Fat Loss 4 Idiots Book

You may have heard this story before: A study was taking place on a new method of weight loss. The first step in the study was to send all the subjects home with food logs and instructions to document everything they ate and drank. The idea was, the researchers first wanted to get an idea of how participants normally ate, then to work on the changes from there. What they found when the logs were returned a couple of weeks later was unexpected: most of the people who kept food logs had lost weight! That wasn't the point of the study, of course, but it opened up a whole new theory of what could work to promote weight loss.

Why did this happen? Probably because it made people think about what they were eating. Merely becoming conscious of what was about to go into one's mouth made some people stop, think, and put it back. Have you ever stopped for a minute before you ate something--even before you bought something-- and thought about whether you really wanted to eat it or not? Has this led to a change in your behavior? When you keep a food log it makes you stop and think, "If I eat this I'll have to write it down" and it might actually lead to the decision not to eat that food.

What's keeping you from trying a food log? Often people respond to this by saying they don't want to be inconvenienced by carrying a large pad around, and moreso by forcing themselves to think about what they eat. But thinking consistently before you eat anything is the part that works to reduce your intake.

Your log doesn't have to be bulky or tedious. You can get a tiny memo pad to carry and make a plan to write down what you eat immediately after a meal. Make it as easy and enjoyable as you can, whether it's by using fun-colored ink pens or carrying a colorful notebook, having a contest with a friend, or seeing how long you can keep the log. And be sure to have a reward in mind for yourself for when you accomplish your goal!

People keep these records in varying details: Consider the following when starting to keep a food log:

1) It makes sense to put a few remarks about how the food is prepared (is it broiled chicken or fried?) and the portion size (is it a cup of pasta or five cups?) to get an idea of how much you're eating, calorie-wise after a few days.

2) Make a note of the time you ate the food and whether it was a meal or snack. You might later see that you overeat if you wait to eat breakfast at 10:00 am, but if you eat at 8:00 am it appears to be a smaller amount of food. Or, you might find that if you have a small snack at 4:00 your dinner is much smaller, but if you don't snack you are so hungry at 6:30 that you eat a larger amount of food for dinner.

3) Where were you when you ate each meal or snack (was it in the car? standing at the kitchen sink?) This can give you ideas to reflect about when you see a trend. You might find that you eat a lot more when you dine at a restaurant than you do at home. Or that you want to declare a "No Food Zone" in your living room, at your desk, or somewhere else you find that you do a lot of mindless eating.

4) Sometimes it's helpful too look at why you ate and how you were feeling when you ate, if you tend to be an emotional eater. Were you actually hungry? Or maybe just bored? Were you anxious about something and turning to food to calm yourself down? Maybe it has become a habit to munch on a bag of chips while watching a certain tv show. Consider having a column labeled "how hungry" on a scale of 1-10, or "mood" or "activity".

Linking what you eat to these situations gives you a starting place to make changes.

Challenge yourself to try a food log this week. It doesn't have to be one hundred percent perfect every day. Try writing down what you eat for 3 days this week and see if something comes to light. To start off easier, think about what you consider to be your problem times and try logging what you eat after dinner, for instance, if you eat reasonably well during the day but graze all evening before bedtime. Or keep a little pad with you when you go to parties to help you keep track of all the appetizers you ingest if you're a frequent party-goer.

Don't forget drinks, too. Some people consume an enormous amount of calories from sodas, alcoholic beverages, even drinks you consider to be "good for you" like milk and juice.

Have some fun with this project and keep an open mind. Decide to take note of foods you were just about to eat, when you remembered you would have to write it down and then stopped yourself! Keep track of these and add up how many calories you saved this week by keeping your food record.

A food log can serve you in many ways. Just try it and see.

Let me know how you're doing with your food log and what you discover! E-mail me through my website, at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com, where you can also go for diet tips, links to great books and websites, or to sign up for a free monthly newsletter!