Get Back to Record-Keeping & Regain your Control
Getting off track with our eating, getting frustrated because we're not losing, or possibly gaining weight, is a common occurrence. The most common reason for backsliding is that we have lost sight of our goal. We stop thinking about why we started "dieting” in the first place. Maybe life events have gotten us off track?
No matter what the reason, the easiest way to get back on track is to get back to record-keeping. The first and perhaps most important lifestyle behaviour you must learn is to keep records. Ideally you will record eating, exercise, and weight. The reason for this is awareness. Awareness is a key step in changing habits. You may already know a great deal about your habits and your weight patterns, particularly if you have kept records from an earlier program; however, you will be surprised by how much more there is to learn. The awareness you gain from record-keeping has several benefits:
You learn about calories. There are calories lurking where you least suspect. Ten innocent potato chips contain 110 calories, more than five cups of plain popcorn. Becoming a calorie expert ensures you won't be derailed by calorie surprises.
Also, you become aware of what you eat. You might be thinking, "Of course I know what I eat.” However, one does not always recall the exact number of corn chips consumed at happy hour, the ounces of cereal poured into the bowl, or the two mini Halloween chocolate bars from a colleague's desk. These are forgotten calories; sometimes, because we like to forget them!
Knowing exactly here you stand with the day's calorie count permits you to judge whether you can "afford” certain foods.
Keeping track allows eating patterns become clear. You may discover that most of your eating is done between dinner and bedtime. Another person might eat throughout the day. Some people eat when they have certain feelings (anger, anxiety, etc.) and others find they eat when doing something else (watching TV). Knowing your patterns is a big help in changing habits.
So, record everything; forget nothing.
Record the food, the amount, and the calories.
Record immediately after eating.
Carry the Food Diary always.
Our perception of food intake is almost always less than what it really is. Similarly with exercise; we're usually burning far fewer calories than we thought.
If you record, and keep recording, it will lead you to change the types of food you eat, and the amounts. More importantly it will heighten your awareness of those mindless calories such as the handful of peanuts or the bowl of cereal late at night.
Don't allow yourself to get frustrated. Try to learn how to get yourself back on track. Record what you eat, when you eat, and why you eat. This will get you back to your goal quickly.
You can do it, just don't ever give up trying!
Dr. Doug