food diary

myfitnesspal, which I use now, records my calorie intake and the calories used up by any exercise I've done, which for me is a swim once a week and a decent walk 2-3 times a week. I find it seems to be working for me as I can generally work out the calorie value of the meals I've had from lists of foods on the site. I weigh myself weekly. I used to weigh every day, but found it a bit disheartening when I gained a pound or so, even though I knew it this is normal. I've only lost about 7lbs in about as many weeks, but so far I haven't gained!

I have a spreadsheet on my computer. I weigh myself every other day and, as I am on the 5:2 diet, I weigh and count calories assiduously on fast days and less assiduously on non-fast days. I also now have enough experience and knowledge of calorie values to make a reasonable guess at calorie content for meals I eat out.

I have also noted down the calorie value of dishes I cook regularly so I know that, providing I am strict over portion control, how many calories there are in a home made spaghetti Bolognaise, for example without having to do calculations every time I make it.

I note on the spread sheet, my weight and the calorie value of each meal with a daily total. I also record exercise, usually my daily walk or a swim.

I now find that if, like at the moment, my weight is sticking I can look back over my spread sheet and note that I have had sticky periods in the past but this has usually been followed by loosing several pounds over several days, so I do not lose heart easily.

It has really worked, I am 21 lbs down with 7 to go. All my post menopausal weight gain has gone and I am nearly at the weight always considered as acceptable for my height in the past.

I too use My Fitness Pal and log all I eat on it. Also weigh myself daily. It is all very boring but I have lost weight plus blood pressure and cholesterol have plummeted. The winter will be my test as comfort food will beckon.

Thanks everyone, loved the bit about not putting what you cut off in your mouth. I had the three littlest GKs to stay recently and its amazing how much you eat from their leavings and bits you cut off for them.

A friend of mine kept her food diary in one of those appointment books which were split into hours. She said it helped her identify when her weak moments were. She weighed herself daily to see what sort of food made her gain weight and was really surprise that when she ate "proper food" as she called it, she did not gain as much as she thought. It changed her eating habits and she has managed to keep the weight off for almost a year.

I'm with susieb. I have done slimming world and found writing down everything that I ate very helpful (a food diary). I didn't bother with weighing, as with SW it is not really necessary. Also, planning the next day's meals was also good - making sure I had the food in the house that I needed, rather than pig out on the biscuit tin or cereal packets because there was nothing healthy to eat! I only weigh once a week, think I would be too disheartened otherwise.
It is really just making healthy choices most of the time - a bit boring but it does work!

I use an app called My Fitness Pal. It calculates the calories for you and has a bar code reader for bought food. You can also chart your progress and note calories burned. A high tec food diary I suppose. It does work when I use it, tend not to do so when eating like a pig not in the mood.

I weigh daily.

I don't keep a food diary but I count calories mentally.

It's working!

I lost 4 stone with SW, and found it better when I kept a food diary - logged everything that went in my mouth !, yes, weigh things, and dont put the bit you cut off to get the right weight in your mouth...