When I see a patient for the first time to begin the pre-op bariatric surgery education, I always advise people to begin keeping a food diary. When people write down (or log) what they eat and drink, they become more aware, mindful and accountable. Many of us are not paying attention to what and how much we eat and drink each day – when we do not pay attention, we are eating mindlessly and eating more than we think. If you cannot recall clearly what you eat or drink, you probably are mindlessly eating.
Keeping a food diary helps keep track of what and how much you eat and drink each day – this process helps you make sure you get in your protein and keep track of calories. There are many ways one can keep a food diary: you can write it down in a journal, you can use a website or an app on your Smart phone.
Self-monitoring what you eat and drink can help you better understand where you might be getting off track and/to provide insight where you can “tweak” your diet to maximize your weight loss efforts.
Remember: be honest and make sure you log everything – even that pat of butter you cook your egg in or cube of cheese you grab for a quick snack!
Here are a few reasons that might convince you to start self-monitoring:
- Portion Distortion
Most of us under estimate how much we eat and drink – you may be eating more than you think, but do not realize it! Bring out the measuring cups and spoons and dust off your food scale (if you don’t have these items, I strongly urge you to purchase them!) and start measuring the amounts you are actually eating – and be honest. By measuring the amounts you eat and drink – you will get a more accurate picture of how much you take in each day. - Grazing, nibbling, noshing or snacking!
If you are a grazer and you start self-monitoring everything you take in, you would be surprised how much you can eat! Keeping a food diary can be a very effective tool to get control over grazing. Grazing is top reason why Weight Loss Surgery patients do not reach their goal weight and start to regain! - Course Correction
If you log foods as you eat and drink them, you can start to see how much protein and calories you’re getting in real time and can make corrections as they are happening to keep each day on track. If you log everything at night, your memory might be a little fuzzy, your portions might not be accurate and you might have already overeaten. - Flying blind
We all are busy and do not always pay attention to what we eat and drink. When we do not take a long, critical look at our diet, it is easy to mindlessly eat and fall back into old, poor eating habits. Keeping a food diary can help you become more mindful of your diet and stay on course.
If you are struggling to lose weight or keep it off, or you are at a stall, start self-monitoring your diet. You may be surprised to find you are eating more than you think and where those extra calories may be coming from!
Check out more of my diet and exercise tips here and share your thoughts and questions with me in our comments section.
Dietitian’s Corner by Lori Skurbe
Dietitian’s Corner is a monthly column for post-op and pre-op patients of bariatric surgery in NJ written by Prime Surgicare’s Lori Skurbe. Lori has been a dietitian for over 20 years with an extensive background in weight management, bariatric nutrition and diabetes education.