For
optimum weight loss whether you're a Kimkins member or losing with a
different weight loss plan, accountability for your food choices is
critical.
Guesstimates or 'forgetting' calories is a recipe for disaster ... and slow or no weight loss.
Kimkins members ask for help in the Kimkins Cafe
to discover why weight loss has slowed down or stopped. Whether you use
your own paper & pen food diary or something online like Fitday or
Daily Plate, be sure you're entering your foods correctly.
Here's
a few a few of the common food journal errors I've noticed over the
past 10 years: when members ask for help with a "stall".
Tablespoons & Teaspoons
Be
sure you know which one you're talking about. 1 tablespoon = 3
teaspoons and they are actual measuring spoon amounts, not a typical
cereal spoon.
Some people use these measurements interchangably -- DON'T.
Measure Correctly
Veggies
should be loosely placed in the measuring cup, not packed. If we try
hard enough, we could squish a whole package of frozen spinach into 1
cup. But then I'm only lying to ourselves. And the scale will reflect
it.
Anything powdered should be "flat measured" which means use
a measuring spoon and scrape it level across the top with a knife blade
-- no "heaping" spoons. A "cup" is 8 oz not a coffee mug "cup" which
could be 50% more.
A splash of cream in your coffee is not a teaspoon. Measure it for a week, be surprised!
Important:
Protein is measured by weight (ounces), while everything else is
measuring by volume (measuring cup ounces). Dumb idea, but that's how
it goes.
Veggies
If
you use an "ounce" option, the amount measured is by weight -- not
volume. For example, 1 cup of lettuce is about 1 ounce by weight, but
if you enter lettuce in Fitday as "1 ounce" it will not show calories,
fat, carbs and protein counts for 1 cup.
Protein
Get
a cheap food scale at Wal Mart or Target. Whether a digital or spring
style, doesn't matter. A removable bowl is nice for cleaning. Hey,
while you're there, grab measuring cups & spoons. Now, weigh your
protein for 7-10 days so you get a really good idea of how much 4 oz
really is.
To help Kimkins
members I'm always glad to review their Fitday accounts. Often there
will be an entry that goes something like "chicken breast, raw, 4 oz".
When I ask how they know it was 4 oz, the answer is often the same:
they figure 4 oz is an average serving and 1 chicken breast is an
average serving -- so 1 chicken breast must be 4 oz. Nope, a chicken
breast is actually 6-8 oz.
If you're choosing pork, keep in mind that while pork tenderloin is
very lean, a pork loin roast is very fatty and high in calories. Shop
carefully!
Coffee & Tea
Both
have carbs, but what's important is that you measure the size of your
favorite coffee mugs. The default amount a serving of coffee in Fitday
is 6 oz, which are those tiny cups that come with dinnerware sets. Most
coffee mugs are actually 12 to 16 ounces, so measure yours so you can
enter good info -- and make an informed choice on what you're choosing
to drink.
Cheese
In
Kimkins we count cheese as a fat. Be positive you know how much you're
eating. If you have a small bag of preshredded cheese and sprinkle 1/4
of it (which won't look like much) don't count it as 1 oz. It's 2 or 3
oz.
Alcohol
You
must be honest here! Yes, it's empty calories. Yes, your body processes
alcohol for energy before any other food. Yes, it makes you relax so
you're tempted to eat tidbits you shouldn't. But it still counts.
The
default amount for hard liquor in Fitday is 1 oz which is only 2
tablespoons. You know you're pouring more than that! Figure if you use
a typical 12 oz kitchen glass and fill it 1/4 full with rum or vodka,
that's 3 oz! And if you have more than 1 count 'em all.
The
default amount for a "glass" of wine in Fitday is 3 oz. I don't know
anyone who pours 3 oz glasses. Small restaurant type wineglasses are
8-12 ounces each, while large balloon size goblets can be 20 oz!
Measure
the glasses you use and how much you pour. Be brutally honest when
fessing up in your food journal. Not losing as quickly as you'd like
to? Go back over your journal with a fine toothed comb. Bottom line is
you've got to be honest about what you're eating and how much.
You
can try to lie to yourself about how much you're eating or drinking,
but your bathroom scale will tell always tell the truth.
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