Even the most disciplined person can fall off the fitness wagon. One of the simplest things that you can do to get back on track is to keep a food journal. Writing down EVERYTHING you eat, the size of each portion, and daily water intake for just one week will lead to the discovery of why your weight or health condition isn't what you need it to be. Don't restrict your journal entries to sit-downs meals only. Include every piece of candy, chip, cracker, snack, etc. Medications, vitamins, and dietary supplements should be included as well.
At the end of this seven day period, re-read your journal and look for trends. Are you grabbing donuts and bagels from the break room at work? Do you snack on candy and chips during the day? Do you eat when you are stressed out, sad, lonely, celebrating, or watching television? How much water are you drinking? Are your portions too large? Are most of the foods you eat fresh or are they in a package, bag, or a can? Consider what was happening at the time you reached for that bag of chips. Try to link what you eat with why you eat it. Often food is a coping mechanism for other issues. What could you do differently the next time a certain situation presents itself? Once you know better, strive to do better.
Utilizing a free online tool like My Calorie Counter http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/ will help you identify whether you are eating enough, too little, or too much food. It provides nutritional content and also measures calories burned from your workouts.
Be good to yourself! More next time...
