Fun With Food Recording

It's February already! How are you doing with weight management? If you're struggling, maybe it's time to think about going back to the basics -- beginning with food recording.

Few people find food recording fun. For some, it's not so much taking the time and effort as it is feeling as though the food record is a harsh, judgmental presence. If that's the case for you, I urge you to consider your food record as your friend and ally instead. We're each doing the best we can for ourselves with the tools we have in each moment. Discovering what we're doing with those tools is the first step in realizing that we need to make a change.

Of course, for many people, food recording is unpleasant because it requires time and effort. While that's true, I've had hundreds (maybe thousands!) of people tell me, "I'd do anything to get this weight off!" Food recording is one of those "anythings" that practically everyone can do -- and it's been proven in study after study to be one of the most important things you can do to lose weight.

Food recording is a daily hassle, but it's really not much more difficult or time-consuming than flossing and brushing your teeth, once you get the hang of it. If you've ever taught a young child to floss and brush, you know it takes time and practice to get good at flossing and brushing. It takes even longer to instill in a young child the value of daily dental hygiene. But with consistent encouragement and reminders, you and I have learned to floss and brush daily -- without even thinking about it, really. For most people, food recording becomes easy enough that they can do it in their head. (That's what I do, actually.) Of course, the trick is...practice, practice, practice!

So, whether you prefer an iPod app, a computer program, track in your daily planner, or use a pocket-sized notebook, keep in mind that your food record is a simple-but-powerful tool in your weight management arsenal. Happy recording!