According to a recent survey conducted by the International Food Information Council Foundation, more than half of Americans say they want to lose weight.

Yet, this is often easier said than done. As I discussed in last week’s tip, making a strong commitment to lose weight for the right reasons is critical for long term success. Once you’ve made that commitment, it’s time to get started. If you’re wondering where to begin, I suggest you start by taking a long hard look at your current eating habits.

Weight Loss: If You Eat It, You Own It.

To get started, write down everything you put in your mouth for at least one week – every crumb and every morsel. If you eat it, you own it. And don’t forget to include everything you drink as well. I suspect that you will very quickly become aware that there is room for improvement. I also suspect that you probably already know this. And yet, the act of writing it down and seeing it in black and white is very powerful. Change starts with awareness and accountability.

I find it extremely useful and helpful when my clients share their food records with me. Together we can discuss their eating patterns, foods choices, portion sizes, and nutrient intake; and then devise a healthy weight loss plan. This is a much better approach to lasting success than fad dieting. Adopting better eating habits and monitoring the choices you make is the very best way to achieve permanent weight loss.

Research shows that people who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don’t. For this reason, I encourage my clients to track their food intake and I provide them with a monitoring form to use. Some people prefer to track their food intake online and bring in downloaded copies for me to review. My favorite online tracking site is called MyFitnessPal. An app is available for smart phones; it’s easy to use and free.

Have you ever kept a food record or journal? What is your preferred method of tracking? Take a minute to share your experience with me below.

Meanwhile, if you need help getting started with weight loss, check out my free introductory consultation at https://njnutritionist.com/freeconsult

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