It's week 4. Perhaps you have reached your goals for this month. Or perhaps you thought you should have seen better results?
If your boot camp attendance has been 100%, but you don't notice changes in your body OR the scale, it's time to take a look at what you are putting in your mouth.
One of my favorite tools to get started is a food journal. Studies show that those who write down everything (yes, everything) they eat or drink have more success losing weight AND maintaining the weight loss.
And if that's not enough incentive, technology has made food journaling a breeze. Just 10 years ago, when I asked clients to do a food journal, they would write it on notebook paper, then I would review it, enter it into a database and look at the results. Smartphones and apps now make this simple for both me AND the client.
What if I'm already very conscious of what I eat? Why use an app?
Most apps have large databases of most foods. Simply select the food or beverage you consume(d), quantify it, and the app does the magical math for you. In the click of your mouse or button, you know exactly how much you've eaten.
Most people underestimate the number of calories they take in daily - yours truly included. I'm always amazed when I use my food tracker just how quickly it all adds up. Odds are - you are underestimating too.
My favorite apps give you a calorie "budget" for the day based on the goals you enter along with your height, weight, age and gender. As you enter your food, it subtracts the calories from your daily budget, so if you enter your food in real time, you always know how much you have left to "spend"...AKA "eat."
Which should you choose?
I personally like Livestrong.com's My Plate best. It's user friendly, syncs with your PC, and has a huge database of foods. Other clients like LoseIt, My Fitness Pal, Spark People and Weight Watchers (members only).
It truly doesn't matter which you use. Just do it.
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