Week 1 Assignment: Start a Food Log
Assessments are done. Goals are set. It’s go time! We are so excited to kick off the 6 Week Fat Loss Challenge this week. Each week you’ll get a new fat loss assignment that will make it easy for you to meet your fat loss goal.
This week’s assignment is to start a food log you’ll use to keep track of everything you eat and drink. You can use an app such as MyPlate or MyFitnessPal or even just a pen and paper. But be sure to record everything including dressing on your salad, cream or sugar in your coffee, condiments on your burger, etc. Make a note of portion sizes and the times of your meals and snacks.
Food logs have been proven to be effective in helping people meet their weight and fat loss goals. In fact, a recent study following 1,800 men and women over a six-month period showed that those who kept a food diary lost 50 percent more than those who did not.
Why is tracking your food so helpful?
- Awareness: It can be eye opening to see everything you’ve put in your body at the end of the day. Most of the time people underestimate what they’re eating. It can be easy over the course of a busy day to lose track of everything you consume.
- Accountability: Tracking everything makes you pause to think about what you’re eating and drinking. You may be more likely to make healthy choices knowing you’ll have to “own up” to everything you eat in your food log.
- Patterns: Your food log will help you see patterns in your eating. For example, you may notice you snack more on work days or consume the majority of your calories in the evening. This information can be helpful in making a connection between your daily habits and how they affect your diet.
