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After working as a dietitian with people for several decades, one of my measures of potential client success is when a person is willing to commit to keeping a record of food intake.
Any log, whether you call it a log or journal, is a pathway for discovering food behaviors. I know the person who keeps the food log is ready to take action and has moved past vague notions that they need to change their eating patterns.
Plus, keeping a food log has been shown to result in significant change in improving food behaviors. A study reported that subjects who kept food logs for 26 weeks lost more weight than those who do not.
What is required to track your food intake? In my work, I give several options to clients and suggest that they get started on one, with the main objective being to show me a record at the end of several weeks. I’ll explain some of the options and note advantages of each.
Perhaps the simplest method for many people is to get a notebook and write down what you eat as you go through the day. Computer users may type a daily log into a file.
In general, record when, what, how much you eat. Record even no-calorie foods, such as water, because this may be important. If it’s relevant, note specifics, such as calories or carbohydrates.
A food log is especially helpful for identifying environmental or emotional aspects of eating. I may ask that clients record how hungry they are before and after eating, what they were doing before and during eating, people they ate with, thoughts they had after they felt they overate.
The Internet has many good, free programs for tracking food and exercise. Many restaurant chains and food manufacturers post nutrition information about their products on company sites. Just released in the past year, is the USDA SuperTracker accessible at choosemyplate.gov.
I like these programs because as you enter foods, you get instant feedback on calories and nutrients. I give clients my own example of analyzing my morning bowl of oatmeal with milk, fruit and nuts. After I saw the total calories I was getting from a typical serving, I started measuring the dry oatmeal and counting out each pecan half before it went into the bowl.
Apps loaded on smartphones and tablet computers can read food label barcodes, allow you to track food intake, and even take pictures of the foods you eat through the day.
All of these methods raise your awareness and are best used as you eat rather than waiting to the end of the day.
While clients have yet to take me up on this, I have challenged some clients to capture a video of their eating behaviors. Especially if you want to reduce calories with new behaviors, you can assess such behaviors as how quickly you eat, how much you put on the fork and how many times you chew each bite.
Once the food record is complete, my clients and I review it together. Oftentimes, clients will correctly point out meals that were successful in meeting diet goals. It is one of the best parts of my job when clients tell me the steps they have taken to get more organized and to keep healthier foods on hand. Clients can often point out the pitfalls that lead to poor food choices, overeating at one meal or eating when they’re not hungry.
Sara Perovich is a clinical dietitian and nutrition educator working in the Albuquerque metro area.
Log puts focus on behavior
EATING WELL
