By And it takes less than 15 minutes per day
There are many little ‘unpleasantries’ involved in weight loss, and the hardest one is when we have to show some hardcore, in-your-face honesty. We don’t have to share it with anyone (unless a personal trainer monitors you). It’s for our own eyes only and helps us uncover our behaviours and mindset regarding weight loss, food, and exercise. We HATE leaving ourselves vulnerable to mistakes and mishaps that lead to many other negative consequences. It’s a form of self-sabotage on a deeper level. I’m calling this one out because I have written many posts sharing my journey when calling myself out with brutal honesty. It was hard — indeed, I needed to stop playing the blame game, and it also helped me succeed. I suddenly felt free from my shackles when I knew what to do! That feeling is still apparent, so I wanted to share some research with you. I’m sure it’s holding many people back! A study conducted at the University of Vermont and the University of South Carolina looked at the dieting habits of 142 participants in an online behavioural weight control group intervention. Over 24 weeks, these participants met weekly for an online group session led by a dietician. Participants also logged their daily food intake online and, in the process, also indicated how much time they spent on this task and how often they logged in to record these details. After these researchers completed the study, they began their assessments. The most successful members of this group spent 23.2 minutes per day monitoring their eating habits, but only during the first month. Then, they reduced that to only 14.6 minutes by the sixth month. It also happened that these people lost 10 per cent of body weight due to this careful monitoring. What predicted the weight loss success wasn’t the time spent monitoring because those who took more time and included a lot more detail didn’t have the most success. Success with this method lies in frequent logins, about three times per day, which were highly consistent with their daily food intake. These people were the most successful. It’s the act of self-monitoring during every mealtime that makes the most significant difference — not the details or time spent. Consistency is vital for weight loss success — hands down, every single time. People seem to do a lot better when they have the right expectations. Multiple weight loss apps make dieting, food tracking, exercise, and meal alternatives easier to choose from. Recommend an app I recommend that I find the most beneficial if you decide to go down the fasting route.
Key take away
Monitoring your food intake when you eat will set you apart from others regarding weight loss. Conscious and consistent awareness of what you eat, writing it down and knowing the macronutrient value provide an adequate understanding of what you are eating. Doing this is very challenging for most people -because it requires brutal honesty, which most people fear. Becoming self-aware of your bad habits hurts, but with gentle monitoring on your own, through a relevant app — you can gain success in your own right and in your own time.
Here are some small tips I have gained throughout the years that help me when I think I might divert back to my bad habits.
One: Always ask yourself, “Do I feel hungry, or am I eating this for emotional comfort.” Two: Drink water constantly when you feel hungry to distinguish hunger from plain old boredom or dehydration. Drinking more water will help us keep dehydration at bay and make our minds reach for water instead of snacks! Three: Carefully consider the impact of the foods you eat. Do you eat for performance or comfort? How will the food impact your mood, energy and mental health? Four: We all deserve a treat — so allow that to happen occasionally. It’s all about attaining a nice balance that keeps us in line with being a healthy yet flexible individual.
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