Nutrition Journals

One of the other things that I am doing with my "Get Fit" plan (which is what I have decided to call this whole expedition!), is to keep a nutrition journal. I have done this in the past and it has proven to be extremely successful! I find that I am too prideful to eat something unhealthy if I know I have to write it down. So, in my quest to get healthier, I am going to start another nutrition journal.

There are several ways to set up a journal (I just use a lined sheet of paper), some are more complex than others. I don't count calories (although more power to you if you want to!), but I do keep track of how many servings I have per food group. Recently, the Food Pyramid was revamped and no longer recommends a certain number of servings per food group, but I still like to keep track of my servings. For instance, for breakfast this morning I wrote down what time I ate, what I ate, and then at the top of the page I keep a checklist of servings from each food group (I ate my typical greek yogurt, strawberries and granola so I marked one serving fruit, grain, and dairy).

I also add another category to the major food groups (protein, dairy, fruit, vegetables, and breads/grains): Extras (this includes fats, oils, and sweets). I do allow myself one small "extra" each day. My favorite "extra" is dark chocolate. I buy the Pound Plus dark chocolate bar at Trader Joe's, put it in the fridge and allow myself one square per day (approx. 60 calories). I have found that by putting it in the fridge it makes me suck on it (instead of gulping it down which I am prone to do!) and lasts longer, so I feel like I have had more chocolate than just one square.

I can't express the importance a nutrition journal plays in helping me to identify my poor eating habits. For instance, I have realized that my "weak" time of day is usually the late afternoon (that is true for most people). I say it is my "weak" time of day because it is when I really want sugar. I have found it is because my blood sugar is down, and I am a bit tired and stressed after a long day. By identifying this fact, I realize that I need to eat a little snack (usually some nuts and a piece of fruit) around 2 or 3 to prevent from wanting to just eat sweets (my weakness tends to be a White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks or chocolate) at 4 pm. A nutrition journal also helped me to realize that I was not eating enough protein (I was only having 1 small serving a day), and as a breastfeeding mother, needed to increase this!


Challenge: Try to keep a nutrition journal for one day and see what you can find out about yourself!