Get on the fast-track to successful weight loss

culled from:tescohealthandwellbeing.com

What if I told you that you could double your weight loss by doing just one thing? Yes, I thought that would get your attention. So what is this wonderful solution? Two words: Food tracking.
Most people use a calorie counter when they are dieting to ensure they will lose weight. But how many people track their food regularly? Keeping a food diary can be a revelation because it can expose bad eating habits and other factors causing weight gain which you may have been unaware of. Pinpointing what causes your weight gain is invaluable because once you have done this, it’s much easier to address the problem. This is why food tracking is so important.

Why should I track my food?

Keeping a food diary has numerous benefits and will teach you about better nutrition and how food features in your life. Here are some of the benefits of food tracking:

• Keeps you aware of what you are eating
• Shows calorie intake
• Identifies bad eating habits
• Helps to identify allergens/foods that contribute to ill health
• Helps to achieve correct portion control
• Identifies snacking habits
• Highlights where soft drinks and alcohol may be causing weight gain
• Shows how often you may be skipping meals
• Helps to identify trigger foods that cause overeating
• Helps to identify habits that trigger comfort eating
• Weeds out high-calorie foods/foods of poor nutritional value
• Encourages healthier eating
• Promotes better health and more effective weight loss

As you can see, there is a lot more to a food diary than just a calorie counter. Keeping track of the calories you consume is very important, but so is knowing how much you eat and when. How you feel and why you are eating, if you are eating enough or too much and if you are eating the right foods all matter too. By tracking your food, you can get a full picture of your relationship with food and can pinpoint the cause of your weight gain.

Statistics

Numerous surveys have been conducted on food tracking and all have shown that people lose weight more successfully when they track their meals. For instance, in 2008 the American Journal of Preventative Medicine published a study where 1685 overweight/obese US adults kept a food diary for six months. Those who tracked six days a week lost twice as much weight as those who only tracked sporadically. Our partner site, Tesco Diets, has seen that members who track regularly are 50% more likely to reach their target weight than those who don’t track regularly. Still skeptical? Why not give it a try and see how it improves your weight loss.

Tools for tracking

There are a few different tools to help you track so whether you are tech-savvy or prefer the written word there is something to help you make the task easy.
Apps: There are plenty of Apps to help you track your food intake with your phone or mobile device and this is handy if you are constantly on the go. Some are just a basic calorie counter while others give you a full range of nutritional information like our very own Tesco Health and Wellbeing app for iPhone and Android. Many also allow you to enter your exercise which can be offset against your calorie intake.
Phone: If you don’t have a smart phone you can still use your phone to help with tracking. Most of the basic models today have a camera so using this to photograph your food gives you a picture record of what you have consumed and can help if you find it hard to remember what you have eaten.
Notebook: The most basic food diary of all but just as useful. By writing down everything you eat, you have a full record of your food intake. Granted, you may need a calorie counter to help you total up your calorie consumption, but it also allows you to add any other information you want; such as how you are feeling, your mood, how the day in general is going. This is great if you want to identify foods that you are intolerant to or times you might be more prone to comfort eating.
Of course, there will always be naysayers and skeptics. Here are just a few of the excuses people use for why they don’t track and therefore fail to reach their goals:
“I don’t have time to track” – It takes only a minute to jot down your food, take a picture or make a few clicks of the mouse to record what you have eaten and isn’t it worth taking that little time if you are going to double your weight loss?
“It’s too complicated”: It’s only as complicated as you choose to make it. Even if you stick with a basic calorie counter or just keep a record of what you eat each day, you will see patterns emerge and this makes it simple for you to make small changes that will yield big results.
“I don’t want to be thinking about food all the time”: You don’t have to. Record it, check your results, then get on with life.
“I don’t see the point of tracking”: Doubling your chance of losing weight successfully. That’s the point.

How to track successfully

In order to make tracking work for you, here are 8 points to consider:

1. Why you are doing this: Reminding yourself you are doing this for a reason will keep you going so whether it’s for weight loss, health reasons or just to get an idea of how healthy you eat, keep your objective in mind.


2. Update regularly: It’s important to track regularly so you can get a clear picture of your food intake and eating habits. Hitting it in spots won’t give you conclusive results so track every day.


3. Be accurate: Most people tend to underestimate how much they eat. Be sure to enter the portions correctly, so you know exactly how much you are eating.


4. Be honest: Remember, you are doing this for yourself so be honest. Track EVERYTHING.


5. Review regularly: Reading back every few days will give you an idea of your eating habits and if you have had a good or bad week, you will be able to see why.


6. Track how you are feeling physically: If you suffer from food allergies, IBS or other dietary-related complaints, keeping a record of how you feel after each meal can help to isolate foods that may be causing you distress and this can prove invaluable.


7. Track your mood: By recording your state of mind when you eat, you can see if you are in the habit of comfort eating or if you tend to reward yourself with food.


8. Track the time: Are you an evening nibbler? Do you give in to the 3pm munchies? Keep tabs on the time and you can be prepared to combat those snack attacks.

Successful tracking can not only double your chances of losing weight and reaching your goal, it can teach you a lot about your relationship with food and better nutrition. Whether male or female, losing weight, maintaining or just wanting to eat healthier, your food diary