That is the question of the day. I'm a terrible dieter. And quite frankly one of the reasons I decided on the lapband is that I struggle with diets. I'm trying really hard to treat this as a lifestyle change, not a diet. So I guess I'm really looking to you seasoned veterans and asking is it necessary that I journal my food? I "feel" like I'm doing good without journaling, but am I just fooling myself.
I guess the other question for the day is related to "meal plans". How many of you plan out your meals for the week? God gave me several gifts, but cooking wasn't one of them! Thank goodness he sent me a wonderful man who happens to be a chef! This is all a learning experience or him as well. He's asked me to prepare a meal plan to help guide him. Sounds easy, right??? I make the meal plan and he cooks it. What more could a girl want??? Well I just stare at a blank page. I get hung up in so many different ways.
First, I'm just not creative when it comes to food. I'm the person that never has an opinion on what restaurant to go to. I don't want to say I never have cravings, but I'm probably the laziest person when it comes to food. I actually googled one time - too lazy to eat - just to see if there was anyone else like me! If I didn't have someone to cook my meals, I would probably live off cheese, peanut butter and then eventually fast food once the cheese and peanut butter wasn't enough! For me, food has to be quick and easy to prepare with minimal clean up. I will say that seeing some of the recipes on many of your blogs has ignited a "little" spark in me to try my hand at cooking.
My second, "meal plan hurdle" is the nutrition value. Once I come up with a potential meal, then I struggle trying to determine its nutritional value. I've gone to those "calorie counter" websites, but usually I can't find EXACTLY what I'm looking for so I have to hope I get close to the right nutritional value. That's so hard for me because I'm an accountant and somewhat of a perfectionist. I need my numbers to be right! If I can't do something perfect - or close to it - then I have a tendency to give up. That's why journaling and meal planning is so hard for me because it becomes very overwhelming. Its usually the planning and preparing for the diet that sidetracks me, not the actual diet.
So let me hear your thoughts and comments on journaling and meal planning.
Existing With Trauma
11 months ago
I want to feel as "normal" as possible, so for me I don't keep a food journal on a daily basis--but I do use it as a tool once ina while if I feel like my calorie intake is out of whack--just as a way to stay grounded in reality or portion sizes and hidden calories. I also don't plan meals for the week, per se, but I do make meals ahead so that I know I have pre-portioned meals to take to work for the week. I think you have to find what's right for you. The band works when you really listen to it, eat nutritous foods that fuel your body and just keep remembering why you are doing this--skinny jeans, good health and a better outlook on life. Keep up the mental work too, it's just as important as the physical stuff. Best of luck to you!!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel quite sure I could have wrote this post right after my surgery! I HATED journaling and vowed I would not do it. But then I wasn't losing as much as I would like and did it for a few days, but I hated it, so I stopped.
ReplyDeleteAt another plateau, I decided that I needed to recommit. That maybe I wouldn't have to do this for the rest of my life, but in order to lose the weight initially, I had to diet. I bought a Body Bugg and went to it. Something about having the calories burned number along with logging the caloires consumed sparked my competitiveness. I now journal almost compulsively. When I do journal, I am better about staying on track.
Everybody's results may vary, but I have found that as much as I hate it, it is what I need to do to get where I want to be. :) Good luck!!
I think there are two ways to look at journaling.
ReplyDelete1) to prove what you are doing right.
2) to show what you are doing wrong.
In one case, you journal based on coming up with a plan and then sticking to it - and you see the numbers reinforce your efforts.
In the other case, you journal based on what you did with no real forethought to how breakfast impacts lunch which impacts dinner and snacks, too.
If you plan in advance, it's the same as journaling - to me - and - to me - the times when I plan are the times when I do well.
I know, for example, that I drink 6oz of a homemade smoothie every day. I have gone into
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
that link and calculated out what I do. My own personal recipe. For my recipe and my serving size, it's 220 calories - all the carbs I need for a day and a great shot of protein (33g).
For lunch, I tend to do the same thing. Chicken or tuna salad. A half a handful of nuts. Or some nut-thin crackers. There's a few varieties I do with the "sides" to my lunch, but it's steady where the carbs/fat are concerned. And my protein is coming from the chicken or tuna.
Snack is the other half a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit or something like that.
And dinner is where the cooking fun gets let loose.
Anywho...when you journal, you start to see how it all plays together. And then you start to see where you are strong and/or where you might want to develop. It also lets you know if/when you can have that sweet.
(Sorry this is so long...)
I think I would journal for a little while just to see how it plays together. I am now at 11 months out from surgery and I have not journaled since November, really. And that was just a blip as I slid backwards following a miscarriage. I did journal religiously in the beginning and it really helped me understand how the lifestyle change worked. It also helped me stay on the lifestyle change until it's truly a desire to eat right and workout often.
As for meal ideas...a lot of people really stick to chicken or tuna salad for lunch.
I have a new thing I'm doing for dinner - I get a plethora of veggies over the weekend and chop them up on Sundays. I then stir-fry those veggies with chicken or shrimp on any given evening. I toss it all with a homemade vinaigrette - 4 tbsp olive oil, juice of one lemon, dash of salt, dash of herbs of your choice (I love an Italian mix or herbs de Prevence). Whisk that altogether and then pour over the veggies and toss. Throw the veggies in the skillet (or wok) and when they start to soften, add in your protein. Cook until done...and oh so yum. Changing up the veggies each day really makes that dish do different things - as does the herb mix.
Just some thoughts.
Thank you ALL. I truely fall in between the spectrum of these posts. Like CeeJay, I want to feel as normal as possible; HOWEVER, I think I need to "up" my involvement as it relates to what I eat. As I said in my original post, God blessed me with a wonderful man who happens to be a chef...so I've had to put very little effort into what I've been eating. Supper is usually cooked and plated when I walk in the door and lunch is packed and ready for me every morning! He's fully on board with eating healthier....but he also likes me to be happy and has to fight the tempation to make me "treats".
ReplyDeleteSo far I haven't established to many "official" goals for myself. I've just been observing the small changes that have happened. Maybe planning next week's meals will be my first official goal of this journey. Thanks for the advice and support!