I wrote this post for a few reasons. The two main reasons are; that I see SUCCESS with many of my clients who keep tabs on their eating habits AND also because the HOLIDAYS are coming! Eeek!

I also chose this picture of myself enjoying Moni Quinoa Mac N Cheese (above) for two reasons:

Savor and Mindulness. Two words to remember when you are on your next meal.

I have so many clients with so many different (and even with very similar goals too) and many follow completely different ways of eating. Some want to shed weight, some want to eat more veggies/fruits, some want to drink more water, or others want to just cut out processed/junk foods, etc.

All of this is great and I have to say, nearly all of them see their results, reach their goals, and feel the success of doing so, rather than failing.  What is their secret?

Well, I can’t emphasize enough how a food journal can really start  the process for you. Not only does this bring awareness to you and your habits (good or bad), but it holds you accountable and really opens your eyes to what you put in your mouth! It’s not exactly a new strategy for aiding weight loss, but if you aren’t currently using food journals and trying to make a dietary change, recent research suggests that perhaps you should be.

Scientists from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center summarized the following from their study, which appeared in the July 16 online edition of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: women who want to lose weight should faithfully keep a food journal and should avoid skipping meals (thank you!) and eating in restaurants—especially at lunch.

More from the study:

• women who kept food journals consistently lost about 6 more pounds than those who did not.

• women who reported skipping meals lost almost 8 fewer pounds than women who did not.

• women who ate out for lunch at least weekly lost on average 5 fewer pounds than those who ate out less frequently.

“For individuals who are trying to lose weight, the No. 1 piece of advice based on these study results would be to keep a food journal to help meet daily calorie goals. It is difficult to make changes to your diet when you are not paying close attention to what you are eating,” said McTiernan, director of the Hutchinson Center’s Prevention Center and a member of its Public Health Sciences Division.

My Top 5 Tips to “Getting Started with a Food Journal”:

1. Be honest. Record everything you eat.  It will shock you but you must do it. This is hard but it is the only way; you must be real, raw, and honest with yourself.  No one else needs to read this either.

2. Be accurate. Measure portions and read labels.  Be strict on this! You only cheat yourself.  If you had 5 Godiva truffles, then you have 5 Godiva Truffles! Not 2! But 5! If you ate a Moni Chocolate Brownie-write it down!

3. Be complete. Include details such as how the food was prepared and which toppings or condiments you added. Try your best to judge portions. What time do you usually eat? What time do you crash and burn and want chips, soda, sugary foods/beverages? Why? How are you feeling? What mood are you in when your cravings strike? Have you been getting poor sleeping? How is your water? <—– Great post on how much water YOU need!

4. Be consistent. Always carry your food diary with you or use a diet-tracking application on your phone.  This does not really work if you are not consistent.  (No shock there, right!)  You will see a pattern either working with you or against but you will never discover this if you do not monitor yourself. This is where you can really catch yourself and shift to make a change!

5. No need to get fancy! Any notebook or pad of paper that is easily carried or an online program that can be accessed any time through a smart phone or I-phone will work fine.  There are many Apps out there that my clients just love. I like to say, check in with yourself and your journal just as often as you check your emails and/or social media! When you look at it like that, it will become a habit and get you on your way to reaching your goals! It is you being accountable and not dodging yourself.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of how easy and beneficial it is to have awareness and put that mindless-munching to a final end! Now start that food journal!

Need some Healthy Moni Holiday Recipes? <—–Sure thing! I got you covered.

Here are more of Moni’s Top 5 Posts as well.

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EAT WELL. STAY FIT. FEEL GREAT!

XX

Moni