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Austin, TX (I-Newswire) February 27, 2011 - Here is some fantastic advice that gets overlooked by just about everyone. This simple activity can do more to help you lose weight than just about everything else you're doing. Read on to find out what this activity is.
-- Natalie
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As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I have plenty of methods to help my clients lose weight naturally, safely and permanently. While effective, these methods often require perseverance and certainly can’t be done in five minutes. Except for this one.
In less time than it takes to check your Facebook wall, you can take a gigantic leap toward reaching your goals. How? By keeping a food journal.
I know, I know. You’ve heard it all before. But hear me out. In my eight years coaching, I’ve learned firsthand just how significant keeping a food journal is to one’s success.
I once coached a busy working mom of three young children whose demanding schedule left her little time for herself. During her appointment, my client casually mentioned that she relies on a “little coffee” to get her through the day.
My initial reaction was, “No big deal. A little caffeine is fine. Just write it all down in your food journal this week.”
Well, apparently it was a big deal. A week later, her journal revealed that her daily caffeine intake included three extra large ice coffees with plenty of milk and sugar. My client was stunned to learn that her seemingly innocent Dunkin Donuts fix added up to an additional 500 calories and an extra 18 teaspoons of sugar per day!
Not to mention the fact that all of that excess caffeine was severely inhibiting her ability to sleep well, thus throwing her hormones out of whack and causing her to hold on to belly fat (yes, that can happen).
And I was stunned that I almost didn’t catch this! If I hadn’t requested that my client maintain an accurate food journal, her caffeine habits would have remained under wraps and I would have been stuck scratching my head, dumbfounded as to why she wasn’t reaching her goals.
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I couldn't agree more. A food journal will uncover all kinds of things that you aren't aware of. I figured out that I was lactose intolerant by using a food journal. The problem had been bothering me for months, but I wasn't able to figure it out until I created a journal.
-- Natalie
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A food journal is by far, one of the most effective, inexpensive and fastest ways to achieve your goals, even if no one sees it but you! Less than five minutes a day jotting down your food and beverage intake brings to light bad habits, skipped meals, and unforeseen sabotages. And once it’s staring you in the face, you can do actually do something about it.
For example, you may be craving sweets or a high-carbohydrate snack mid-afternoon or after dinner. Your journal will always reveal to you why. Go back a few days or even a week in your journal and you may notice that you regularly skip breakfast or constantly rely on sugary snacks early in the day. These habits cause a drop in blood sugar later on, leaving you ravenous and more likely to make poor choices.
Once you discover where you are “off," it’s easy to make changes, like waking up 10 minutes earlier to prepare a quick breakfast or packing a balanced protein bar for a mid-morning snack.
A journal can also be a powerful motivation tool to keep you focused and on track. In fact, according to a 2008 research study at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health, those who kept a journal lost double the amount of weight than those who did not.
As a Nutrition Coach, I know this to be true, and I have also seen it work for all goal types, not just weight loss. There is something about the accountability (even if it’s for your eyes only) that prompts real and often times, permanent change.
If you are struggling to achieve your nutrition and fitness goals, now is the time to keep a food journal. And it doesn’t have to be a headache. Keep a small notebook in your brief case or purse, or if you’re on the computer all day, set up a word document.
Each day, record what you eat, drink, the time of day and how you feel afterwards. Simple descriptions after a meal like tired, hungry, satisfied, energized, ravenous or craving sugar can help you to unveil disastrous dietary patterns.
How long you choose to journal for depends on your goals and personality. A solid two weeks of journaling may be all you need to discover sabotaging habits and make positive changes. You may also find that journaling is so simple and effective that you continue it long term.
Just as I encourage my clients to record their intake, I rely on keeping a food journal from time to time too. About a week ago, I noticed that my energy levels were dipping mid afternoon and I’m a little, well… “softer” than normal. So I’ve been taking a few minutes each day to track what I’ve been eating and drinking, the time of day and how I’m feeling afterwards. Turns out those innocent few bites of coconut cookies coupled with a few too many low-quality pasta dinners are a bit more frequent than I realized. Oops.
There’s good news though. Now that I know, I can do something about it.
Source: http://braintree.patch.com/articles/how-to-lose-weight-or-reach-any-health-goal-in-only-five-minutes-a-day
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I know you don't want to spend the time making a food journal. But I really encourage you to. I know you think you already know what you eat on a daily basis, but I promise you'll be amazed at how bad your memory really is when it comes to what's actually going into your body.
Let me know what you think and please share today's post on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/So-Damn-Skinny-Lose-Weight-Burn-Fat-and-Look-Great/195098770515549
Think skinny,
Natalie Sawyer
http://www.sodamnskinny.com/2011/02/how-to-lose-weight-in-only-5-minutes.html
Like this? Check out my last article:
http://www.i-newswire.com/can-you-lose-weight-by-sleeping/91046
About SoDamnSkinny.com:
My goal is to make the world a skinnier place starting with myself. I hope that by sharing my experiences it will motivate others to make some changes.
Company Contact Information
SoDamnSkinny.com
Natalie Sawyer
5300 Bee Cave Rd, Bldg 3, Suite 250
Austin, TX
78746
Phone : 877-905-4445
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