FOOD JOURNAL
For this challenge, you will need to make a list of everything you ate for the day, and send it to one of your teammates! You can send this by email, in person, phone call or by blog, but MUST be shared with a teammate daily. This will hopefully help you realize what exactly you're putting in your body each day. And maybe even make you think twice about popping in those Doritos, huh? I have found when I've done this in the past that not only did I eat better, because I was truly accountable for my food intake, but I also got some great ideas of what I could incorporate into my menus by seeing others ideas! This challenge is worth 5 points per day, for a total of 30 bonus points for the week (yes, I am giving you one day free of food list sharing).
So you all know what I'm looking for, here is an example of a food journal:
Breakfast: 1 bowl of old fashioned oatmeal, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup sliced peaches
Snack: 5 fresh strawberries, 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
Lunch: 1 turkey sandwich on wheat (cheddar, romaine, tomato, onion, light miracle whip, deli mustard), 1/2 cup sugar snap peas, 1 cup Romaine lettuce w/light dressing, 8 oz 100% grape juice
Snack: 3 cups air popped popcorn, 1 gala apple
Dinner: 1 serving Chicken Stir Fry (chix, peppers, onion, broccoli, baby corn, sauce), 1 serving white rice, 8 oz glass of skim milk
Make sense? Mostly this is, like I said, to be aware and accountable for what you're eating.
Breakfast: 1 bowl of old fashioned oatmeal, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup sliced peaches
Snack: 5 fresh strawberries, 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
Lunch: 1 turkey sandwich on wheat (cheddar, romaine, tomato, onion, light miracle whip, deli mustard), 1/2 cup sugar snap peas, 1 cup Romaine lettuce w/light dressing, 8 oz 100% grape juice
Snack: 3 cups air popped popcorn, 1 gala apple
Dinner: 1 serving Chicken Stir Fry (chix, peppers, onion, broccoli, baby corn, sauce), 1 serving white rice, 8 oz glass of skim milk
Make sense? Mostly this is, like I said, to be aware and accountable for what you're eating.
If you're interested in counting calories this week, it is not a requirement but I've found it helpful at times, there are several helpful sites listed on the left side under the area called "helpful health links".
Weight loss/gain is really all about the numbers: how many calories you eat compared to how many calories you burn. If you think about the contestants on the show The Biggest Loser, they are exercising 8 hours every day and only eating about 1400 calories per day. They are seeing an average of 5 pounds of weight loss per week. I'm doubting that any of us are putting in that kind of effort, so please don't be disappointed if you aren't seeing those kinds of unbelievable results.
Also, please realize that if your daily caloric intake drops below about 1200-1300 calories, your body will think it is starving and will hold on to every ounce of fat. So, don't get too extreme. This is about being healthy and making positive changes that can be maintained throughout your life!!
This challenge I am going to have journal entries as part of our experience. We did this last challenge and I found it VERY helpful. So for your last 5 points I want you to answer this question in your journal - What are your emotional triggers that lead you to reach for food or to zone out on the couch and give up on exercise? So for this week if you do the food journal AND the journal entry you can get a total of 35 points.
Just an idea- Matt has created space on the spreadsheet for the bonus. On the set-up page we wrote our goals, etc. I think for the food journal I will add a page to the spreadsheet to record my food. That way everything is in one place and no papers to keep track of.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea Blenda. If you don't know how to do that then you will have to contact Matt...lol. I will try figure it out...I'm sure it's not hard.
ReplyDeleteOr you can make another word document to put it on. I have a notebook from last challenge but I like the idea of having it all together in one place where you can refer back to it as needed and not have to look for it.
Any one that had an android, there's an app called my fitness pal. It has a calorie counter, bar code scanner, exercise and water log. It's awesome. I think there's a website also u could use. it's been very helpful to me in making sure my caloric intake is in check.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea Cindy for those that have that available. There is also a link on the side bar for FitDay that has a calorie counter and daily intake analyzer. I really should start using it since I don't have a fancy schmancy phone :)
ReplyDeleteThis one is harder for me, since I keep track at work, but then I don't have time to get on the computer at home at night. Diane called last night, and that worked, but could I post or email the next morning? I kept track of Monday, but didn't read the fine print, so I never told anyone. I still have it written down at work. Also, I exercised by swimming Monday night, then I mowed the lawn Tuesday morning, so by noon Tuesday I was famished. I will need to do better.
ReplyDeleteIt is fine to report the next morning if you want to do it on the blog or facebook or you can do it like last night with a phone call. Luckily you only have to do it 6 out of the 7 days to get your points :) I know some of these challenges will be harder than others and harder for some people than others but that is what makes it a challenge. Good luck :)
ReplyDelete