Hey Coach . . . Do I have to log all my food to lose weight?

Real Life Coach/Client Stories

By: Laura Christoph, PhD, NBC-HWC

Head Nourishment Coach, Three Point Balance

Hey Coach: I notice that lately everyone around me  is weighing, measuring, and logging each food they eat as they start their New Year's health kicks. This looks exhausting. Part of me wants to jump on the bandwagon, but another part of me thinks it would take away the joy of eating. Help! Do I have to log all of my food to lose weight? 

Hey Client: Some people love to log their food day in and day out. But most people don’t! Here at Three Point Balance, we empower you to decide whether logging is part of your personal journey and provide a number of options for you to choose from through a two step process.

The Process

Step 1: Start with an Intention: There is no point in spending time on tracking your food without a purpose!

Our clients often choose to log for one or more of the following reasons:

● Gather data (and make data driven decisions): By logging, clients can learn a lot, including how much energy they consume, what their nutrient intake looks like, and how intake differs when at home, on the road, or out for social events. They can also start linking intake with energy levels, adverse reactions, workout performance, and other health outcomes. Data can be quantitative (eg Calories) or qualitative (eg I tend to feel irritated around 3pm when I skip lunch). This data can help inform the work you do with your Three Point Balance coaches. 

● Raise awareness: Simply the act of logging creates a pause a few times per day to become aware of habits. If you want to raise awareness, there are other options than food logging as well. See our power of pause blog for details! https://www.threepointbalance.com/blog/the-power-of-pause

● Hit specific nutrient goals: Many of my clients work on crowding in the satiating nutrients protein and fiber at meals. Focusing on hitting a target for a single nutrient (for instance 100g of protein or 35g of fiber per day) can be a fun focus for some. However, there are also other ways to focus on nutrients. Rather than tracking, some clients choose to focus on a palm size portion of protein at meals, make most of your carbs whole grains or starchy veggies, and fill half your plate with color

● They enjoy it!: Some of my clients love food logging. I have one client in particular who has been logging his food daily for close to two years and sees it as a commitment to his health. However, these cases are few and far between. If you don’t love it, we will find another way to build your food framework!

Step 2: Once you have determined that food logging does, indeed, have purpose for you on your personal nourishment journey, select a style of logging that supports your intentions:

● App that calculates nutrients: If you are looking to monitor energy and nutrient intake, this type of app might be most helpful.

● Photo logging: Photos of foods can tell a compelling story. If you are looking to raise awareness of habits and become more intentional, photo logging can be a great approach.

● Old fashioned pen and paper: Grabbing a pen and paper or using the notes app on your phone is a great hybrid. You might be monitoring some specifics like portion size and food types without getting overwhelmed with numbers. This can be a good option for those who get triggered by Calorie counting.

CASE STUDIES

Let's explore two very different client approaches to food logging:

Alison loves to log. She has a curious growth mindset when it comes to logging and is deeply interested in how the data she collects can inform her choices. She has been logging daily for the past 6 months, and in the process has lost 30lbs, balanced her blood sugar, and shifted her relationship with food. For the first two weeks, Alison logged her food. Then deliberately, we focused on a single nutrient at a time, beginning with nutrients to get MORE of (protein, fiber, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium). Eventually, we experimented with nutrients to reduce (sugar, sodium, and saturated fat). Finally, we are now experimenting with altering macronutrient composition throughout the day to optimize energy. By using logging as an information gathering tool, Alison has been able to transform the way she thinks about food and how it impacts her body.

On the other end of the spectrum, Flora has logged in the past and found it to be restrictive. For Flora, overthinking calories and nutrients takes the fun out of eating, and she gets overwhelmed when she tries to log mixed dishes when eating out. By getting in touch with hunger and fullness cues, Flora honors her body's internal signals rather than depending on external data to tell her what to eat. Over time, Flora has been astonished that this approach has helped her lose 20 lbs in the past 4 months in a way that connects her to, rather than takes her away from, from her body. She has expanded the theme of mindful eating into other areas of her life as well, doing a brief body scan prior to exercise, and finishing the day with a reflective journaling practice. Her actions are moving toward alignment with her values of trust and presence, and she is on the path towards actualizing her personal food framework.

These two cases are extreme, and most people fall somewhere in the middle of this continuum.

To sum it up, we work with you at Three Point Balance to determine whether food logging is something you would like to try short or long term, and select a type of logging that will help you develop your food framework.

Think about it:

What is your personal intention for food logging?

Which type of logging might best support your path to optimal nourishment?

AUTHOR

Laura Christoph, PhD, NBC-HWC
Head Nourishment Coach, Co-Founder
Three Point Balance

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