Any busy mom that has successfully lost weight has discovered the ultimate secret weapon to shedding those unwanted pounds. Something that will keep you accountable. It will also show you patterns in how you eat, when you eat and the reason why you’re eating.
What is this magical thing busy moms have discovered?
A food journal. Wait before you roll your eyes and think you don’t have the time – find out why this one thing can help you. You’ll be able to shed that fat faster. Those unwanted pounds that you just can’t seem to lose no matter what.
Why Does a Food Journal Work?
Reason #1 – Exhibit More Self Control and Eat Less
A journal keeps track of what you’ve eaten. This helps in the middle of the day when you realize you haven’t eaten all day. Usually you’d eat a meal and add way more calories because you are now starving. But since you’ve been journaling you know this pattern and eat a breakfast in the morning. So, you don’t add those unwanted calories.
Reason #2 – Accountability
Being accountable for what you eat, will help motivate you to eat healthier.
Knowing you have to write down the calories for a cupcake or a soda is enough deterrent to not eat or drink those two options. You will eat less because you know you’ll have to record it later.
Reason #3 – Records Vital Information
With a food journal you don’t just record calories. You’ll record other information like the time you ate, why you ate, how hungry you were feeling and what your reactions to that food were afterwards.
You’ll learn if you eat more during certain times of the day. Or maybe you eat because you are watching TV. Being aware of when you eat and if you are actually hungry while you are eating will help you change the behavior. You’ll be able to find a hobby to do instead.
Recording how you feel after each meal is a great motivator. If you record that you had a huge energy boost after you eat an apple or protein bar you’ll be more encourage eating more of those foods.
Whereas if you eat a bag of chips and don’t feel like doing anything after or are irritable you are more likely to avoid junk food. Being aware of your reactions is half of the battle.
Busy moms gain weight for a variety of reason – you overeat from stress, you don’t eat in the morning and then eat too many calories when you do grab a bite. You don’t notice how much you eat during meals or snacks.
With a food journal you’ll be able to manage or eliminate all of these challenges. In fact recording all of this information will help you lose those unwanted pounds by figuring out how many calories you are eating in a day and where they are coming from. As you can see the food journal is your secret weapon if you are having problems shedding that extra weight.