the Food Log

[Grip of Death]

Out of a lot of strategies I've collected and used, I've found using a food log really helps. I've modified my food log so much so now it feels so easy and simple to use.

First off, what IS a "Food log"?

It's similar to a diary, essentially. It's a book where you record every single food item, condiment, and liquid that enters in your mouth.

What is a food log supposed to do?

A food log is supposed to make you accountable for what you eat. It is a completely nonjudgemental, objective method for figuring out what your eating habits consist of. Since weight gain is due to the fact that one is consuming more energy than is actually using, keeping a food log can help point out where all that energy is coming from. Also, a food log doesn't just help point out the foods you eat, but it helps you recognize what some of your habits are that may contribute to weight gain. For example, if you report to the food log that you snacked on pretzels out of a bag, you'll recognize that you were mindlessly grazing. Or, if you ate 10 cookies in one sitting, you may ask yourself "Do I really need to eat 10 cookies to be satiated for a dessert? Was I not actually hungry instead?"

Why should I keep a food log?

A food log wipes away the mystery of your eating habits. When you don't know precisely how your dietary habits are, you may feel helpless when you experience weight gain. You may not know how to pinpoint the problem. But a food log can put YOU in CONTROL of your situation. I'ts very empowering. Since you list every food that went in your body for that day, you'll know what were the strengths and weaknesses were for your food choices of that day, and you can be empowered to make good choices for yourself the next day.

You'll have a greater understanding about food in general. for example, when I was younger I thought it was normal to eat red meat more often than 1-2 days a week. Actually, it's not normal, it's pretty excessive. I found out last year that red meat is very unhealthy; it has a lot of saturated fat in it. So, with food choices that you've grown up thinking was normal... you'll find out through the food log that they were actually not good for you. But you didn't know better back then, so it's not your fault.

Thanks for telling me about this food log! I'm excited to start one! ...So how do I do it?

First off, you can check out "food logs" over the internet (google search) to help give you a visual picture of what I'll be talking about. here is a pdf file of one of them.
http://www.fitteen.com/FOODLOG.PDF

Keep in mind that you do not have to copy any food log. You are free to modify your food log in a way which is easy, free, and comfortable for you. Next, I present some guidelines for a food log.

1) Get a blank, easy-to-carry book/journal that you can write in. Or, have a place on the internet, like a livejournal, or a fitday journal, or deadjournal whatever to record just your food log. The point of the food log is to make it so easy, fun, and assessible to use that you will actually write in it regularly. I would personally recommend a lined, blank journal to write in because you can carry it everywhere, and is more conveenient to write in than an internet one.

2) Make an entry every single day. Because hey, we've got to eat each day, right? wink But list the day/month/year, and the name of the day (Sun. Mon. etc).

3) For the first line of space, list "Water". This space will always be reserved for water because it is so essential for humans to drink enough water. Next to the word "water", you will be striking off how many servings of water you drank for the day. As you already should know, humans need at least 8 servings (8 ounce cups) of water a day. Water is crucial for weight loss because it is required for metabolism. I will explain about water's role in metabolism in another topic.

4) Below the word "Water", on the other lines, you will write vertically downwards all of the foods you ate for the day. You will leave space next to each food item horizontally so that you can record information about that particular food.

5) This is one step I highly recommend for food-log starters. This is because food-log starters need to know about the caloric and fat content of their food. so it goes like this~ right beside every food item you've listed, include both the total calories of the food, plus the total fat content of that food. You can just list them as "cals" = calories, and "Fg" = fat grams.

6) For the beginners of the food log, I'd recommend recording calories and fat content for all foods for 2 weeks, to no later than 2 months. Calorie counting is a fun learning activity at first, but after you learn thouroughly about the properties of a food that you are eating, recording them will grow to be monotonous and grating. At least, this has been my experience. So, to keep food-logging fun after some time has passed, just list the food you ate.

7) To make use of recording calories and fat grams, you will need to know the correct amounts of calories and fat would be for a typical human, and more specifically, a human of your height and ideal weight. First, find out your ideal weight at a given site that calculates your BMI. That ideal weight will be your ultimate goal to aim for. Then, go to those "calorie counting" calculators to help identify how many calories you've been eating to maintain your current weight. http://www.wvda.org/calcs/fcals.htm . You'll now know you will need to eat 500 calories LESS than your CURRENT calorie input in order to drop 1 pound.

for example, let's say I was at the weight where I had to be consuming 2500 calories a day to be there. so what I would have to do is to mark my goal of eating no more than 2000 calories a day in order to lose weight.

Remember that there is 3500 calories in one pound. Therefore, by cutting back 500 calories for 7 days, you lose one pound per week.

Here's a word of caution: Do not deprive yourself of food. Do not eat less than 1200 calories a day because it's dangerous and largely ineffective. The last thing you'd want is your metabolism to shut down and put into "fat storing" mode because your body is shocked from the lack of food.

If there's any more questions on anything, or if you felt confused about anything, feel free to ask! smile

I hope this information has helped any.  

[Aeren]

this information is great. i was going to skip the whole food journaling thing, but it reminds me that it is helpful. i think i need to be aware of what is going into my mouth.  

[Fuzzykit]

Thankies for this, Grippy. whee

We had to make food logs for health studies ins chool a couple of years ago. sweatdrop I wasn't very good at keeping it cause I kept forgetting about it. >_>;

I do wish tea wasn't an antidiuretic... xp The stuff keeps me from dying from stress. Too bad some of the water gained from it is just lost... *needs to drink more during the day* ._.  

[Grip of Death]

I'm glad if my time here is helping someone out smile I plan on writing more informative topics in the near future.

I'm being helped too, by being here ^_~

so far, my food logging has been a success. i'm just listing the foods down and the amount of water I drink each day. Since I leave my journal at home, I have to remember what I've eaten when I come home from school. But keeping a food journal forces you to remember what you've eaten. It brings up your food habits from subconciousness to consciousness.  

[Aeren]

ya, i've also had to do food logs for my nutrition class. i have a computer program that will tell me all the nutrients and such of what im eating. but its kind of a pain to input all the food. i'd rather just write it down....  

[Grip of Death]

Aeren

ya, i've also had to do food logs for my nutrition class. i have a computer program that will tell me all the nutrients and such of what im eating. but its kind of a pain to input all the food. i'd rather just write it down....

I didn't know people did those things at school! My health classes in highschool never touched on the issue, and I've never taken a nutrition class. But you say you have Aeren? wooo, you go girl, maybe you can teach us some things here! Time to break out that book wink  

[Aeren]

lol. anytime you need any nutrition information, i do still have my book. i kept it because i felt it was important, while many sold theres back. i had somewhat of health classes in highschool. In college I am studying to become a nurse, so I am required to take a nutrition course. It was awesome.

My nutrition book has great information on vitamins and minerals that are nice to know. if anyone ever looks into supplements it is good to know what is exaggerated and what is actually true. they also have sections on popular supplements and what they really do to the body and such.  

[Fuzzykit]

I had a cute little book on dieting somewhere. It scared me to see how much of what was in fruit even, so I stopped looking at it. xd  

[Aeren]

now for one of my nursing classes i get to read the body clock guide to better health  

[Grip of Death]

I've modified my food journal!

After a week or so of just listing the foods I've consumed, I've decided to "check" out a new goal. Last year, I counted calories and fat grams. Now, I will currently examine sugar and sodium content of the foods I consume.  

[Fuzzykit]

Good idea, particularlt on the sodium count- far to many people consume far to much salt.

I now never salt my food, only when it's required for cooking from scratch.  

[Aeren]

and the problem is, the daily recommended value on the nutrition label isn't true, it is over the amount that the FDA really suggests, i read it in my nutrition book.  

[Grip of Death]

Aeren

and the problem is, the daily recommended value on the nutrition label isn't true, it is over the amount that the FDA really suggests, i read it in my nutrition book.

It's a good thing you mentioned the percentages of the nutrition labels. There is a big difference between the actual grams of content, and the percentage of the "recommended daily nutritional needs".

- one big problem is the percentages don't take into account gender. Females require less energy than males, and 2000 calories is probably going to be too much for a female of an ideal weight, generally speaking.

- another big problem is the lack of acknowledging lifestyles. a person with a more active lifestyle is going to require more energy than your sedentary individual.

Yes, I do count only the grams/physical content that makes up the food product, never the percentages.  

[Indie_Marauder]

wow...that was really helpful! i absolutely abhor journals, mostly because every doctor for my stomach disorders has been at me to do them, but this helped to me to see their beneficial nature! I actually copied out all that detail, so I wouldn't flake. smile I couldn't get the calorie calculator to work, though... any idea where i would be able to find one? just on the net?

you guys are great... smile thanks.  

[Emotional Klutz]

I tried doing a food log thing, but it only lasted a good 4 days, it was working too. I should have kept with it, but i thought i was into a good eating habit and didn't need it anymore, boy was i wrong. My b/f came to see me, and now i'm back to my poor eating ways. So today I'm going on a fast, just for the day, to get me back on track.