The 50 Million Pound Blog

Personally, i feel that food journals definately work. On my I-Phone i downloaded an application called Livestrong(it's also a free website you can sign up on Livestrong.com). It's pretty cool, it keeps track of your meals snacks,workout sessions, weight, ect. It even has animated diagrams of exercises. It's amazing to me that it took this tool for me stay structured in my eating. i've been doing it since I joined 50 million pound challenge and have already lost 15 ponds.

Just wondering if anyone who has had success work at night? If so, how does it affect your your diet and the times that you eat.

Dee

Food journals are very essential for overall success. As a personal trainer I have noticed the individuals that report to me what they are eating daily has the best results.

When I changed primary care physician on the first appointment my dr told me make a two week food diary and when I noticed how much bread i was consuming it made me not want to eat any more bread. So I have cut down some. It is hard to make changes but it only takes 21 days to change a bad habit and since Sept 2 the first day of Ramadan (the fasting holiday for the Muslim community) I do not eat that much bread because i am so thirsty and because I want to make sure that i get enough protein to last me for the next day.

Eating vegetables also is important as well as fruit. Since the hurricane food is almost a luxury if you do not have enough stored in your homes so it very important that I eat good things since not much is available. So if you are not or have not done please do so that you can see what is making you put on the pounds!

I began in 8/2007. When I began I had lost 14 pounds. Since joining I have lost 27 more pounds. Now, I am not gaining but I am not losing either. I have 70 pounds to go. I can't seem to get myself going to exercise, drink the water or journal. Any tips on getting back on track. Help!!!

I think that the food journal helps me alot. I dont want to write down things that I know that I shouldn't be eating. It keeps me motivated and wanting to stay on track. I carry a small little note pad with me and simply jot down what i eat and how much!

If i have a bad week, then ican go back and see what i did wrong.If I stuck with my diet good, then i know that i need to increase my cardio!

I have an appointment book and I schedule my meals and my water (using the 30 day meal plan from Dr. Ian) just like a date. I sit down the night before and book my meal plan. In the morning I check my schedule and begin my day with 2 servings of water and my breakfast. Every 2-3 hours I eat and drink. I have found that when I use the appointment book I stick to the plan better and it is cool to see my progress as to how much of the food I actually eat. As I complete my appointed meal time I "X" thru the time and give my self (1)check for food and (2) checks if i had a water as well. As you all know there is a lot of food and when we do it right, we are rarely hungry. I only do one entry day at a time becuase it allows me time to review and listen to Dr. Ian daily. Also seeing all the info written down too soon was overwhelming to me. I did not do this for the first week, when i began the Challenge. But when I finally did begin to manage my meal time, I began to see a change. Also I prayed and thanked God everyday for the changes I needed to make. (SMILE) Keep looking up and we can do this together.

I agree with Julia Fuller, I have tried Weight Watchers in the past and lost up to 35 lbs in their 3 month session and then a year later but it back on and more. I have also tried the food journal and my aunt two years ago gave me one of her extra ones to keep track. I did it for nearly 6 months and did not see much with weight loss either, however it made me conscious about what I was eating. I hate doing the calorie count to see what I am eating and how much calories it is, which some things do not really give a calorie count such as fruit so I had to rely on about.com/calorie counter or the book counter. Sometimes their calories were not equated with the same number. It became discouraging...what are some other tips?

When I journal my food, I am holding myself accountable. If I gained weight during the week, I can go back to the journal to see where I can improve my eating. Also, it's on paper so I know I don't have anyone or anything to blame but myself and the decisions I made. With that said, writing down everything I eat is the 2nd biggest challenge for me (behind excercise), but I see a difference in my decisions and on the scale when I do it. Planning my meals ahead of time by writing in my food journal (in pencil) also helps me to see when I need to say no to a particular food choice.

If you want to improve your health, I suggested talking with your physician for the best route to go. It sounds like you are trying your best to do what you can to improve your health but they just seem to not work. If exercising and going to jenny craig and weight watchers isn't working, you may want to inquire about lap band or gastric bypass surgery. I have seen much success with both procedures but there are also other risks involved. Not only do you need to be motivated for surgery but you have to want to change your lifestyle and have a great support system in place. Talk to your physician and see what's best for you.

Please Please help me I am 4"11 and I weigh
234pounds and I have tried every diet on the
market with no sucess, Ive even paid for Jenny
craig and weight watcher just to lose 5 to 10
pounds and once I stop I would gain more weight than I lost. I am 53 years old and I want to improve my health, I have no engery, I am depress all the time .

WHAT MAKES FOOD JOURNALS SO IMPORTANT WHEN LOSING WEIGHT.