Food Diary: Back to Basics

When I started with Nutracheck I did things exactly by the book. But several months after that, and quite a bit lighter, I reasoned that I was not going to want to fill in a food diary forever, so I would stop filling it in for a week and see how I got on. I stopped, and I found it was not too difficult - I could remember the calories in most things, and those I couldn't I looked up on the Nutracheck database. At the end of the week my weight loss was continuing, so I tried it for another week, and so on. In the end my weight loss went on as it always had, but I rarely filled in my food diary.

Over the weekend I was on a residential course, and three people asked me, basically, did I intend to eat so weirdly forever?! I thought that my eating was now pretty normal, and I was a bit taken aback, so I thought it would be interesting, when I got back home, to fill in my food diary again for one typical day (it was Wednesday).

It made interesting reading! My food target was 2,398 and exercise burn 200 (net 2,198). In fact, on Wednesday I ate 2,136 and burned 403 (net 1,733). I ate 22 portions of fruit and veg, zero alcohol, and water I don't know (I have never measured that). When I was losing weight I rarely had more than 20g of fat, but on Wednesday I ate 58g, which was still below my 'allowance' of 90g.

What's similar to when I was losing weight? I'm still eating porridge for breakfast. I'm still eating, and really enjoying, huge quantities of fruit and veg. I am still drinking a lot of low-calorie drinks (over four litres in total). Also my walking is similar - 11,400 steps.

What's changed? I am eating more fat. On Wednesday I had half a pizza, some Indian starters, pumpkin seeds and smoked salmon, none of which I ate for two years. On the other hand, there was no alcohol, whereas I always had a couple of pints a day while I was losing.

What about the charge that I was eating 'weirdly'? I think what they were talking about was eating large amounts of porridge for breakfast (with nothing added), eating as much fruit and veg as I could get my hands on (without butter, cream, dressing etc), no desserts or cheese (my dessert is always fresh fruit), and no biscuits, chocolate, crisps or any sort of 'snack'. And finally, taking every opportunity to get outside and walk around (even in the pouring rain). Actually, now I write this down, it does look a bit weird! But it is a weirdness that I am completely comfortable with, and very happy to follow permanently!