Handy Dandy Notebook Challenge

# 5 on THE LIST is my Handy Dandy Notebook. Keeping track of what I eat is essential to my weight loss. The problem is I have been slacking on keeping track and I can see the difference. Studies have shown that keeping a food diary can DOUBLE weight loss. How cool is that? All you need is a small notebook and a pen. It's the cheapest way to lose weight. I found this article online that answers the question "Why is the Pen Mightier Than the Pounds?"

But why do the diaries work? Experts agree that the ultimate value lies in the
formation of a "foundation of personal accountability." Almost everyone agrees
that accountability is the most important ingredient behind any successful
lifestyle change, including weight loss.
Dr. Patrick O'Neil, director of the
Weight Management Center at the Medical University of South Carolina, agrees.
"Most of us don't really know how much we eat and drink; we have very charitable
memories," he says. (For the full article click here.)

I first really started using food journals when I joined Weight Watchers in 2007. They call them "trackers" where you record everything you put in your mouth, and also make you keep track of your milk servings, fruit and vegetable servings, healthy oil, water, whole grain, and lean protein. One of the first things I learned with tracking my food was that I was eating WAY too much for my body. My portion sizes were huge and I would stuff myself, thinking it was normal to feel that way. It also helped me to track my fruits and vegetables to make sure I was not just cutting calories but eating healthy.

Losing weight is actually very simple. At least the concept is. We are all living proof that's it's hard to stay on track - but think about it. If you eat less calories than you use, you WILL lose weight. This is where the food journal comes in. Write down all the calories you eat so you can eat less calories than you burn. But how do you know how many calories your body needs, or how many calories to eat to lose weight?

I found this great calculator: Click here for Women's Calorie Calculator
and here for Men's Calorie Calculator.
They will ask you your current weight, what you would like to weigh, your age, and height. Then it will calculate all kinds of cool results. See mine below:

You need 1992.2 calories per day to maintain your current weight without
exercise. You need 1941.1 calories per day to reach your goal weight slowly
and maintain that weight without exercise. If you reduce your
current caloric intake to 1492.2 calories per day you will lose one pound per week without exercise. If you increase your current caloric intake to 2492.2 calories per day, you will gain one pound per week.

Exercise and Calorie Needs
If you exercise for 30 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2207.8 calories per day and still maintain your current weight. If you exercise for 60 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2477.4 calories per day to maintain your current weight. If you exercise for 30 minutes each day, you
will be able to reach your goal weight with 2150.6 calories per day.
If you exercise for 60 minutes each day, you will be able to reach your goal weight
with 2412.5 calories per day.

Please remember that these calorie counts are an
average, you may need to adjust your calorie needs up or down slightly to get the results you want. Your results are calculated to help you understand how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, or the number of calories you need to lose weight slowly, over several months' time.

My biggest challenge is keeping track on weekends. I am REALLY bad at keeping track on weekends and it's noticeable because that's when I eat bad and gain weight. So Brandon and I challenged each other to keep track for one full week. Monday 7/20-Monday 7/27. That would include this holiday weekend. I am excited and know that if I keep track I can lose weight!