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Top 5 Reasons To Keep A Food Log - Record Your Eating Habits & Get Fit
#1 Reason To Keep A Food Log #2 Reason To Keep A Food Log #3 Reason To Keep A Food Log #4 Reason To Keep A Food Log #5 Reason To Keep A Food Log Once you have the data collected, another common mistake is to get frustrated when analyzing the numbers. You might think you're barely eating anything and then you analyze the numbers and see that your overall calories are well above your daily caloric limit. This can be resolved by viewing where the majority of the calories are coming from. Most of the time, the culprit is a small selection of foods that contain a high level of calories. For example, that delicious coffee drink you pickup each day could be sabotaging your entire eating plan by packing close to 1,000 calories from fat and sugar. This one item can easily be changed by selecting either a non-fat or unsweetened version to save you hundreds of calories and bringing your overall caloric intake down to a manageable level. ShapeFit has a FREE online food tracking program called
"FitTracker"
that includes all of the items discussed above such as food and
exercise tracking, photo tracking, graphs, charts, and much more!
Along with tracking tools, members can socialize by posting questions
and answers in forums and create groups to help each other reach
their fitness goals. Signup
today for FREE! By Kris Bierek
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It's
extremely important to keep a food log mainly because it keeps you
conscious of the foods and liquids you consume every day. Many people
eat unconsciously whether they are at work snacking throughout the
day or at home on the couch watching TV at night with their favorite
comfort food. People have a hard time really understanding the amount
overall calories they consume until it's actually documented to
review and analyze. A food log instantly puts the hard data in front
of you so you can see the breakdown of nutrient information like
how many grams of protein, carbs, fat and overall calories you're
eating every day. This food data is great for the beginner to see
a snapshot of how the total daily intake compares with how many
calories their body burns each day. This is critical for success
with any weight loss program. For the advanced athlete, a food log
allows them to drill down the numbers and make finely tuned adjustments
to their overall macronutrient breakdown in order to optimize their
diet to increase athletic performance.
The
three rules for successfully tracking your food intake are (1) records
all food and liquids, (2) records all quantities consumed and (3)
make small changes for long term success. The first rule is to record
everything you eat and drink each day. Its important to document
absolutely everything since you really need to get an overall understanding
of how many calories are coming in. Along with logging the foods
and liquids, the second rule is to track the specific quantities
of each item since you need to know how much of what item is being
consumed. Recording "pizza" is not enough when keeping
a food log. 1 slice of pizza is a lot different than a entire large
thick crust pizza when calculating overall calories, so make sure
to record the quantity also. The third rule is to make small changes
once you have gathered the data. Small changes can lead to big results.
Simply switching from regular soda to diet soda can drastically
cut your daily calories and lead to substantial weight loss. Habits
are hard to break and when someone is overwhelmed with having to
make major changes with their eating plan, it usually leads to the
person getting frustrated, feeling deprived and reverting back to
their old habits. Making small changes each week is the best way
to succeed with keeping a food log and making healthy food choices
for a lifetime.
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