Keeping FIT is NOT always EASY! (Part 2)

Keeping fit and healthy–is NOT always EASY!  If you set out to make some positive changes to your health, it’s likely you will find your intent is stronger than your willpower. If you’re stuck – try this.   Instead of feeling discouraged and giving up completely, one of the things you CAN do is keep a journal or diary or notes – whatever you want to call it - of your food intake each day.  What would this look like?  You could create your own template or download an APP. 

Your notes or diary should include when you eat.  Keep track of every time you eat something, even if it’s a nibble.  Don’t be shy about listing everything. No one else will see your notes. Note the exact time. 

Keep track of everything you eat.  Write down even the 1/3rd cookie you nibbled on before breakfast.  Write down the 3 peanut butter chocolate candies you ate from the office lobby and the 2 glasses of wine before dinner.

Keep track of how much you eat. If it’s a small serving – describe it in your notes. If it’s two servings, describe.  Include calorie totals next to each food.  Use a calorie tracker for this. You can find trackers easily online.  Round up to the highest total; we know that the far majority of people underestimate serving size and caloric intake.  

Get in the habit of doing this everyday, every week.   Did you know that for some people, having a concrete idea of what, when and how much they eat actually helps them cut down on their overall caloric intake?  You will begin to see patterns in your eating that you may not have truly known before.  Try it – you may find the effort worth it.