When it comes to a Busy Mom’s Diet, it is how you eat most of the time that matters.
So how DO you eat most of the time? What eating habits do you have that are keeping you in your current body?
There is no better time than NOW to find out. You can Take Control and Increase Fat Loss with this amazing Busy Mom Fat Loss Tool…..
…..a Food Journal.
Ta da! Right!
But come on -effective exercise aside, this is one of the most powerful fat loss diet tools you can use.
“Food journal??? Who has time for that if you barely have time to eat? Write it down! Give me a break.”
Statements like this are signs of being resistant to change. Don’t you know that “Anything worth having is worth working for?” Of course it will take thought and effort. Of course it is normal for you to ask, “Do I have to?”.
Yes!
Do you have to do it every day? No.
But you must start somewhere and you must take action. Your results are completely reliant upon your actions. Plus -what I am sharing with you is one of the EASIEST first steps you can take and I’ll show you why.
So boot the excuses and be open to taking action that will get you Fat Loss Results!
The successful busy moms know just how powerful this fat loss tool really is. Many moms find that as they track what she eat through the day they are filled with surprise. It’s very easy to avoid identifying unsupportive eating habits.
Who wants to admit that the majority of meals consist of children’s leftovers, several handfuls of snack foods, candy and going through the drive through one too many times.
Good news is – moms who track come to KNOW this and can now CHANGE this – for these habits have now been brought to their attention. This simple awareness will allow YOU to think twice about youe choices and slightly adjust what you choose to eat and in turn will create a positive change which will only help accelerate fat loss efforts.
Yes, even if you are the busiest mom in the world, you too can do this! Allow me to break it down for you.
How To Track
1st: Denial and vague ideas are of no use in the process of achieving results.
The quickest, easiest way to create awareness is to Write It Down!!
2nd: It does not matter how accurate you are.
You do not have to write down calories, fat grams, sugar, etc. to realize a few of your habits may be the cause of your nutrition obstacles. You can fine tune your nutrition plan after you have a feel for your current habits.
3rd: View journaling as a Strategy – not a chore.
If you are on the lookout for the best shortcut – This is it! This is the easiest way to understand your habits, make smarter choices and increase fat loss.
4th: Journaling takes less than 5 minutes to complete.
Either write it down as you eat it – 30 seconds here, 30 seconds there – OR write it down at the end of the day. Choose which way works best for you. If you have 5 minutes to check your email, or chat on the phone ~ then you have 5 minutes for this.
5th: Make it easy- use a journal that fits your lifestyle.
From fancy food logs to colorful notebooks, grab one on sale at the bookstore. I prefer the $.25 memo pads that are small enough to keep in my pocket if necessary. Be sure to keep your journal in a place where you will see it and use it.
Now – Do This!
Try it out for at least 3 days and see what new insights you come up with.
Leave Comments Below Based On What You Find!
How you choose to continue is up to you. As you increase awareness you gain control. It is only then that you can begin to gradually incorporate the strategies and tips which will lead to better, faster, more noticeable results.
If you want to take your the impact of keeping a journal to the next level – SHARE IT!
When you get feedback on what’s IN your journal has the potential to put you on the fast track to success! This is exactly what happens in the ClubFYM Forums! The Fit Yummy Mummy’s post their journals, ask for help – and Get It!
>>>Share your journal today at www.ClubFYM.com
Keeping a Food Journal is just ONE of the best tools for Fat LossDiet Tools. There is no “ONE” quick fix when it comes to getting your body back. Rather, it is a combination of the best fat loss tools that work together to make your dream body a reality.
So make it happen! Take action with this essential 1st step.
Are you using a journal now?
How is it working for you? Tell Me About It Below~
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Tags: busy mom diet, busy mom fat loss, fat loss diet, food log, journal
Hi Holly! I don’t keep a food journal every day but I do use it as a tool for change when I hit a plateau. After three or four days of journaling both my food intake and exercise log, I typically find that I have slacked off in one area or another. Too many cocktails, sweet bites, or ditching cardio seem to be the main culprits! Journaling helps me to get back on track and redefine my goals. It does take a little time and effort but it’s worth it, I’m worth it!
I started journaling few days ago and I noticed how my eating habits are a hinderance to seeing the results i want. I thot havin a bit of white bread or white rice wont harm me or eating a cookie or two and a couple more TBSPs of salad cream are harmless!! yeah right!!! LOL food logs are good! i wudnt remember what i ate cause i have bad memory so it makes me aware of those lil habits that affect my results.
I agree with you Holly, when you write down what you eat you tend to write everything you eat down on paper rather that if you just talk about it you leave out the 2 or 3 biscuits, kids leftovers, crisps, odd glass of wine!!!! The list goes on. I keep a food journal most of the time and it really makes me aware of what im putting into my mouth and why Im not loosing the weight!!!!! You are trully an inspiration to us all Holly!!!!
If you write it down and are honest, you are taking ownership and can see where you might be going right or wrong. Holly you are amazing!
The food journal is key because it makes it so easy to see what you have been eating and when. I had been doing this previously, but Holly mentioned about planning out my meals. So, I filled in my journal about 10 weeks out with meal examples. It saves time because all I have to do is look at it in the morning, write down the times of my meals (which are every three hours) and I only deviate maybe once a day if I don’t have the food available. I always take meal bar in my purse when I’m going somewhere so I’m not tempted to stop at a fast food restaurant. I also liked her tip about cooking in bulk – I love doing my chicken that way. Thanks Holly!
I need to stick with this. I got really motivated for a while when I bought a ‘calorie smart.’ I liked that it recorded all my info, gave me the amt. of calories I had left for the day as I input my info, and it calculated fat, carbs. But my fave part was that if I happened to be eating out, it had the majority of places and gave instant nutrition info for specific dishes. But… I don’t usually stick to things, so my calorie smart lies abandoned in an old purse. Poor thing! Maybe I’ll do better w/ the $.25 pad!
I tend to do food and exercise journals when I find I’m hitting a wall (or gaining up to 5 lbs more than my usual weight). This ensures that I track everything accurately. I then assess my food consumption and exercise and then form my plan of attack.
Keeping a food journal is very enlightening! I noticed that some days I would eat 800 calories. Some days I would eat almost 3000 (because it was a very delicious dinner, or too many tempting sweets in my kitchen, etc.).
So, this brings up a very important question…how many calories am I suppose to eat to boost my metabolism and lose weight? How much protein? Carbohydrates? Fat? Any input would be very appreciated
Good question Renee- there is a guide in your FYM handbook that can help you get started. We have a ton of additional tools and resources in ClubFYM too.
The one thing to keep in mind is that there is no magic, perfect nor permanent calorie count.
It all depends on what your goals are and the results you are getting.
I currently take in anywhere between 2,000 and 2,400 calories just to maintain. I am also consistent with my resistance training workouts – if I was not – I would not eat as much – but I also would lose strength, energy, tone and definition.
as for the breakdown of what to eat – once again covered in the FYM handbook for you.
General guidelines suggest 60% carbs (the good stuff, mainly fruits and veggies) 20 % protein, 20 % fat.
This of course varies from person to person.
Which is why keeping track is essential to get you going to see just what you need simply from the feedback your body is giving you.
Yes, I keep a food log. Mine is 6 weeks long. Like Bernice, I didn’t know how everything adds up. For me it’s the condiments. Some salad dressings are 130 calories, the bread is hundreds of calories and I’d have three servings. Keeping a food log is essential for me because my eating was completely wrong and good eating isn’t a habit for me yet. Also I write down what time I eat so I can see going 4-5 hours messed me up, eating every 2-3 keeps me on track. If I’m feeling horrible I make a small note and check how I’d been eating. My notebook is one of those legal pads because I like to track quantity (with a food scale) and look up the nutritional data for fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. I was just interested in seeing if my mood was affected by changing the fat or carb ratio. By tracking protein I can see whether I’ve had enough or it would be easy to eat all carbs every day. Counting servings of fruits and veggies is easy this way. Sometimes I write what I will have and look it up first to see how much rice or how many tortillas I can have, sometimes I write what I ate and look it up later. But so far I’ve only exceeded my daily goal 3 times, in 6 weeks! That’s why I’ve had such success so far. Is that a waste of time? Not to me! I spend about 10 minutes a day writing and figuring it out, using 2 particularly good nutrition data programs, one that came with FYM and one that is USDA data. Sundays I don’t keep a food log but try to eat reasonably and maybe have a special thing we wouldn’t normally eat, like tacos or potato salad, birthday cake or an ice cream. The nutrition advice from Fit Yummy Mummy is great, and that’s why this is working when so many other things I’ve tried haven’t worked. I got strong but never lost fat because I can see now I was eating way too many calories to reach a fat loss goal. One other thing I’d tried sort of worked but wasn’t maintainable with such a stringent diet. With Fit Yummy Mummy I’m never hungry or suffering, always eating good nutritious food that my family enjoys. Thanks, Holly!~
Wow Kaari – You rock!
No WONDER you are seeing such FAB results and so quickly.
I love the fact that you brought up tracking your mood and how you feel based on what you eat. This has a Tremendous impact!
Thanks for sharing this!
I am keeping track–it keeps me honest. I do it two ways: I have a little notebook in my pocket(or the diaper bag, or the purse, wherever I happen to put it) and I use an online service at sparkpeople.com . Sparkpeople is free and it is a great way to find out the nutrition content of items, and it will calculate the nutrition content of recipes for you (so that casserole the family loves–type in the ingredients and the amount of servigs and viola! Nutrition calculated). I will often write stuff down and then put it in later if I need to. It not only tracks calories, but carbs, protein and fat too. I do often make notes as to my moods because I am fully aware I am an emotional eater. In high school and college I was treated for anorexia–so I make sure to keep track of the emotions. Besides, I love the FYM plan! Dieting is not for me–but living a better life is!
It wasn’t until I started writing down my food intake that I realized how bad my “healthy” diet was. I was fluctuating from 3000 calorie days to 500 calorie days. I would go days without fresh produce!!! Writing it down with complete honesty was a very humbling life changing experience! I now log my food intake one week a month, but during challenges I do it about 90% of the time. There are many online tools to make this an easier process!
Where do you buy Prograde?
Here… Prograde.com
I have been keeping a food journal for about 4 weeks and absolutely LOVE it! I agree with the others…it keeps me honest. I don’t want to write down the sweets and treats so I am not tempted to eat them. I really like keeping track of the calories, protein, carbs and fat. It really helps me keep my diet balanced. I keep track of my workouts, moods and energy levels for the day. I also make a note next to each meal whether I liked it or if the family liked it if it was a new recipe. It makes it much easier to just look back a couple weeks and see what I can make to eat this next week. I have also noticed that I have several favorite foods that I tend to eat over and over, so I can just turn back and look at the previous day and I am not constantly have to look up nutritional information all the time. I have lost 7.5 pounds and several inches in the last 4 weeks! I have noticed that on days I did not eat great, that the next day I did not feel great and had tummy issues! Amazing!! I have also had a lot more energy!! That is all the proof I need to keep a food journal!
Keeping a journal is a great idea, i will try it today and will let u know about the results, which i am sure r too good
Hi Holly! I’ve been keeping a food journal for the past few months. I write what I eat at the end of the day. I also log my exercises for that day. I wear a heart monitor to keep track of my heart rate and calories. Do you think it’s wise that I keep track of my calories? I feel like I need to do that. I always go back to the previous days to see what I ate and compare it with other days. I think writing down what I eat helps me to watch what I’m eating if I’m eating bad stuff. I have my cheat days but I know how to control it. I recommend that everyone should just try keeping a journal like you said. It helps me. I write in a Moleskin book. I love those books but like you said it can be any type of journal.
I like to keep a food journal as it show me what I’m really eating! I use the cheapest memo book and record as often in the day that I can.
I do this on and off. Part of the reason i don’t keep up with it is because i make a lot of stuff from scratch, and if, like Kaari says, i want to keep track nutrionally (%protein, carbs, fats, and total calories), i get bogged down in trying to determine some of those things.
I know for me, i need to eat in a higher protein, lower carb way, although it’s not easy for me, as i want to eat in a high carb, low-fat way.
I’m in the process of repairing a damaged metabolism, and trying to readjust the way i need to eat as my metabolism heals.
I try to keep the rules simple so i’ll follow them. The first is to eat only real food. I do allow myself some junk from time to time (such as right before the onset of menses). I try to eat only when i’m hungry and stop when i’ve had enough. Enough is not the same as “when i feel like a beached whale!” LOL Chewing my food thoughtfully and taking time to enjoy every morsel helps me to know when my body has had enough intake for now.
I think keeping a food journal is very helpful, because as others have said, it keeps a person honest. I think i need to return to doing this and not worry if i haven’t got every bit of nutritional data.