Thursday, October 29, 2009
Food Logs for Weight Loss
I'm trying to get back to fighting weight. No, I don't think I'm "too fat" or anything like that, but I could definitely use some more muscle and could do without a few pounds. I've started a fitness routine (7:30 a.m. gym trips three days a week, some other physical activity on the weekend.)
When it comes to diet, I like to think I make good choices when I eat--I love fruits and vegetables, I don't eat meat, and I'm conscious of my portion sizes. (My awesome lunch box helps.) I do have a problem with sweets, though--if they're in the house I tend to nibble on them all day.
The tool I used for my previous weight loss is called Calorie Count, and I've started using it again. Calorie Count is a Web site from about.com that lets you record all the foods you eat, log the exercise you do, and keep track of your weight loss. Their database has pretty much every food you can think of. You'd be amazed at what's in what you're eating.
It's also full of tools like message boards, recipes and a blog with entries from doctors, nutritionists and fellow dieters. I like this article about putting your diet back on track when you slip up. And when they feature real people's stories it's really motivating.
If you're not a fan of Calorie Count, Lifehacker has a list of five other online weight loss tools you may want to check out.
Keeping a food log helps me to be conscious of what I eat--because now I write everything down. No more pinches of cookie dough from the fridge (and if I do, well, it goes in my log.)
What about everyone else? Have you ever tried to lose weight? What tools did you use to keep your diet in check? (Twitter, maybe?)
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That Twitter article is interesting. I've had a food log before and I would write it on small post-it notes. If the food I ate in a day didn't fit on the page, I would just get frustrated and throw it away. So I ended up throwing one away every day and never being able to chart actual progress. I think I agree with the idea in the end of that article. For me, it's easier to be busy with activities, eat when I'm full, stop when I'm satisfied and then go on with my life instead of writing it down...or Tweeting it. (Which would be horrendous).
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