| Keeping track of the calories in everything we eat - | | | | to use your food diary to demonstrate your progress |
| not to mention how those calories affect our health - | | | | to your doctors. As the weight-loss surgery process |
| can be incredibly difficult. One of the easiest ways to | | | | includes ongoing care and support, being able to |
| make sense of eating habits and promote long-term | | | | provide detailed information about your eating habits to |
| weight loss is through the development of a consistent | | | | your doctors and caregivers will improve your chances |
| - and honest - food diary. Besides allowing you to | | | | of successful long-term weight loss. As you adopt |
| document your daily calorie and fat intake, a food diary | | | | different eating and lifestyle habits, tracking any |
| can also help you manage your emotions and gain a | | | | changes in a diary can be insightful to you and your |
| deeper understanding of your cravings. Most | | | | clinical support team. |
| importantly, after you are able to determine what | | | | When keeping track of what you eat and the size of |
| types of feelings guide your eating habits, you will be | | | | your portions, it will also be easier to practice discipline |
| granted new ways of dealing with difficult food and | | | | and remain committed to healthy eating habits after |
| lifestyle choices. | | | | weight loss surgery. As weight loss surgery patients |
| As mentioned, one of the biggest benefits of a food | | | | are required to follow strict dietary guidelines to ensure |
| diary rests in your ability to monitor the daily | | | | long-term success, a food diary can help you manage |
| consumption of fats and calories. By writing down | | | | the details and stay on track. |
| what you eat each day, you will be able to hold | | | | Just as typical diaries highlight daily events and your |
| yourself accountable and find ways to make healthy | | | | associated feelings, food diaries will also help you |
| changes to your eating habits. | | | | make the connection between what you eat and how |
| Likewise, when keeping a food diary, you will also find | | | | you feel. Along with documenting what you consume, |
| it easier to focus on healthy food choices. If you keep | | | | you should also include notes about how you feel both |
| an honest log of all the foods you eat, you will be | | | | before and after you eat. After you begin keeping |
| discouraged from sneaking fattening snacks and | | | | track of your feelings, you may start noticing patterns |
| making choices that don't correspond to your healthy | | | | in your eating habits. For instance, you might notice that |
| eating habits and weight-loss goals. Try to write the | | | | you consume larger portions when eating with friends |
| food in the diary prior to consumption, that way you | | | | or bad days at work trigger desires to eat unhealthy |
| are also planning ahead and are proactive. | | | | foods. By keeping track of your feelings and eating |
| Prior to weight-loss surgery, your food diary can be an | | | | habits in your food diary, you will be better equipped to |
| incredibly useful tool for doctors and insurance | | | | deal with such difficulties when they arise and increase |
| providers alike. To verify that you are a good | | | | your chances of meeting long-term weight loss goals. |
| candidate for weight-loss surgery, doctors will need to | | | | There is no right or wrong way to keep a food diary. |
| determine that you have tried to lose weight via | | | | You can organize a spreadsheet on your computer |
| healthy eating and exercise. Doctors will typically look | | | | and input nutritional data for each of your meals. You |
| for patients that have failed to lose weight despite a | | | | can carry a simple notebook with you and jot down |
| long-term commitment to healthy eating and exercise, | | | | your thoughts throughout the day. In the end, the most |
| rather than individuals that have engaged in occasional | | | | important aspect of any food diary is honesty. If you |
| crash dieting or other unhealthy methods of weight | | | | are able to maintain a truthful log of your daily |
| loss. Likewise, before most insurance providers will | | | | consumption, you will not only gain an awareness of |
| approve coverage for weight-loss surgery, they will | | | | how food affects your health and long-term weight |
| need to see similar information to determine that the | | | | loss goals, but also a profound sense of |
| surgical procedure is the best long-term option. | | | | empowerment that will help you control your portions |
| After undergoing weight-loss surgery, you can continue | | | | and make wise food choices. |