Food Journaling 101: Write Your Way to Weight Loss

You may have heard the saying, “ The pen is mightier than the sword.” Well, Here’s another saying for you: “the pen is mightier than the pound.” 

What does that mean? It means, if you want to lost weight, one simple tool can help you reach your goal: keeping a food journal. In fact, one study from Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon found that participants’ weight loss almost doubled when they wrote in a food journal. 

You may have resisted keeping a food journal in the past because it sounded too time-consuming or complicated. With COVID-19 concerns keeping you closer to home, this just might be the time to give it a try., Plus, it’s super easy to record your Ideal Protein Phase 1 meals, snacks, and drinks- all the information you need is right on the labels, and serving are measured out for you.

Getting started with journaling is easy. Choose a journal format, ether paper or electronic, and start writing down everything you eat and drink, including all meals, snacks, and beverages- even water. For greater accuracy, write it down immediately after you eat rather than waiting till the end of the day. You can consider using an app such as Ideal Protein, Noom, or Weight Watchers to use their logging format. What type of journal should you choose? Depends on what fits your lifestyle best.

Once you’ve selected your preferred format, here are some more tips to get you going:

• Be as precise as you can. Measure your food and take note of serving sizes. Ideal Protein product packaging can help you both with measurement and with tracking macros or other nutrients should you choose to do so. 
• Keep your food log at least five days a week for best results, but every day is best.
• Commit to keeping a food journal for at least a month, just to get used to the practice and see how it works for you. 
• Review your food journal weekly, noting any patterns, recurring emotions (see below), successes, and missteps. 
• When you’ve got it all down on paper (or saved electronically) you have to be honest with yourself. For even more accountability, share your food journal with someone who is on a weight loss journey with you, like a close friend or your Ideal Protein Coach. 

Happy journaling- Call us at 830-331-9600 if we can schedule you for a weight loss consult.