Proper nutrition is a rather ambiguous concept, which everyone interprets in his own way, so many of the postulates of "proper nutrition" have significant differences. For some, this is not to eat after six in the evening, for others, this is a ban on food in fast foods, for some, it is a refusal to take flour, sweet, salty, smoked, etc. You can continue for quite some time.
Definition of a food diary
This is a document where all the food consumed is recorded. It is important to consider absolutely everything without missing a bit. It is necessary to write down the names of products, dishes, their volume, as well as the amount of energy value.
Slimming Diary is an excellent tool for controlling eating behavior. He will make it clear what kind of food you eat, what quality and in what volume. He will show where there is a violation of the diet, tell you which workouts are optimal (if any).
That is, a weight loss diary will clearly demonstrate nutritional habits. Perhaps he will push you to change them.
Where to keep a weight loss diary
There are several diary options.
1. Ordinary notebook, notebook.
Advantages:
- the speed of tuning (or rather, the lack of it);
- low cost;
- mobility.
Disadvantages:
- lack of automatic calorie counting;
- complex analysis of recorded data.
2. Microsoft Excel Application
Advantages:
- is on almost any personal computer;
- ease of use;
- it is possible to save on a flash card and open on any device where this program is installed;
- easy to count calories eaten and, accordingly, to analyze the results.
Disadvantages:
- all information must be registered independently (manually);
- create your own correct formulas.
3. Smartphone / tablet / computer, Google Drive cloud.
Advantages:
- advantages of Microsoft Excel (see the previous option);
- A file with information can be opened on any device with Internet access.
Disadvantages:
- disadvantages of Microsoft Excel (see previous version);
- a sufficiently long input of information if you work on a smartphone;
- Google spreadsheets are less functional than Excel.
4. FatSecret running on iOS, Android and Windows Phone (respectively, on tablets or smartphones).
Advantages:
- one of the best applications for keeping a weight loss diary;
- lack of payment for the application;
- intuitive interface;
- there is no need to score product names on their own, they are all in the program;
- Russified;
- you can make your own products and dishes;
- You can specify the amount of both consumed and consumed energy.
Disadvantage:
- insufficiently informative analysis of information.
How to keep a weight loss diary
In the table, which is a nutrition diary, you need to make everything that relates to weight loss.
1. Meal time. It is important to indicate both the beginning and the end of the meal, since the period of sitting at the table directly affects the amount of food consumed.
2. The main thing is directly the products and their volume. If you do not know the exact weight of the food and there is no way to weigh the dish or product that you want to eat, write it in glasses or spoons. This can then be easily translated into calories and grams using special tables. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid counting calories, as this is one of the most optimal ways to control the amount of energy consumed.
3. Another important point is why you eat food. You can eat up after a child, have a bite to eat in the company, have lunch, satisfy hunger, eat from boredom, etc. All reasons must be entered in the diary. Further analysis of these causes will help to eliminate unnecessary meals.
4. The taste of food. It is necessary to indicate (a five-point scale will be enough) how pleasant the meal was. For example, 5 - “true enjoyment of taste”, 1 - “muck”. This scale will show the real addictions in food and will make it possible to adjust the diet so that the food is not only healthy, but also tasty.
5. Fitness / sports. The weight loss diary should contain all the workouts: a stop walked on foot, playing with children, cleaning, climbing stairs, etc. This information will clearly demonstrate how much movement there is in your life, what needs to be adjusted.
6. The time when you wake up and fall asleep, the place of meal. This information is important because eating behavior changes as the environment changes.
7. It is important to remember additional factors. It is necessary to mark in the diary any trips, incidents, events. Despite the fact that, at first glance, they have no connection with food, with a subsequent analysis of the diary, interesting patterns can be found. Travel, stress, illness and other events can significantly affect the quality and volume of food consumed.
Why keep a diary
Fixing each piece quite quickly will give you an idea of the amount of calories received per day. Recall that in order to maintain weight during normal physical exertion, an adult needs 25 kcal per 1 kg of his weight.
For weight loss, the amount of energy received per 1 kg is reduced to 20 kcal.
To gain weight per 1 kg, you need to consume about 35 kcal.
In other words, for a person weighing an average of 80 kg, you need to consume 2000 kcal in order to keep the weight normal, and reduce the volume if a person wants to lose weight.
If the weight stands still and you can’t lose it, it seems that the portions of food consumed are small, the weight loss diary will clearly demonstrate where the error is in your diet and lifestyle. Perhaps you simply do not note that you eat more than necessary, or you just need to add physical activity.
Sample nutrition diary
So, you decided to keep a weight loss diary. A sample can be found below. Once again, it’s important to prescribe everything that you take, whether it is a cup of tea, chewing gum or a small piece of chocolate.
the date | The time when you get up and when you go to sleep. Sleep duration | Time to eat | The duration of the meal | Food Products | Volume (weight, size) | Calories | Taste rating | Why eat | Place of meal | Other information |
| | | | | | | | | | |
The correct weight loss diary contains all these basic points.
Mistakes
The main blunder is the quick annoyance of daily diary keeping. In this case, we must remember that there is no need to conduct it for the rest of your life. Your diet and life will be clear and available for analysis in two to three weeks.
Forgetting to prescribe only one meal, do not rush to abandon to fix everything else. If you remember what was eaten, write down, even if it will be approximately. And be sure to keep writing the rest of the tricks. If you don’t remember at all, indicate in the comments that there is no one entry. The best weight loss diary is the one that contains detailed information regarding your diet and lifestyle.
Do not forget that boiled foods have a different calorie content than dry ones. Therefore, there are two calculation options. The first option is to determine the weight of the products before cooking. The second - using the information on the sites to find a lot of already cooked food.
There will be no catastrophe if you can’t record all the calories consumed in the diary for a day or two in a two-week period.
Summary
After two weeks, a valid picture of your diet will be obtained. After analyzing all the records, you can begin to gradually change your lifestyle, eating habits, etc. At the same time, it is important not to cross out the whole past life, but to make changes to your diet gradually, concentrating on any one change. For example, over the next two weeks to increase the amount of protein consumed, while not adjusting fats and carbohydrates. After two weeks, you can make adjustments to the amount of fats and carbohydrates consumed.
Be beautiful and healthy!