Trying to get back on track, I wrote a daily pledge last night, and reported back on one from the day before, saying I'd gone a 100kcal over my allowance. Actually now realise it was 400kcals!!
A little thing forgotten here, and a small extra helping there, and a bit eaten before I weighed it there.... And 400kcals I hadn't counted!
So important to track everything, and I think just doing so helps me control my food intake. I absolutely commit to completing my food diary DAILY and throughout the day, not just when i get into bed last thing!
I know what you mean! Good advice. If I don't write everything down, more or less as I go along, I forget what I have eaten...and then it is easy to just snack on the odd extra thing without thinking. Never mind - onwards and downwards!
Even write it down in advance, great delay tactic too
I personally don't track calories as I do my diet on protein and fat. But I do find myself asking do I want this, do I need this and Am I actually hungry. And most of the time I don't actually need it.
It always strikes me when people are calculating calories down to 1 or 2 that it's hard to be accurate to the nearest 100. My downfall is a glass of wine after which there can mysteriously be biscuit crumbs on the work surface next morning. I think I have elves.
The thing that has worked best for me (because I need lots of self-discipline!) is to pre-plan all my food for the day at least the night before, and put it in my app (I use MyFitnessPal). I include all my meals, snacks and drinks, and also any treats too (my bedtime Freddo!).
If I then have anything else to eat/drink through the day, or change what I want to eat, I make sure nothing passes my lips without first going in the app! This has included eating out where possible - looking up menus online before I go, or having a quick look on the app while I'm there (depending on the company I'm with!).
It sounds drastic and a real buzz kill, but it means I really have to think about whether I want something, and if there are any changes I can make throughout the rest of the day to accommodate it. This has meant I've gone over my allowance far less - it's so easy to have a slightly bigger portion of something at lunch time, and maybe grab a snack in the afternoon, and then realise that there aren't enough calories left to have any of the meals you might want for dinner. If I plan ahead I can see that if I only have 2 Ryvitas instead of 3 at lunch time, then I can have a whole jacket potato with my dinner, for example.
Yesterday was a good example (well, not the best example of healthy eating!) - my partner arrived home in the morning from his night shift and informed me he'd bought chocolate doughnuts. I love chocolate doughnuts, and I knew I'd struggle to not have one, knowing they were there in the kitchen calling to me! I got on my app and looked at my planned food for the day - cutting back a few non-essential things and moderating portion sizes (less tea and coffee, fewer chips, no Freddo!) I managed to have that doughnut after dinner with no 'going-over-my-allowance' guilt! Hurrah!
I think I waffled on enough now , but I just wanted to say that by logging everything in advance I've managed to stick to it far more! Good luck
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