Week 5: Keep a Food Journal

Fitness & Food

This post may include affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.

food-journal-5

Wow- we’ve been doing our fitness challenge for a whole month! Anyone noticing any difference in how they feel or look yet? I’ve figured out that while sugar is definitely my biggest challenge, I can keep my cravings in check in a couple of ways: I have to make sure I eat a meal before I’m too hungry or else all I want is cookies. Also, if I desperately need something sweet, I eat a couple pieces of really good dark chocolate. (I buy the bulk dark chocolate discs at WinCo…they’re delicious!) But above all, I have to write down what I eat. It never fails, regardless of how well I may think I’m eating, I’m always surprised when I write it down.  “8 oreos??  Really?  I could’ve sworn it was only 2…” It helps me be more intentional in what I eat and also ensures that I don’t indulge too often. Never fails!

Putting my food journal on a sheet of paper up on my fridge helps too because then everyone coming into my kitchen can see it!  (This is no joke. Many a time it’s only been the thought of Luke reading “lunch: an entire banana cream pie” that’s stopped me from making really regrettable food decisions).

Lately I’ve been realizing that I’m not eating enough…well, at least of the right stuff at the right time.  Anyone with a life can fall into the trap of eating unhealthily because you’re on the run…or just eating your kids’ leftovers because honestly, after feeding and cleaning up after everyone, who has the energy to make a salad?!? 

If you’re into using your phone for your journal, I love the My Fitness Pal app! It helps calculate calories too (if desired) which always helps me to know what daily calorie goal to aim for. I often have no idea how many calories I should be taking in. Both eating way too many as well as too few can sabotage weight loss goals.

Good luck keeping track this week!  What do you think you’ll discover when you start writing it all down?

Follow this link to Week 6!

previous article
next article

4 Comments

  • Reply
    Erika
    April 12, 2016 at 10:36 am

    I use the Lose It app to track my food but I’ve gotten a little lax lately, time to start paying more attention!

    Someone at work yesterday told me I was looking good which made my Monday! I’ve been doing pretty well with drinking water and getting more sleep. Sugar is still a struggle. I’ve found I just can’t have any at all because once I get a small taste I just want more and more. I do pretty well during the week, it’s the weekend, with all it’s social activities, that trips me up. Still fighting a bad cough so having trouble with the HIIT but I’m still trying.

    • Reply
      Bonnie
      April 15, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      Get it girl! That’s awesome that someone noticed your hard work! I seriously feel like sugar is the most addicting drug out there. Maybe I’ll start a support group: Sugarholics Anon.

  • Reply
    Erika
    April 17, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    Hello, my name is Erika and I am addicted to sugar.

  • Reply
    Week 4: Drink Water
    April 23, 2016 at 5:51 pm

    […] Week 5 is this way! […]

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.