restrict my meals, try to calorie count, just documented everything about how I was eating - and I was amazed to really look at it. I think the first words that came to mind was "NO WONDER WHY I'M FAT!" - fast food twice a day, entire bags of chips and dip with multiple candy bars, a 2 liter bottle of soda a day... my calories were regularly 3000-5000 a day and the 3000 calorie days were on days where I thought I was being good!
It really will show you how you are eating and what direction you need to be going in. I found it helpful to write down where I was eating, what I was doing while I was eating, what I was doing just before I chose to eat and what I was feeling. I learned that most of my calories came during TV time at night or when I was bored. I also learned that sometimes if I chose to drink water when I thought I wanted to binge, I was actually thirsty and NOT hungry!
Hands down, keeping a calorie count and food journal has really saved me. Not only do I know how much I am eating, but I can track how my emotional and physical changes effect my eating habits. Keeping a journal has helped to keep me accountable, and I write everything down. Definitely give it a try!
I'm going to echo what has been said and say that YES, it is VERY helpful. Whenever I stray I stay (at the same weight) and when I choose (to journal) I lose (weight)!
Yes, it is very important to keep a food journal. I would not have gotten where I am today with out keeping tract of all of the food I eat. I actually use a software program to track mine . Good luck achieving your goals in 2010 and beyond! Faith
Vickielou, who knows...this one small thing may just be the ONE factor that makes this journey possible for YOU. You've got to find that "it" factor. Embrace it...
Just a "me, too" here. A friend of mine once said "I do best with things when I pay attention to them". That seems so simple, but it is absolutely true: you have to pay attention to your eating and your choices, or they start to unravel. Journaling is a great way to pay attention.
I recommend you keep an exercise log as well--not so you can "eat back" your calories (which I don't think is a good idea), but so that in a year you can look back and see your evolution. I really, really wish I had done this: I know where I started and where I am now, but I am pretty vague on the transitions.
Yes...a food journal is one of the most important tools for longterm weight loss and learning to 'live' with food.
There are so many benefits to writing down what you eat. It helps you be accountable for what you actually eat. It helps you strengthen your motivation. I think it can help build your confidence. Also, it can help you recognize and solve problems.
A journal can include anything related to food and eating, etc. I also make note of things like: eat when seated only, taste food, slow mindful eating, leave a bite of food, lots of water, exericsie, feelings around food, trigger situaitons, etc.
I use a nice spiral notebook. It's so easy that way. Some folks like to use the computer.
Last edited by Beverlyjoy; 06-16-2010 at 08:57 AM.
I've considered doing a paper journal, because I like the flexibility it offers to track more than just food and calories. But I know that I'll only do it consistently if it's easy. Since I'm on the coputer all day, using an online food tracker like MyPlate or FitDay is enough for me. MyPlate only keeps my info for a week (because I won't pay for the "gold" membership), but I really only use it as a touchstone for where I am today and maybe yesterday.
I've found it to be a critical thing to keep me on track.
I track everything I eat on my iPhone I think it's important to keep track by paper or digitally....the weeks I don't track but "eyeball" my portions are the weeks I see a gain.
Decided to Start A Food Journal.
Sorry to be corny, but it's true! 
. Good luck achieving your goals in 2010 and beyond! Faith
I think it's important to keep track by paper or digitally....the weeks I don't track but "eyeball" my portions are the weeks I see a gain.
