There is one component to my weight loss and weight maintenance routine that is absolutely essential and at first blush, would seem completely unrelated to what I eat or how much I exercise. It was surprising to me when I realized just how important this practice is. When I stop doing this, I gain weight. When I do this, I achieve my goals, whether it is weight loss or weight maintenance. Maybe it is just me, but in the seven years I have been successfully managing my weight, this one thing has been absolutely invaluable.
What is this essential component? Tracking what I eat and how much I exercise; writing it down or recording it in some way.
There it is. It seems so simple, but if I’m being honest, it was challenging to develop this habit and it is easy to break, especially during the Holidays or on vacation. I am definitely not perfect, and the reason I know tracking what I eat and my exercise is so important is because I have slipped out of the habit – several times – and the result is never good. I always gain weight when I stop doing this. Always. No exceptions. Every. Time.
I started this practice by writing down everything I ate along with the calories. Yes, I count calories. I know this is controversial, but it works for me. I also write down how much I exercise and the calories I burn. After I’d been writing all this down for a few months, I started to discover apps that will help with this. The one that I chose and still use today is called “My Fitness Pal.” It works really well. If I feel like I'm off track, I can go back to a period of time when I was on track and see what I was doing.
The convenience of having access to my eating and exercise history over the past six years is one of the biggest reasons I have kept using “My Fitness Pal” despite the abundance weight loss and calorie tracking apps that are popping up all the time. I like the continuity. I tried other apps before I settled on “My Fitness Pal,” and I would recommend you do the same. Look at the various apps and pick the one that works the best for you. If writing everything down works best, do that. Everyone is different and discovering what works for you is what will make your efforts to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight successful.
There are quite a few caveats related to calorie counting. I have come to the conclusion that the reason counting calories works for me is not necessarily because I am limiting the number of calories I take in per se, it’s because it forces me to think about what I’m eating and the implications.
What is this essential component? Tracking what I eat and how much I exercise; writing it down or recording it in some way.
There it is. It seems so simple, but if I’m being honest, it was challenging to develop this habit and it is easy to break, especially during the Holidays or on vacation. I am definitely not perfect, and the reason I know tracking what I eat and my exercise is so important is because I have slipped out of the habit – several times – and the result is never good. I always gain weight when I stop doing this. Always. No exceptions. Every. Time.
I started this practice by writing down everything I ate along with the calories. Yes, I count calories. I know this is controversial, but it works for me. I also write down how much I exercise and the calories I burn. After I’d been writing all this down for a few months, I started to discover apps that will help with this. The one that I chose and still use today is called “My Fitness Pal.” It works really well. If I feel like I'm off track, I can go back to a period of time when I was on track and see what I was doing.
The convenience of having access to my eating and exercise history over the past six years is one of the biggest reasons I have kept using “My Fitness Pal” despite the abundance weight loss and calorie tracking apps that are popping up all the time. I like the continuity. I tried other apps before I settled on “My Fitness Pal,” and I would recommend you do the same. Look at the various apps and pick the one that works the best for you. If writing everything down works best, do that. Everyone is different and discovering what works for you is what will make your efforts to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight successful.
There are quite a few caveats related to calorie counting. I have come to the conclusion that the reason counting calories works for me is not necessarily because I am limiting the number of calories I take in per se, it’s because it forces me to think about what I’m eating and the implications.
I will discuss some of the caveats related to calorie counting in future Wellness Wednesday blog posts. Stay tuned.
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