Journalling

Hello,
A few have mentioned 'journalling' and its importance.  I am interested in *what* is supposed to be in the journals, and the significance of the procedure.  I have probably missed a key discussion somewhere that referenced this.

Appreciate the advice,
Paula

Your dietitian would be the best person to tell you exactly what should be in your journal, but I've used both LoseIt! and MyFitnessPal Apps on my iphone and am currently just using the Notes App.

I'm going simple this time, because the more I keep track of the more stessed I get and the more stressed I get the hungrier I am.

What I write in my journal:

Meal or snack, what I ate and approximate amount (small pear, 1/2 waffle - that sort of thing) how many cups of water I drank during the day and how many steps my pedometer recorded.

As an example (not my best day, but at least you can see what *I* do)

Food Journal - May
May 2
Breakfast - Boost Latte (rushed breakfast)
Lunch - cup veg soup, salad & grilled chicken & balsamic dressing
Snack - slice banana bread, coffee
Supper - bowl lentil soup & flax bun
Snack - slice poppyseed cake, sm slice watermelon
Snack - flax bun with meds, decaf
Water - 5 cups
Steps - 2043

Some of the reasons for journaling:

So YOU can see what you're eating = sometimes it's a bit of a shock, sometimes it helps to think,"Do I want to eat this enough to face my dietitian when she reads my journal?"

So your dietitian can see that you're getting the nourishment you need and can give you suggestions of how to deal with special cir****tances or dietary lacks.

So you can look back and see,"Oh! Whenever I eat THAT I feel just awful the next day."

I bet other people will have all sorts of other good reasons for the journaling.

One small point - fudging (aka lying) in your journal helps no-one. Just sayin'.

The biggest thing journaling can do is open your eyes to what you are eating.
I know when I started I had no clue how many calories I was eating, what the fat content was and how much salt I consumed (The salt caught me really off guard).

I use myfitnesspal.com they have apps for almost all smartphones and is very handy.

Once you set it up you just enter the food you eat, they have a list of over a million foods and the associated nutritional info. You can log from your phone, computer, ipad or tablet.

If you are just starting you enter everything you eat normally.  Over time you will see trends where you may be having some problems and you can work with your dietician to correct them or find what works for you.

The key is to record everything, once you get in the habit it is 2^nd nature, I eat I record it.

And when you go to clinic you can access it online, no need to bring a big list with you.

Everyone journals differently. Some use computer base programs and some just use plain old pen and paper. You have choices as to what you want to journal. The on-line programs track everything from calories, fats, protein, sodium, they are a great tool.  Livestrong.com is another great one.
On paper you can also track your moods and emotions. Sometimes these can provide you with great knowledge as to why you eat. Some people are emotional eaters and don't even know it.
I've always been a tracker but never got that in-debt with it. Now I track what I eat and what time I eat along with protein as mine trends lower since surgery. My activity has always been great so I don't' track it anymore. It's all about awareness and seeing it first hand makes you aware. Sometimes we think we are making a good choice but really we didn't do such a thing.
After surgery it's a good tool as well cause it allows you to mark what foods work for you and what you should try again later. In the beginning chicken didn't work for me so my dietitian said to wait 3 weeks and try it again. I was able to journal my own does and don't work this way. It becomes second nature and a habit for life.

Kee.

Okay.  Thanks.  I *have* been journalling ( www.caloriecount.com ) but did not make the correlation. (Duh!) I think I need to add more about thoughts and feelings, however.  For example, my daughter recently voiced her heartfelt concern about my health -- and my will to succeed hit the rooftops.  
Paula

I'm not very computer savy so journal with an old scribbler and pen....I find it informative when I review it. It helps me keep track of my protein post vsg, sometimes it makes me smile when I see how much my dietary lifestyle has permanently changed, how far I've come! I did experience what my nutritionist called "Journaling Fatigue" and gave myself permission to not track my intake, activity, thoughts for a couple of months. I think I'll start again soon just to do a comparative..... I wrote in my journal times I ate, what, amount and why. I wrote my daily activities, pedometer readings, purposeful exercise and feelings about the day.....I think it's a great way to get control of my life in general. Down from a size 20 to a sz 12 over the last 2 years.......

On May 10, 2012 at 9:57 AM Pacific Time, Tige-Girl wrote: I'm not very computer savy so journal with an old scribbler and pen....I find it informative when I review it. It helps me keep track of my protein post vsg, sometimes it makes me smile when I see how much my dietary lifestyle has permanently changed, how far I've come! I did experience what my nutritionist called "Journaling Fatigue" and gave myself permission to not track my intake, activity, thoughts for a couple of months. I think I'll start again soon just to do a comparative..... I wrote in my journal times I ate, what, amount and why. I wrote my daily activities, pedometer readings, purposeful exercise and feelings about the day.....I think it's a great way to get control of my life in general. Down from a size 20 to a sz 12 over the last 2 years.......

Oooo, that is *great* -- from 20 to 12.  Very encouraging and an example for all.  Congrats! 
Paula