Thinner in 30: Change #2 (Part 1)

BEFORE...

Change #2: Start a Food Diary

SIMPLY PUT… I want you to write down everything you eat. Not “some” things. Not “most” things. Everything—every last morsel of food and beverage you put into your mouth from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bite of toast, two sips of a latte, or five M&Ms, write it all down. (You’ll quickly realize it’s easier to just skip the M&Ms than to write down that you ate five… FIVE???) Don’t count calories. Don’t bother tracking how many grams of protein, carbs, or fats are tucked inside whatever you’re eating. Just write down everything you’ve consumed. At the end of the day, e-mail it to a friend (or a group of friends… or your enemies… or your friends’ enemies) willing to do the same. (Loc. 306)

The way Jenna presents this in her book seems so much eaiser than the food diaries I’m tried before. She just wants you to write everything down in some form or fashion. The main purpose is to get all down to make you aware of what all you’re consuming. It’s about seeing it in front of your face so you can acknowelege what areas need to be change.

And as far as e-mailing my list to a friend with the same goals as me right now. Well honestly I’m not sure who that would be at the moment. Maybe I can gather the courage to post that here on my blog in a special section. Jenna says, “It all comes down to the fact that when you know other people will be looking at what and how you’re eating, you’ll be less inclined to fill your list with junk.” (Loc. 349)

“As the days go by, you’ll slowly start making wiser choices, cleaner choices, and better choices. You’ll automatically start making dietary decisions based on what other people are reading about you and what they’re sending you.” (Loc. 352)

So here are the rules to follow for this (Loc. 355):

Find someone who (or a group of people that) will do this with you for the long haul, not anyone that could really care less and may be doing it just to help you out. Preferably, find people with the same goals as you (to become healthier, to get in great shape, and if needed, lose a little weight).
Be honest. If you cheat, I swear you’re only cheating yourself. Those jeans will never fit you unless you actually eat the salads and don’t just lie about eating the salads.
Finally, be consistent. That means starting on the exact same day and e-mailing your friend or friends as soon as you finish your last bite for the night, no matter if it’s six p.m. or midnight—you’ll find yourself wanting to finish first just to beat out your friend who somehow finds a way every night to get her diary in by six p.m. even though she has two hungry kids and a husband and an amazing pantry of snacks and… Sorry, I digress.

Here are some of her Tips and Tricks for this change. (I’ll just list them here. For more detail you’ll have to pick up a copy of the book.)