My good friend Mandy was struggling with her weight, but couldn't seem to lose much. She claimed she ate well, but thought she just had a slow metabolism.
I felt for her, but didn't necessarily agree. I tried convincing her to keep a food diary of everything she put in her mouth. She said she didn't need to, insisting that she knew what she ate every day.
She had her thyroid tested, but that came back normal.
Later on, she needed to keep a detailed food diary while trying to solve the mystery of what was causing a possible allergic reaction. She lost weight.
In case you're wondering, I DID NOT say I told you so! I was just so happy for her, knowing she had just acquired the number one tool for weight loss. To quote Mandy - "I never realized all the little extras before and how they really add up."
This inspired me to take my own advice. Sometimes when you have been dieting for so long, you feel like you have it under control. Well, I don't, so write I shall.
The beginning of the day is easy. The kids are in school/camp, the baby is napping... Later in the day, when the baby wants to be held, the kids need bathing, feeding, playing, feeding, gotta change that load of laundry - oh the kids are hungry AGAIN?!?! Writing, or even thinking about what goes in my mouth doesn't really happen.
Solution: Strategize
Eat a good lunch BEFORE the kids get home, and plan what snacks you will have mid-afternoon (with my iced coffee, of course), so you don't end up deciding with your stomach instead of your head.
If you know you will be out of the house later, make sure to wash an apple and stick it in your bag with a bottle of water.
And on those days when you eat cake? Don't get discouraged, WRITE IT DOWN. It will probably keep you from eating three pieces, knowing that it will end up on paper.
Every cheerio, pretzel, or cracker that you pop into your mouth needs to be written down. Sometimes knowing you will have to go to the effort to write it will keep you from eating it altogether. And even if you do eat it, by writing it down you will honestly know how much you are consuming in a day.
Finishing off that bit of rice and one extra meatball that got left in the pot, 6 pretzels midday, a piece of crust from your kids toast at breakfast, and you have already added close to 200 hidden calories to your day. That's fine if you put it down in your food diary so it's accounted for. Otherwise you are looking at 1400 mysterious calories by the weeks end and wondering why you aren't losing weight. You might even think of testing your thyroid ;).
So even though we all think we know whats going into our mouths, humor me, write down for a week or two, and let the scale decide for you.
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