Why food journaling can be an effective weight-loss tool.
Did you know a simple food journal is the single most effective weight loss tool?
One study showed that the best predictor of whether a dieter will lose weight was whether they kept a food journal. Another study of over 1,600 participants found that keeping a food journal can double a person's weight loss.
According to the national weight control registry, out of 3000 dieters who successfully lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for longer than a year, food journaling was the number one behaviour they had in common.
For many women, a life free from obsessions with food, fat and dieting can be rare and unobtainable, not believing they can have the freedom to eat what they want without getting fat.
They settle for potions that are really worthless diet pills and exercise routines that bring weight loss but not freedom from the obsessions that haunt them. A journal that reveals the threads that connect our eating behaviours to what is going on in our lives and our thoughts and feelings can be really useful for weight loss.
Dispelling the myth that we binge, overeat and sabotage our weight loss efforts for no particular reason. When we can find those places where we have linked overeating with frustration or ice cream with loneliness, we can see the hidden reasons for disordered eating and weight gain.
Connecting the dots
After several weeks of keeping a Journal, patterns will emerge. To find those patterns, see if there are specific times when you restrict your eating. Are there times you are more likely to binge and overeat? Do you go for long periods without eating and then find yourself overeating in the evening? Notice if some activities or feelings trigger your desire to eat when you are not hungry in situations when you don't allow yourself to eat even though you were hungry.
One woman may discover, for example, that she frequently overeats at 4:00 pm with close observation. She realises that this is when she comes home to an empty house. Not wanting to feel her loneliness, she had reached for the refrigerator without even questioning whether or not she's hungry.
Another woman may notice that it is on those days where she is most busy and rushed at her evening meal proceeds into a binge as she turns to food to calm herself down. Some women recognised that fatigue leads to non-stop nibbling as they try to refuel while. For others, connections between overeating and fights with boyfriends or parents become apparent.
Most women discover how often they eat for emotional reasons because they are lonely, angry, bored or nervous. Many women develop a much better understanding of their metabolism as they review their Journal entries.
One woman may discover that if she goes longer than four hours without eating, she overeats. Others may realise that if she tries to eliminate carbs from her diet, she set herself up for a carbohydrate overload later on. Another woman may discover that she needs six more meals instead of three square meals a day. Your Journal keeping will help you develop the very skills and attributes you need to overcome what may seem to be an insurmountable problem.
A food journal gives you priceless information
If you're trying to lose weight, you need a food journal.
It tells you exactly what you are eating, how much, when, and how often. Think you're eating healthy? Your food log will help you determine "yes" or "no." Your food journal is a clear and accurate picture of your eating habits.
It tells you WHY you are eating and what events or circumstances trigger emotional eating. Do you eat only when you're truly hungry? Or do you eat because you're bored, stressed, tired, or because it just tastes freaking amazing? Your food journal will show you.
It tells you how foods affect your body. Does eating doritos and salsa make you want to eat the entire bag? Does eating bread give you stomach upset? Do eating veggies and healthy fats provide you with energy? You won't know until you log it. It helps you spot unhealthy habits, like mindless munching or not drinking enough water. It enables you to create a plan to deal with your personal food issues.
When you know your eating weaknesses, use this information to make tweaks to meet your weight loss goals. It allows you to easily track your weight loss progress and other healthy habits.
Keeping a food journal holds you accountable for your weight loss goals. And being accountable to yourself is a fantastic thing! Start to look at your journal with the eyes of a detective to see what info you can glean. Journaling your urges and cravings, and thoughts about food will help you make smarter choices.
Using a food journal to detect food intolerance
Food journals can also be a valuable aid to people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or any other kind of food intolerance or allergy. I have so many messages from friends saying they feel ill after they ate something and then are clueless about what it was since by then they have had a whole day of eating and cannot pinpoint what it was that made them sick.
Sometimes an adverse reaction to food can take several hours before it becomes apparent. When you have the opportunity to examine a log of all the food you have eaten, it makes it easier to find where the problem lies.
For instance, someone suffering from bloating may still remember what they ate a few hours earlier but will find it much harder to recall what they ate the last time the problem occurred, especially if it was several weeks ago. They may even find they blame the wrong food, stating, "It's the bread!" and then see in their food journal they had also snacked on peanuts on both days.
Knowledge is power
Further study of the logs may reveal many days when they had eaten bread without experiencing any problems. Still, other instances when their bloating occurred on days they had eaten peanuts or something that contains them, such as a snickers bar. Or they may find the cause of their bloating nothing to do with what they ate but the WAY they ate, in a stressful state rushing around?
Not chewing properly? Going for long periods without eating? Not eating fermented foods or gut-healing foods on a daily basis could also be reasons for bloating. This is why keeping a journal can be so valuable.
Regardless of your motivation, keeping a food journal and recording every meal, tiny snack, or sip of soft drink you consume throughout the day will make you accountable to yourself. As well as helping you keep track of what you are putting into your mouth, it will also reveal why you are doing it.
A food journal keeps you accountable.
Keep a copy of the food journal in your bag so you can jot down the times you eat and the quantities if your out and about. As well as helping you keep track of what you are putting into your mouth, it will also reveal why you are doing it. There's a lot of truth to that old saying, "Knowledge is power." Using the information you have logged in your food journal, you will be able to identify the mistakes you are making and any problems you must face.
A food diary can also help you keep track of your failings and success. If you have realised you eat more when you are lonely or bored, and this is what sabotages your weight loss efforts, then call or text a friend or family member. If you're stressed out, try a yoga routine.
Or listen to some feel-good tunes and let off some steam by jogging in place, doing jumping jacks, or dancing around your room until the urge to eat passes. If you're tired, rethink your bedtime routine. Tiredness can feel a lot like hunger, and food won't help if sleepless nights are causing daytime fatigue. If you're eating to procrastinate, open those books and get that homework over with. You'll feel better afterwards (honestly!).
Download my FREE food journal
It may seem like a tedious task to record what you eat, but I had so many AHA moments when I started food journaling. I was an everything eater; I ate when I was stressed, bored, when I procrastinated. I would starve for days or severely restrict my food, only then to binge, and then I tried to get rid of the food by purging or exercising. I was mainly in the dark about my eating until I wrote everything down.
It was one of the tools I used for my own recovery. It's a real eye-opener. I could then determine my triggers, so I knew I had to lift my vibration if I was sad. If I was stressed, I could pinpoint the trigger, and I now use EFT to help with any emotional charges that I encounter, which stops my stress eating. I have created a FREE food journal which you can download here.
You can email me your food journal, and I will email you back with some pointers and tips that will help you on your journey. Whether it's for weight loss or to combat your emotional eating, If you would like to learn more about how I help women gain food freedom, look at the packages I offer. Wouldn't it feel amazing to stop constantly thinking about food all day and not to be controlled by food?
To finally spend your valuable energy living and not fighting with yourself and struggling with eating. To stop spending your valuable time on surface-level fixes that band-aid your issues and have results that LAST. You will be eating for the rest of your life its time to end the struggle and break the cycle. Book a free discovery call with me, and we can have a chat about some of the issues preventing you from truly living your best self.
A really great resource and further reading that I highly recommend if you have issues with disordered eating are Living in the light of the moon by Anita Johnston.
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