Diets & Weight Maintenance Support Group

I second that!!!

I have been doing this for the last year. I truly believe it is the main reason I am doing so well with my food choices. It makes me have to SEE what I am eating. A tangible reality.

Honestly I struggle with a food diary. I feel that for some reason I want it to look good, so if I have something bad I don't write it down and pretend it never happened. Then I feel a hidden guilt from it. I wish I could be more honest with my self about it.

No matter what you put on that paper, your body knows what you put in it! Force yourself to put it all down...it will make you accept that you made a wrong choice. It is part of the process to sucessfully weight loss.

I'm meeting some great ppl at DS who journal their intake, and I understand the psychology behind it. For me, like another person just posted though, it hasn't worked. I have observed in myself that my obesity is a result of food obsession. Dieting for me was also a way to obsess about food...I've joined the sites where I write it all down daily, look at the calorie/fat/carb and nutrient content of it all, and I always, every single time, give up. So for me, and I appreciate this isn't current wisdom, I'm not officially counting a single thing, not faithfully journaling everything I eat...if I have a particularly great or awful day, then I journal about that. I am not really advocating this approach (it's sort of a one-woman experiment), it's just that I've reached a point and seen some things in myself that bring me to think this just might be more effective, at least for me. How any of us get through this, I am convinced that coming to DS, sharing our hopes/fears/experiences and offering support are very much beneficial...am very glad I found the site:)

Niffer, I think I am taking somewhat of the same approach you are. Just trying to keep motivated and deal with bad days by writing in journal entries and talking with people on DS. I also feel that by helping out other people I feel happier about myself which leads to more motivation. So hopefully that means we can all help each other.

For me this is a huge help. I tried it a few times over the years but this last time I just have clung to it. I can see how it might not work for some people but maybe its been appealing to my ocd side I don't know but I've just really gotten into it and been consistent at it for a couple of months now. And consistency has never been a strong suit for me heh.

I'm not just trying to focus on the calories though, I'm trying to learn about getting enough fiber and balancing out protein, fats and sodium and so on. It's also helped me see that going over my calories doesn't mean my whole plan to lose weight is blown because plenty of times I have, but I've still been overall doing better and being more active and losing weight.

I despise food journals. We go to WW and we are supposed to write our food stuff down there, but figure since we eat the same thing everyday, feel we should not have to do that. Pepper

You said be honest.

A food diary creates awareness...and,

That's right, keeping a food diary is not for the apathetic or the tired. It is for people who are ready for a real and tangible change.

I am not hiding behind my fat anymore. No more 'insulation' for me.

There is no one size fits all, it does take research, dedication and an interest in the effect of the right foods and portions on definite weight loss....then, when your goals are reached there is maintenance.

Even people who have been banded use a food diary for maintenance as it is a necessary part of retraining or they can bulk up again.

I'm trying this with an online tracker that helps me compare my calories in to my calories out and it's great to have a visual representation of what's happening, but lemme tell ya...IT'S DRIVING ME BONKERS. I'm obsessed. I'm constantly doing calculations and eating isn't fun anymore. :( I wonder if I'll get over it, cuz I think it's really helping.