It doesn’t feel good to have extra weight in your mid-section, on your back and on your thighs that you have unsuccessfully been able to lose. That’s why, if you’re really serious about your weight loss goals, you’ve got to have a serious strategy in place. One of best strategies for losing weight is the tried-and-true food diary. Learn three reasons why it’s an essential tool for losing the fat—once and for all!
It Forces You to See What You’re Eating (and How Many Calories It Amounts To)
If you’re like most people who have tried to lose weight before, then you know how frustrating it can be to work your hardest to prepare healthy food at home, ditch the fast food, and sweat it out at the gym, only to notice that you’re not dropping many pounds despite your effort. There is a simple reason for this weight loss pitfall: you’re not able to count every calorie you consume in your head.
To be able to really control what you lose, you need to write down everything you eat on paper. The first day that you do this, you’ll see what we mean, as you’ll probably be shocked how many extra calories you’ve been ‘accidentally’ consuming.
It’s a Reminder of What You Need to Eat
If you decide to invest in a done-for-you food diary (which can be found online for only a few dollars), then consider it an invaluable and priceless investment. On any given page, you can find a list of vegetable, whole grain, fruit, protein and fiber sections—allowing you to check off how much you’ve consumed of each, for each meal. In this way, you’ll never again eat too much of the ‘bad’ stuff (fatty foods, too much bread, too little protein, etc.) and just enough of the nutrient rich weight loss foods you need to finally lose the weight!
It’s the Perfect Tool For Planning Out Your Meals
It’s tough to stick to a healthy and nutritious weight loss plan—no matter how badly you want it—if you don’t have your fridge stocked with well-planned and thought out options. Tracking your food will allow you to keep a list of essential foods handy, as well as act as a meal planner so that you write out a week’s worth of meals ahead of time. Jot down what you’re going to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next seven days, and it will soon become a healthy habit you’ll learn to love—and live by!
