Food Journaling

As I noted in my last weight-loss post, I've been on Weight Watchers for a couple of years now. It has been awesome. Granted, I go on streaks where I'm better for periods of time than others at keeping track of my food intake. But I've lost 27 pounds and it at least keeps me accountable.

If you've been trying to lose weight for awhile but just can't figure it out, my first tip towards starting on the journey is to keep a food journal. Writing down what you eat and seeing it on paper will at first probably make you gasp! Weight Watchers has been awesome and easy for me. I do it online only (don't attend meetings) which is cheaper, but it's still a monthly expenditure. I know the economy is down right now, so if you're interested in something similar online, there are many good sites where you can create a free account, enter your food and activity for the day and they'll tally up your calories, fat, fiber, carbs, etc. and tell you where you need to be for your weight & age.

A bunch of them also have a vast array of online tools like recipes, workouts, cardio ideas, and more. Here are a few: FitDay, SparkPeople, My Calorie Counter, My Fitness Pal, The Daily Plate, NutriDiary, or just Google "free online food journal" and you'll get tons of results. Check them out and sign up for one. Speaking from Weight Watchers experience, the journal is the key to success!!