food journal

How to use a food journal:

Now that you have all your I am goals down we can start the daily writing and accountability!!

1st page: Daily write about your struggles, your mood, your thoughts ect...

~ this is a place you can see what triggers you have for certain food habits, when your weak, when your emotions control your food choices, and to look back on your success !

Then on your next page write what you ate... Why?

Writing down what you eat keeps you accountable to what you choose to eat.( especially when no one else is around ) When I started a journal it helped me to stay on track as I was getting closer to my goal. I also used it to keep calories, protein grams and utilize that for future meals.

Now... many of you say " i don't count calories. It's to much work or you don't know how"

I have found a few tools to make that simple. Go to your google search and enter " calories in _____" You name it you can find it. If you don't have a label to read don't let that discourage you from knowing what your eating. If your eating out go to that restaurant website and look at the nutritional facts sheet. We can make good choices even when eating out!!

For me I simply used this format below:

Breakfast: 7:00am

2 egg whites/1 egg calories:112 protein grams:13.2

1 slice of bread Cal: 70 g: 5

1 tsp almond butter cal: 31.7 g: 2.5

2 tbsp salsa cal: 10 g: 2

Water: 16oz.

Total: cal- 223.7 g-22.5

Snack: 9:20am

Meal details

c: g:

H2O:

Gym: 9:30 am / water 24oz-48-oz

lunch: 12:00

Meal details:

cal: g:

H2O:

snack:2:30

Meal details:

H2O:

Dinner:5:30

Meal details:

cal: g:

H2O:

Snack: 7:30

H2O

Daily Totals:

Cal: G: H2O:

I would write down how much water I drank, all the foods, calories, grams of protein and the time I ate. Time is a way to see your eating schedule. The best way to speed up your metabolism and utilize your food is to eat every 2.5-3 hours.

I also, tracked my protein because I was training hard. I had lost 40lbs. and was not gaining much muscle or definition. I learned that protein is so important. I found what my ideal protein intake needed to be and the journal help me stay on track. I did my best to consume 24 grams each meal/snack.

Writing water intake, I believe, is so important. So, you can really see how much you are drinking. We sometimes think we are really drinking enough but the truth is we usually aren't drinking enough for what our bodies need daily.

I always wrote everything down!! It's a tool to stay accountable to yourself. If you eat a cookie or a bag of snack food... WRITE IT DOWN!

I believe that you need a purpose behind why your loosing weight. Mine was to be healthy, to feel good about my body, to set an example to my kids and to love myself enough to care and change!! A Journal can help keep you focused on your purpose and your goals.

I hope this tool can be one that helps you

TODAY

to make healthy changes

1st steps

Whenever we start thinking of losing weight or wanting to change the way we eat. It can be an overwhelming start.

So let's make it simple instead of overwhelming!!

1st, get a journal

2nd, write 3 goals

EX: My goals

I am an inspiration

(by being healthy with my food choices, my thinking, my attitude choices, my physical activity

and pushing through the tough times by not letting them keep me down)

I am physically fit

(I can do push up's on my hands, I can run and feel good, being a healthy weight/size for my build)

I am confident

(I can look in the mirror and not be depressed but PROUD & beautiful!)

You choose one's that speak about you. Take sometime to write "I am's" that you WANT to be and that you can envision yourself being. I believe that one of the ways to true healthy living starts in our mindset. I thank my personal trainer/friend Lori & my Loving husband, for speaking positivity and constant encouragement to me. I learned that the way I think of myself and what I say to myself on a daily basis is what can keep you going!!

So spend today thinking about your "I am" goals. Then we can move on to what you can put in your journal next!!

~We have to start with our "mental" as we move into

making the "physical" changes we desire ~

till the next post... why & how to journal?