Health Blog

Keeping food records before, during, and after the holidays can reinforce good behaviors and identify dietary habits that may need to be changed. Food records will make you more aware of your eating habits. If you have not kept food records for some time, you may notice old habits have crept back into your life. Until she began keeping food records again, Sandy was not fully aware of how frequently she ate while watching television. While losing weight Sandy found it helpful to eat only at the table.

Bank Your Calories

Most people think in terms of daily calorie intake (e.g., 1,600 calories per day). When a special event or party is coming up, it may be helpful to think in terms of banking and spending calories on a weekly basis. Suppose you wish to limit your intake to 1,600 calories per day; this is equal to 11,200 calories per week. One week before the event you make a deposit of 11,200 calories into your calorie bank account.

Each day you make withdrawals and the balance you have at the end of the week (just before the event) is how much you have to spend during the event. It is important, however, to exercise some flexibility with this approach. For instance, if you “run out of calories” by the sixth day, it is not a good strategy to try to starve yourself on the seventh day. Moderation is an important principle to keep in mind.

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Healthy Food by Candice