One of the free services I offer to all my clients is analysis of their food journal. I have talked many times about the importance of a food journal. Studies show people lose 40% more weight when they write it down. I recently received this food journal from a female bootcamper of mine who is in her 30’s and is looking to lose a bit of weight, she probably has less than 30 lbs to lose.
If you find this interesting, click here to join me in person on one of my grocery shopping tours. Each one sells out, so save your spot now.
This food journal is one of the worst I have seen, but many of the same habits she has formed, many of you have formed as well. So take a look at the food journal and then at the bottom I will share my thoughts.
Friday, June 11
From 6:30 a.m. to lunch
2 glasses of water after boot camp
banana
Grande au lait (3/4 coffee, 1/4 milk) from Starbuck’s, skim milk with one pump of mocha
fruit and yogurt parfait from Einstein’s
small corner of chocolate cake
20 oz. Diet Coke
another small corner of chocolate cake (probably 1 sq. in.)
Lunch through the afternoon
Another fruit and yogurt parfait from Einstein’s
1 Hershey’s kiss
Half of a turkey and spinach sandwich on wheat
Dinner
Other half of the turkey/spinach sandwich
Cup of plain yogurt
Banana
12 oz. Diet Coke
Evening
Medium Diet Coke at the movies
Saturday, June 12
Morning
1 glass of water
2 pieces of 40-calorie toast with jelly
fruit/yogurt parfait from Einstein’s
banana
Mid-morning
Cafe au lait with one pump mocha
another banana
Lunch
Lean Cuisine chicken quesadilla
Apple
Nonfat banana yogurt
Mid-afternoon
2 cans of Diet Coke
Large coffee with cream and sugar
Dinner/Evening
Kashi Chicken Pomodoro frozen dinner
Banana
100-calorie microwave popcorn
3 glasses Diet Rite
Sunday, June 13
Fruit/yogurt parfait–made at home
-1/2 cup lowfat yogurt
-4 strawberries
-1/4 cup blueberries
-2 TBSP granola
Mid-morning—banana
16 oz. Diet Coke
Lunch–2 slices of greens pizza–made at home from Weight Watchers recipe
-Crust made from a mix
-Topping = 1 bunch swiss chard, chopped garlic, tomato, onion– cooked in 1 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat monterey jack cheese
Mid-afternoon–12 oz. cafe au lait with skim milk and one pump mocha
16 oz. coffee (about 7/8 coffee and 1/8 hot chocolate from PDQ)
Baby carrots and hummus
Supper–1 1/2 bowls of minestrone—made at home
(Carrots, onion, garlic, celery, potato, pancetta, zucchini, tomatoes, cannellini beans—cooked in 1 TBSP olive oil and simmered in vegetable stock)
2 pieces of 40-calorie multigrain toast with Promise margarine
Evening–Water with lemon/lime
100-calorie microwave popcorn
Monday, June 14
Water after boot camp
Fruit/yogurt parfait–same as yesterday with a 1/2 banana added in
Mid-morning–Tall (12 oz.) cafe au lait w/skim milk and one pump mocha
Lunch–2 slices greens pizza–same as yesterday
Carrots and hummus
1/2 banana
Mid-afternoon-100-calorie microwave popcorn
Water
Chamomile tea w/soy milk
Banana
Weight Watchers Caramel Mini-Bar (70 calories)
Supper-Grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and broccoli (Applebee’s)
3 cups of coffee with creamer and sugar
Evening–Weight Watchers caramel mini-bar
100-calorie microwave popcorn
Water
Tuesday, June 15
Before boot camp–banana
After bootcamp–Water
Fruit/yogurt parfait–same ingredients as yesterday
Weight Watchers caramel mini-bar
3 cups of coffee w/cream and sugar
Lunch–2 slices of greens pizza–same as yesterday
1/2 banana
During the afternoon–Small (12 oz.) coffee from PDQ–4/5 coffee, 1/5 hot chocolate
Weight Watchers caramel mini-bar
Three 8 oz. glasses of Diet Pepsi
100-calorie microwave popcorn
2 slices greens pizza
Piece of Weight-Watchers coconut candy
Supper–Bowl of minestrone-from the same batch made on Sunday
2 pieces of 40-calorie multigrain toast with Promise margarine
Evening–small (12 oz.) cafe au lait–1/2 coffee, 1/2 skim milk, w/one pump mocha
100-calorie microwave popcorn
Wednesday
Water after boot camp
Fruit/yogurt parfait–same as yesterday
Mid-morning–banana
16 oz. Diet Coke
Lunch–bowl of minestrone—same batch as yesterday
2 pieces 40-calorie multigrain toast w/Promise margarine
Weight Watchers mini-caramel bar
8-oz. glass of Diet Pepsi
Mid-afternoon–100-calorie microwave popcorn
2 glasses of Diet Pepsi
Supper–Caprese sandwich (fresh mozzarella, spinach, basil, tomato, aioli on some kind of white bread–went out to eat)
black bean succotash
2 cups of coffee with cream
Evening–Small cafe au lait w/skim milk and one pump of mocha
Thursday
Fruit/yogurt parfait–same as yesterday
Mid-morning—3 cups of diet hot chocolate (25 calories each)
Weight Watchers mini-caramel bar
Small cafe au lait w/skim milk and one pump of mocha
Another cup of coffee with cream
Lunch–bowl of minestrone–same batch as yesterday
whole wheat bun with margarine
diet hot chocolate
Mid-afternoon–100-calorie microwave popcorn
Dinner–fruit/yogurt parfait–same as before
Evening–cafe au lait with skim milk & one pump mocha
Here was my response
Thanks for the food journal this will help me immensely… My job is to give you the most honest truth and give suggestions so here I go 🙂
This is one of the worst food journals I have ever seen. You have an extreme addiction towards caffeine and fake sugar. You barely eat any protein. You have an incredible amount of carbs and sugar. The yogurt parfaits (from Einsteins) are awful for you… check out the nutritional value on one of those. You should NEVER eat margarine (just throw that away).
There are very few things that are good here is a few:
plain yogurt
homemade soup
All the food you eat is highly processed, there is very little natural unprocessed food that you are eating.
Here are my immediate recommendations:
-Search on my site for amber’s and abby’s eating plans and follow them.
-Get at least 100 grams of protein
-Ideally eliminate all diet soda and other fake sugars (at least reduce to once per day)
-Get rid of as much of your caffeine dependence as possible
Drink at least a gallon of water
-Stop your Starbucks runs
-Eat more butter, coconut oil, and olive oil
-Eat more dark leafy greens
-Keep doing a good job eating berries, they are lower glycemic compared to the very high sugar bananas
That is enough stuff for now… I will be doing some more grocery tours within the next month… I highly encourage you to sign up for one when I announce it.
Thanks! The good news is you are doing pretty much everything wrong, so your body will respond so well once you make the changes… Not just from a weight loss point, but from a health standpoint. You will greatly decrease your risk for heart disease and cancers. Your body won’t rely so much on caffeine to get you through the day, and your body will begin to detox when eating cleaner. For the next couple weeks your body will most likely have bad headaches, your breath might be bad, and your sweat might smell worse as the toxins and chemicals are getting flushed out.
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