Over in our Nutrition Lifestyle group, I have asked the girls to track their meals, not only for me, but for themselves. I, too, have been tracking my meals (can’t expect them to do it if I don’t!) and have been pretty regular for the past two weeks.
I asked them to either write it down in a notebook or use a meal tracker app such as myfitnesspal. I like myfitnesspal best for many reasons. You can see your percentages of fats/proteins/carbs and calories, you can connect then with runkeeper and fit bit and if the girls friend me, I can look at their meals on the app if they make their information public.
What have I learned from tracking?
After two weeks of tracking (and now 2lbs down 🙂 ) I have learned a few things about my eating habits.
- I snack.. a lot. 🙂 I am constantly looking for something to put into my mouth, even minutes after finishing a meal. Not good. Tracking forces me to stay away from snacking –for one, then I have to take the time to track it and two, I have to look at it on my tracker.
- On my slower, less active days, I eat too much. I tend to eat the same amount on days that I burn tons of calories as the days that I am sitting behind my desk all day. Tracking shows me how to stick within a good calorie range, based on my activity level.
- I eat too many carbs and not enough protein. Ironically, even my body tells me when I have not had enough protein, but my energy levels. Tracking allows me to make sure I stick within a healthy, comfortable range for both. I have no troubles eating enough healthy fats. 😉 Nor do I worry too much about them as I know my body feels better with higher fats.
- I can finally drop some weight. I have been working to drop some weight for about 6+ months now, but with all the health and mold issues, it has been almost impossible. BUT by tracking it has allowed me to finally drop some weight.
Is tracking right for everyone?
Maybe not. It might feel cumbersome and time consuming to some people and I totally get that. Do you know how many times I have started tracking my foods on a Monday only to stop by Tuesday? I guess it has to be a decision you are ready for. If you struggling with weight loss and feel you have tried everything else, tracking might be the answer. You don’t have to do it every day either. I suggest 3-4 out of the 7 days and always one weekend day. That can give you at least an idea of how you are doing.
Success comes from really wanting it and you cannot out train a bad diet. So if your stuck, take a closer look at what’s going into your body!!
