Lose Fat Faster with a Food Diary

Keeping a food diary is an effective weight loss method. A food diary is a list of the foods and beverages you consume throughout the day. Once you’ve completed your daily food diary, you’ll be able to analyze it and see what foods are causing you to gain weight, what foods are missing from your diet and what situations and emotions triggered eating.

Rather than filling out your food diary as you eat your foods during the course of the day, though, leave the task until the evening. In fact, make a little ritual out of it. Get yourself comfortable on the couch with your food diary, your water bottle and an online calorie calculator.

As you begin recalling and recording what you’ve eaten throughout the day, you will proceed with the mindset that your eating for the day is done and is now being recorded for posterity. You are now looking back on your day’s eating – there is no way that you are going to add anything new to your list; it doesn’t work that way.

As you write down the foods that you’ve eaten, also record how you were feeling at the time you ate them, along with the situation you were in. If you identify that, during times of stress, you are eating more than the usual amount or you’re eating junk food, you can probably identify yourself as an emotional eater. An emotional eater is someone who eats in response to stress.

Once you have listed the foods that you’ve eaten, along with the way you felt and the situation you were in, you will now be able to identify your psychological triggers. Psychological triggers are situations that cause certain behaviors on your part.

So, what can you do with this information? If you know that you are going to face a stressful situation, you can either avoid the situation all together, or substitute another behavior, i.e. instead of watching TV, read a book.

In conjunction with analyzing the emotional and situational factors associated with your eating, you can benefit greatly by tracking your calorie consumption by way of your food diary. In fact, many experts belief that tracking your calories is the single most important thing you can do to improve your eating habits.

There are a number of ways to easily and conveniently track your calories. The first is by using a mobile app. A great app that makes it really easy to input your foods and keep track of how many calories you’re consuming is Lose It.

You can download LOSE IT here.

Of course, you may prefer to record your calories the old school way, which is in your food diary, along with the information we’ve already discussed. You can use a whole host of websites to find the calorie content of the foods you eat.

Most calorie counting recommendations suggest that you only do so for a week, or two at most. However, the very act of sitting down and thinking about what you’ve been eating is a great psychological aid to weight control. Sitting down and going over your good, and possibly not so good, food choices throughout the day is going to make you very unlikely to reach for any extra calories. That’s why you should get into the food diary habit and set aside time every night to contemplate your daily caloric consumption.

Action Plan:

Step One

Go out and purchase yourself an attractive food diary. Keep it in a handy spot and take pride in completing it every day.

Step Two

As you go through your day, remember that you will be recording what you’re about to eat in the food diary. How will you explain that chocolate chip muffin to yourself tonight?

Step Three

Have a set time each night when you sit down and complete your food diary. Put on some soothing music, put your feet up and enjoy this time to do something just for you. Have your water bottle with you and sip from it as you complete your diary.

Step Four

Analyze the results of your food diary. Identify trends in terms of situational and emotional eating. Look for ways that you make changes in order to overcome any unwise eating choices that you have identified

Your Eating Out Survival Guide

Eating out is one of the great enjoyments of life. The good news is that eating out doesn’t mean that you have to sabotage your diet. In this chapter, you will discover the 6 steps that will allow you to enjoy the best of restaurant fare while staying on track with your Miracle Fat Loss plan.

Step 1: Avoid GM Foods

9 GMO Foods to Avoid:

(1) Corn

(2) Soy

(3) Refined Sugar

(4) Papaya

(5) Canola

(6) Cotton

(7) Dairy & eggs

(8) Zucchini

(9) Conventional meat

Check if the restaurant uses GMO corn, soy, and canola oil.

Hidden GM Foods to be aware of:

Aspartame
Ascorbic Acid
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Maltodextrins
Yeast Products
Hydrolized Vegetable Protein
Sodium Citrate

Step 2: Ask Questions

Don’t to be shy to ask to speak to the restaurant manager. Here are some key questions to ask:

Where do they buy their produce?
Do they use organic, grass-fed meats?
What type of oil do they use?
Do they import their cheese?
Ask your server which is the healthiest dish?

Step 3: Analyze the Menu

Unhealthy buzz words to be aware of . . .

Golden
Crispy
Battered
Crusty
Deep Fried
Pan
Loaded
Jumbo
Stacked
Creamy
Cream
Cream Sauce
Casserole
Chowder
Bisque
Alfredo
Curry
Sweet and Sour
Coated
Dipped in Batter
Wrapped In
Puffed Pastry
Pastry Shell

Step 4: Heighten Your Healthy Food Radar

Check what dishes the restaurant makes to order – check if you can substitute out unhealthy items
Look out for steamed vegetables, poached fish and poached eggs
Make your own salad dressing with olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice
Refuse sodas, sweet tea and sugary mixed drinks
Check if the food is made from scratch
Check the menu for the following words:
wild caught
grass fed
organic
locally sourced

Step 5: Have a Survival Kit

Sometimes, you will find yourself at a restaurant with no good eating options. At these time, having a food survival kit can be a life-saver. This often happens when you’re traveling. The following survival kit foods will always give you a way out:

Whole avocado
Nuts
Lemon
Organic Almond Butter
Chia Seeds
Organic Green Powder

Step 6: Know What Fast Foods to Avoid

Always avoid these foods at fast food restaurants . . .

Condiments: ketchup, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce
Soda
Any fried food

Here are your healthiest fast food options . .

McDonalds:

Order a Grilled Chicken Deluxe – without the high fat sauce. Instead add ketchup and extra lettuce and tomatoes. To enhance that feeling of fullness have a water bottle with you and drink about 12 oz with your burger. Slow down while eating your fast food burger. The Grilled Chicken Burger will give you the protein and carbs to replace one of your daily meals.

Taco Bell:

Go for a Grilled Chicken Burrito – it’s low in calories, low in fat and contains a serving of protein and carbohydrates. Ask for extra lettuce and tomatoes. You can have all the salsa you want. Stay away from the cheese and sour cream though. If you don’t feel like a Grilled Chicken Burrito, go for a Chicken Soft Taco.

Burger King:

Ask for a BK Broiler Chicken – You want the lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard – but not the mayo. You don’t want any of that high fat special BK sauce either.

Wendy’s:

Chicken Salad: Wendy’s offer fat free ranch or Italian dressing to go with your salad. Just hold the cheese and breadsticks. Of course, you can also opt for the grilled chicken sandwich.

Subway:

Roast Turkey Sub: The six-inch turkey breast sub with pickles, jalapeno peppers, lettuce and tomato is the best choice here. Ask them to hold the mayo and oil. You can top the sandwich off with vinegar and a little salt and pepper.

KFC:

Tender Roast White Meat Without the Skin: Try the tender roast white-meat chicken pieces without skin and a small serving of mashed potatoes and gravy. Make sure to order the chicken without the skin – that’s where most of the fat is.