Do you know what you’re consuming every day? Often, people greatly underestimate the calories they’re taking in on a daily basis, which can lead to unintended weight gain. Logging food for weight loss is one tactic you can add to your overall fitness regimen that can have measurable results. You have to eat to fuel your body and to support your fitness programming. If you’re working with a qualified personal trainer, like those at Loyalty Fitness, adding food logging to your routine can be a game changer when it comes to losing weight and building muscle. Our trainers can even work with you to review your logs, provide insight, and let you know where you’re either falling short or can improve your intake.
Why Keep a Log?
When people begin a fitness program, especially one like super-slow strength training, they assume that weight loss comes with cutting calories drastically. However, you must fuel your body in order to build strong, healthy muscles – and that means eating! Not all calories are created equal and logging food allows you to balance the types of nutrients you’re ingesting so that you can fuel your progress appropriately.
Many people think low-fat options are the best products for weight loss, but that’s simply not true. Though they may be lower in calories, the ingredients in these processed foods aren’t fueling your body appropriately to support your overall health and weight loss. You have to eat enough of the right foods in order to lose weight when you’re strength training because those foods help your body turn fat into muscle. Keeping a log of what you eat is an easy way to get the full picture of your diet so you can make sure the right balance of foods are on your plate.
How to Track What You Eat
There are lots of options on the market to assist you in logging food for weight loss. You can go the old-fashioned route and simply put pen to paper to keep a log of your food. A small notebook can be kept in a purse or pocket for easy access after each meal. Or, download an app to your phone. MyFitnessPal is a popular option for those looking to log their food digitally and it has both a free version and paid version. Tracking what you eat should become an effortless part of your routine, so experiment to find a way to log your food that works for you.
By logging your intake, you can see exactly how many calories you’re consuming through food – but don’t forget drinks! High calorie beverages like soda can sabotage any weight loss effort, so make sure to track drinks and snacks between meals too. After we have an accurate view of your typical diet, we can then adjust to what will provide your specific body with the correct amount of nourishment and macronutrients to succeed.
Logging food for weight loss can keep you accountable and aware of what you’re consuming. Many times, we mindlessly eat or drink out of boredom or for no reason at all. You can train yourself to refocus on fueling your body for success through accurate food logging each day. If you have questions about food logging or are interested in starting a personal training program, contact us today! You can schedule a virtual training session or a personal training session at either our Syosset, NY or Greenwich, CT location.