Step One: Record Your Food

Step One: Record Your Food

Nine months ago, I thought there was little to no chance I could ever regain my health, or even lose all the extra weight I was carrying around.

But I gave it a shot. I decided to start making changes that I could stick to. And that has made all the difference. From 240 pounds to 174 pounds in about 8 months: And I feel great! 


Step One: Recording my food. I started doing this during the month of March 2017. I use (and recommend) The Livestrong MyPlate app (which is also available on the Livestrong website), but there are many other apps out there for this purpose. Here are a selection:

USDA's SuperTracker
My Fitness Pal 
YAZIO - Calorie Counter  (ITunes and Google Play)
Lose It! - Calorie Counter  (ITunes and Google Play)
GoMeals  (ITunes and Google Play)

There are dozens of apps that can help with food tracking but some are better than others. You might need to experiment until you find one that works well for you.

Also, there is the old-fashioned way: write it down in a notebook or log. The only thing is, there is no automatic calculation of your calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc. That is why I prefer using a website or app. 

Tracking is the first step. Get an idea of how much you are eating, how often, and what your balance of macro nutrients is: the fat-carb-protein ratios. The important thing is to get it all down. Each time you eat, take the time to record your meal. It can seem cumbersome at first, even overwhelming. But stick to it. One of the reasons why this helps is that you are less likely to eat mindlessly when you have to record everything you eat! Make it a habit by doing! 

See you next time!