One of our habits of success both before and after surgery is keeping a food journal. Keeping a food journal is a great way to encourage good food choices and keep track of your food intake after weight loss surgery.
Here are some of the benefits of keeping a food journal:
- Accountability
Keeping track of everything you eat may sound daunting, but it is key to maintaining accountability. We often underestimate the amount of food and calories we consume, so maintaining a detailed record of your intake will ensure you are staying on track with your dietician’s recommendations for a healthy lifestyle.
- Identifies trends
Certain people may tolerate certain foods better than others. What may work for one person may not work for you. Keeping a food journal and document how you feel after meals can help determine which foods are impacting your weight loss journey and which foods you tolerate best.
- Tracks eating habits
Eating can be highly associated with our emotions. Sometimes this association becomes dependent and individuals may rely on food to feel better. Additionally, some people tend to eat to fill the time when they are bored. Thus, taking note of your emotional state within your food journal will help to reveal if you’re eating out of stress or boredom. Acknowledging these habits is the first step to combating them.
When keeping a food journal, make sure to use the most amount of detail as possible answering what you ate, how much, when, where, and how you were feeling at the time.
A food journal is just another tool in your weight-loss toolbox. If you’re considering weight loss surgery or are curious about the journey following weight loss surgery, contact Dr. Ahmad and our team of nutritional experts today!
Dr. Arif Ahmad specializes in laparoscopic robotic surgery and has performed over 2,000 laparoscopic robotic surgeries. He is renowned in the Long Island area for his impeccable track record of safety and success.
