The first step to getting your diet under control is to know where you're starting from. EVERY client I've ever trained who finally broke down and humored me to food log LOST WEIGHT. First of all, you are seeing exactly where you're at (i.e., it's hard to cut 300-500 calories a day if you don't know how many you've been eating)... And secondly, the odds of you eating that SECOND or FIFTH or TENTH Thin Mint drop significantly if every time you sneak your hand into that green box of deliciousness, you have to write it down!
There are tons of ways to do this - you can use an app like MyFitnessPal, or you can track what you eat as you eat in the Notes section of your phone (this is what I do), or jot it in your journal, day planner, or the back of an envelope. The key is to have a running tally of what's going in your body.
I addition to noting your caloric intake, you are also getting a big picture of what NUTRITION you are putting in your body... Are you eating enough protein? Veggies? Are you getting too many calories from SUGAR and STARCHES and other EMPTY CALORIES?
It simplifies places where you can CUT.
THINK: one pound is 3500 calories. That means you have to have a deficit of 500 cals/day from where you are to lose ONE POUND in ONE WEEK. Hopefully, you have started exercising (!!!) so some of those 500 are getting burned through your workouts, but say you are cutting 300 cals/day from your diet and after food logging, you notice that if you cut your grande vanilla soy latte (250 cals) and you skip the chips and salsa part of your business lunch (about 150 calories for ONLY 10 CHIPS PEOPLE!!), right there you are cutting 400 calories!!
For those of you doing my DietBet Game, Spring LEANING, I will be happy to offer suggestions and substitutions to get your diet on track!!
xo,
Natalie
Certified Personal Trainer