Diet

Thanks for the advice Robby. It really is much safer for me not to be hungry very long. One unplanned common everyday occurrence can get me derailed.

I've gone from unmotivated 309 lbs in 2009 down to a pretty solid 240. And i have kept it off for over a year. It took a year to get there I'm eating real food. Real oatmeal which for me is quality energy material. Fruits r my treats. Meat eggs. One protein shake before workout one shake right after workout. One diet soda a day. A lot of water. A couple of slices of bread a week. Just real food. No chips, juices, ice cream. And I never try to eat huge amounts.

Exercise is huge for me. It makes my mind feel solid. Been fighting plantar fasciitis since January. And I have actually gone down in weight while not being able to run

Next year should be the year for me to hunt sheep in Wyoming. So I'm thinking in my mind how to get down to 220. I lift heavy. I will probably have to decrease weight increase reps and hit the cardio hard once the foot gets better

Love the thread. Thanks for the advice

Thanks for the update on your incredible progress- I'm sure someone will be inspired- I was!

I like that you mention the "real food" aspect as that is what typically allows people to sustain weight loss vs really restrictive diets eliminating entire groups of foods. They lose a lot of weight but get miserable and the weight creeps (or storms) back on.

Heck, cutting down junky food to less than 5% of the diet is restrictive enough! and usually that's all it takes.

You'll be running down those Wyoming sheep- poor things, I feel sorry for them now.

OK,
Let’s get into some of the "skills" successful weight managers use to control their weight. Up until now, I've focused on eating healthy, keeping calories at the top of the "to-be-managed" list, but healthy eating only takes you so far. You have to employ strategies that are effective and can become habit if you want to manage to keep off your weight. Also, keep in mind that you can eat clean, but still eat too many calories and be overweight. You have to look at the big picture of healthy eating and eating for healthy weight.

Much of the data I already presented came out of Harvard and various studies from around the world.

For this next section, we're narrowing it down (relative term, still good broad based data) to studies that were reviewed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a tax-dollar funded branch of the Federal Government. Now before you jump me for being in bed with the government, let me clarify something.

I, like many Americans, believe our government is too big (or too small) depending on your political slant. I'm not here to argue that, but do want to point out that an important question has to be asked about research and that is "who funded it and what are they to gain out of it."

That is why I don't trust many of the "book" diets as the authors have a vested interest in getting the research to agree with their premise or theory so that the book (and often supplements) will sell. This does not imply that there aren't some good "books" out there-there certainly are- but as was argued (even against me) earlier in this thread, you need to know where the research is coming from and who funded it.

In this case, I think the government (NIH), did a good job with the research on successful weight management. Why? Because they aren't trying to sell us something by providing this research. They are trying to solve the obesity problem which stands to break this country if left unchecked. They are about as independent as you can get in this field and don't have a lot of motive to influence the findings like someone who stands to make a direct profit from the findings might.

I'm fully aware some will not agree with this, and that is OK. However, I can stand behind the fact that I've put this data to use in a very large personal training program over many years and can say it works. So even if you don't agree with where the data came from, at least grant me that I've watched thousands (really!) of people lose weight and keep it off (at least as much as they choose to) and can stand behind it.

Let me also remind you of our definition of success: Keeping any lost weight off.

That is different than losing weight. Any of thousands of diets and tricks can get weight off, but few methods can keep it off. That is why you read about me advocating slow weight loss while eating as many foods as possible. It gives someone a snowballs chance in heck at keeping the weight off, rather than very restrictive diets that get weight off fast, and bring it back on just as fast as few people are purists and can sustain very restrictive eating.

The NIH guidelines I'm presenting are based on the most extensive review to date of the scientific literature on overweight and obesity. A 24-member expert panel devoted three years to analyzing 394 randomized, controlled clinical trials dating back to 1980. The guidelines that came out of this huge study have been endorsed by 115 health experts at 54 major medical and professional organizations including the American Medical Association, American College of Cardiology, American Dietetic Association, and the American Heart Association.

The data from the NIH identified 5 behaviors (truly 6, but I'll explain that later) that successful weight managers (that is people who've already lost weight and kept it off) employ. It's like studying the habits of successful hunters or race car drivers, or CEOs or whatever, then applying those habits to yourself. You're bound to be more successful as you've moved beyond theory and now are working with real world, proven methods.

I've shared some parts of these behaviors (we'll call them steps now) throughout this thread, but now I'll share them in their entirety.

As you read through these over the next few weeks, remember I'm trying to help the most people and most people live in the real world. They have families (think wide variety of tastes to satisfy), work (think rushed lunches, missed breakfasts, too many snacks around) and social lives (it’s a hootin-good-time to eat and drink) and can't be perfect or top-athlete like in their dietary approaches (if you can, go for it, you'll be the skinniest one!).

For most of us mortals, Perfection is not the key, Consistency is the key! Remember, this is a new lifestyle- not a diet! Consistency means 80% or 90% of the time- not 100% of the time. When you operate from a consistency viewpoint you don't feel guilty about the 10% or 20% of the time you choose to indulge yourself. Over time, you will experience the power of managing your weight successfully. You will become self-assured, comfortable, and confident of your power to control your weight as it's not an accident or magical thing.

Step One:
Physical Activity (PA).
DAAAA you might say, but hang on. The data not only says that PA is ultra important for weight loss, but is also the number one predictor of keeping lost weight off (remember my definition of success). Further, the data also clarified just how much PA it takes to be successful, and it's much more than most people get.

Now I realize I'm writing to a bunch of hunters, many hard core, but even then, most of us don't get enough PA, mostly because most jobs in America are sedentary (I'm sitting on my arse about 5 hours per day!)

The data says that to be successful, you have to expend 287 to 500+ calories per day (about 2000-3500+) per week- and I emphasize the "+". Most of us are sedentary in our jobs and might accumulate a few hundred at tops calories expended per day. Throw in 25 weekends a year of lying around and you are pretty inactive even if you hunt down deer with knives and sharp rocks for 2 months every fall.

With DEW, I counted his job's PA as it was significant (we PM'd several times before I gave him the actual numbers as he seemed unusually high, but based on his reported losses, I think we got him close) but for most people, we don't even count their job if they sit for more than 4 hours per day (like me).

This means we have to design purposeful exercise programs to accomplish the 287-500 calories per day. Remember, that is everyday of the week to hit that average so if you rest one day a week, like you should and I try to, you are actually shooting for 333- 583 per day MINIMUM.

The good news is that it doesn't all have to be gym exercise. It can be sports, active work, and the like. I still use a push mower as does my wife even though our yard is fair sized. Just free calories for us!

Intensity of PA is not quite as important for weight management. The higher the intensity, the fewer minutes you need, the lower, visa versa. We try to program for as high of intensity as is comfortable for a client so that they enjoy what they are doing.

Weight training counts, but you will see it burns far less calories than cardio/aerobic style exercise, but both are equally important for health.

A few tips:

If you're below these levels of PA, plan to build up your goal over 2-4 weeks.

Schedule your activity. PA rarely fits into busy lives- it must be scheduled.

Always have a back up plan. Can't make the gym, go for a run, mow the lawn, get a piece of home exercise equipment for back up.

It's ok to do more on one day (if you're conditioned enough) in anticipation of less another day (Saturday's are big for me, as Sunday I try not to train.)


Best of luck.

STEP TWO: Understanding Food and Calories

The next step of the five is Understanding Food and Calories.

Oh how the anti-calorie counters hate me for this one, but the best evidence still shows that calories ultimately determine how much a person is going to weigh, regardless of whether that calorie came from protein, carbs, or fats. That is why we count them.

The good data shows that people who understand food and calories have the best chance of losing weight and keeping it off (remember that is my definition of success- keeping it off,) because they can then have lots of food choices vs. just eating the 20 or so “allowed” foods a book might pitch.

Working in this field has confirmed one thing for sure: 90+% of people do not understand really how many calories they take in and is why so many people are overweight or can't really lose weight. Even those who lose weight don’t often realize they just upset the calorie balance in their diet and is why the weight came off.

Once we teach people about how many calories are in or not in foods, they can start to make better food choices.
It's no different than not balancing your checkbook. If you don't balance you eventually overdraw and if you don't understand calories, you will over eat more often than if you did understand them and gain weight.

Interestingly, many of the hundred of books and programs on weight loss do a very good job of avoiding teaching you anything useful about calories. Most don't address the subject at all. Worse yet, some tell you that calories don't even matter, but that it is some special combination of foods, nutrients, etc. is the secret to weight loss. There is more data coming out all the time that confirms calories are king.

Now don’t take away from this is that all you have to do is count calories and you’ll lose weight- as that isn’t true either. If you are eating much processed foods (refined grains, high fat meats, sweets) you can count all day and all you’ll find out is that you can’t stay below your max calorie intake. Refined, high fat, high sugar foods are not filling and for some people, cause them to eat even more due to effect s on blood sugar.
However, by starting to count and understand calories you can begin to make better choices in where you spend your calorie budget. Weight typically comes off slowly, but that is a good thing as you are more likely engaged in habits you can sustain.

For example, when you realize that refined flours are 5-10% higher in calories you can feel good about switching to unrefined lower calorie flours and enjoy the filling effect of the naturally occurring fiber that was removed from the refined.

Or, by realizing the high fat meats, like bacon, regular burger, and prime rib contain nearly double to triple the calories of leaner cuts like sirloin, tenderloin and other meats like poultry, wild game (good for us!)and fish, you can easily make better food choices saving yourself hundreds of calories per meal.

Then there’s the Fruit & Vegetable factor: F&V’s are the lowest calorie foods on the planet. The highest calorie fruit is a banana at 26 calories per ounce. Compare that to cheddar cheese at 115 calories per ounce, or rice at 105 calories an ounce, or lean beef burger at 68 calories and ounce and you can begin to see why diets high in F&V are associated with lower body weights. That was for the highest calorie fruit, the calories only go down from there.

When you start talking vegetables, non starchy, onions are the highest at a lowly 10 calories an ounce and the calories drop from there. Even the starchy vegetables, like potatoes, which get hammered all the time for being “fattening” by the gurus are only 26 calories per ounce! (not fried of course, once you murder a potato by frying you blow the calories all the way to 90 per ounce!)
See my earlier threads on F&V for more info.

You will also notice that grains tend to be high in calories, too, even the whole grains. This doesn’t make them “bad” we just need to understand that most grains in their whole form clock in at an average of 100 calories per ounce. You can eat them and feel good about it as they are healthy and pretty filling, but you have to be aware their calories do add up.

This is the reason the guru diets usually eliminate grains- they know they compose the largest percentage of people’s diets so if they can get you off of them, you will lose weight (and buy the book).

However, whole grains have health promoting effects and most people like them and can enjoy a more varied diet by including them, which in the long run helps them continue to eat healthy and maintain weight loss. We’ve already discussed that some people can’t eat grains, so I’ll leave this part to those previous threads.

My best advice is no matter how you want to lose weight, learn about what ultimately determines your weight: calories.
Read up on foods and their calorie content. Most search engines are so good now, I can just type in “calories in pork tenderloin” and can usually know in a few seconds that it is double that of halibut.

I think I’ll have the halibut.

Anyway, there you go.

Next Step will be Record Keeping.

Again, informative post and great advice! Thanks Robby! As if we needed more reasons to fill the freezers (3!) with game meat and fish

thanks Becca,
have you checked your PO box lately?

Robby,

Thanks for all the great information!

OK, I'm back. I got diverted again when I was PM'd by a member who asked me to watch a youtube video by Gary Taubes, the author of several books I don't agree with (and still don't) referenced in an earlier post.

The member respectfully PM'd me and didn't want to hijack this thread. I'd intended keeping it as a PM, but the next day our own local paper challenged all the health professionals in our area with an endorsement of Taubes of which I had to write a rebuttal. Although I'd done a bunch of research on the topic as I stated in an earlier post (but some members still accused me of being close minded), I was forced to do more. It was like reliving the Atkins/Zone diets all over again. Anyway, here is the rebuttal I wrote for our paper and should be published next week. You might find it helpful in navigating all the "diet" advice Americans are faced with.

Dear Editor,
In reference to Jerry Brady’s editorial, “The Obesity Epidemic,” I have to agree and disagree.
First to disagree: Gary Taubes, author of several controversial books, as stated correctly by Mr. Brady is a journalist, not a scientist. Taubes is not considered an expert in the field of human nutrition and for good reason. Taube’s mantra that “calories don’t count” is not supported by even one high quality study. The reverse is actually the case.

For example, NIH researcher Kevin Hall, PhD Biophysics, a leading researcher in the field of obesity has published several high quality studies that validate excess calories are the driving force behind weight gain in America. You can read his data at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Also, Dr. Steven B. Heymsfield, researcher for St Luke’s Obesity Research Center and the author of 430 peer-reviewed scientific articles and six books confirms that the most current published research is conclusive that subjects placed into negative energy balance invariably lose weight as predicted by the First Law of Thermodynamics. This law is not “theory” any more than the law of gravity is theory.

Taubes seems to know that if one can create controversy, and few fields are more controversial than weight loss, people will buy lots of books. Other authors, like Dr. Atkins, Dr. Barry Sears, and Robb Wolf, and others made lots of money from gullible Americans pitching unfounded “scientific” theories that don’t hold up in good research. Their diets rank among the worst in America in a recent report in US News and World Report when their diets were evaluated by a large panel of experts for characteristics like ease of following, nutritious, safe, and effective for weight loss and against diabetes and heart disease. Taube’s diet recommendations will eventually find the same fate.

Worse than that is the harm he is doing by telling people it is good to eat lots of meat and fat. A 1998 study in the International Journal of Cancer show trends of increasing risk for red meat and processed meat consumption. Harvard researchers found that men who at red meat five times per week or more had 100% the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. Finally, the American Cancer Society recommends people limit red meat intake to less than 3 ounces per day.

One of Taubes signature articles shows a high-fat Porterhouse steak with a dab of butter, yet the huge Nurses Health Study conducted by Harvard University showed for every 5% increase in saturated fat, a concurrent 17% increase in heart disease risk was shown. It’s simply irresponsible to tell a nation the contrary as Taubes has done, but he’s selling lots of books as intended. Dr Atkins did the same thing but had signs of heart disease at his time of death and a heart attack in 1992 preceding his death. His own widow has confirmed this.

To agree with Taubes (and Atkins, and Sears) Americans eat too many refined carbs. The problem with refined carbs is they are calorie dense. A potato chip has 160 calories per ounce while a baked potato only has 25! It’s not the potato, but what Americans insist on doing to it. Sadly, since Taubes says calories don’t count, more Americans will get fatter following his advice.

America is getting fatter as a nation because most Americans want their cake and eat it too. The ones who take control of their weight gain and follow sensible, sustainable eating & exercising guidelines lose weight. I see it everyday and want to give everyone with a weight struggle that there is hope for change if they will follow what most of the scientific community advocates: eat fewer calories by limiting highly refined foods, cut back on the animal based fats, and increase whole food intake like whole grains, fruits & vegetables, nuts, and unprocessed lean meats.

Robby Denning
Director or Personal Training
Apple Athletic Club
Idaho Falls

Here is the link to the top rated (and worse rated) diets in the US I referenced in the above post. This was released earlier this year. If you click on the data tab, you will find out more about the report and can find the list of professionals who compiled the list. Pretty impressive group, at least to me. The anti-establishment won't think so, but we can all have on opinion, right?

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets

Notice where the Paleo diet landed- dead last.

The number one diet was the DASH diet and if you've been paying attention, is the diet I've mostly been elaborating about on this thread.

Robby: What should I do with the whole CAB ribeye loins that I have been aging in my fridge for the last several weeks if beef is so bad for us??? By the way, the one I cut up last weekend was great.

Eat it! I would. I do beef ribyes half dozen times or so a year.

The data says its the amount we eat that is the problem. That is the good news, we can eat a little bit of everything. The data says more than 20 ounces of red meat per week is when the problems start.

game meat is much lower in fat, so can go more than 20 ounces.

Thanks for all the info Robby, I thought you fell off the thread for a while there.

I got a PM from someone with questions on gluten free and inflammation and exercise related to keeping weight off, here is my answer:

"Hi,
on the gluten intolerance stuff, I've spoken with many RD's on this who are working daily with this stuff.

They all agree it has become the "disease of choice" for many people meaning they think they have gluten intolerance but never get an official diagnosis. If they do, they find few have the problem but were just eating crappy diets and when they cut out the refined foods, they go "oh, I must've been gluten intolerant" when actually they were knocking out a thousand calories extra per day eating refined grains loaded with fat.

The whole phylate argument seems pretty weak and if there is a problem it can be over come with cooking/soaking methods. I posted my research on that already in the thread.

I read the Bible daily and see references to grains all the time, people have been eating them for 4000 plus years. Only started eating refined in the last century. There's the problem.

Eliminating whole grain and dairy not sustainable and why do I say that? Read the diet thread and see how many people enjoy those foods and dont' want to elminate them.

that has been my argument the whole time and many agreed, if people don't enjoy their diet, they won't stick with it long term. The purists will and that's great, but the majority of people won't and is why those type of diets score so low in sustainablity. I'm not arguing you can't lose weight on them, you can.

Inflammation decreases in about everyone who loses weight no matter how they lose it, low fat, high fat, high low whatever, people are not made to be fat. Arguing that one diet reduces inflammation is inaccurate- losing weight is the biggest factor, we just have data that says there is better ways to lose weight from a health stand point and that is what I'm arguing.

Glad you are exercising! We are made to move and exericse is the number one predictor of keeping lost weight off., Be careful if you tell someone exercise isn't necessary to lose weight. It may not be, I agree much of weight loss is diet but sustaining weight loss needs exercise, wheter formal or activities of daily living.

There you go. I'm posting some of this in the diet thread, anonymouslly of course.

The reason I do that is because I was hired by Rokslide to help the most people and PM's don't allow me to do that very well. No probelm PMing me though.

Best of luck and great job on your new lifestyle."

robby denning said:

I got a PM from someone with questions on gluten free and inflammation and exercise related to keeping weight off, here is my answer:

"Hi,
on the gluten intolerance stuff, I've spoken with many RD's on this who are working daily with this stuff.

They all agree it has become the "disease of choice" for many people meaning they think they have gluten intolerance but never get an official diagnosis. If they do, they find few have the problem but were just eating crappy diets and when they cut out the refined foods, they go "oh, I must've been gluten intolerant" when actually they were knocking out a thousand calories extra per day eating refined grains loaded with fat.

I read the Bible daily and see references to grains all the time, people have been eating them for 4000 plus years. Only started eating refined in the last century. There's the problem.

Eliminating whole grain and dairy not sustainable and why do I say that? Read the diet thread and see how many people enjoy those foods and dont' want to elminate them.

that has been my argument the whole time and many agreed, if people don't enjoy their diet, they won't stick with it long term. The purists will and that's great, but the majority of people won't and is why those type of diets score so low in sustainablity. I'm not arguing you can't lose weight on them, you can.

Inflammation decreases in about everyone who loses weight no matter how they lose it, low fat, high fat, high low whatever, people are not made to be fat. Arguing that one diet reduces inflammation is inaccurate- losing weight is the biggest factor, we just have data that says there is better ways to lose weight from a health stand point and that is what I'm arguing."

Click to expand...

Robby,

I have done significant research regarding gluten intolerance and its documented symptoms. While I'm not a credentialed expert, I can tell you first hand that gluten is poison to some of the population. Here are a few thoughts that might help the person that PM'd you regarding gluten

1. Not sure who PM'd you regarding gluten intolerance, but would love to have them contribute on the following thread. http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?1650-Gluten-Free
2. Gluten intolerance may be the "disease of choice" or even a fad diet for some. For others it is a serious medical condition. A lot of times people do not treat it as a true medical issue. For instance Dominos Pizza just released a gluten free pizza. The thing is it really isn't gluten free and they have a video to warn you. This is a joke and is just catering to a fad and discounting those with real gluten issues.
3. Celiac disease is just one manifestation of gluten intolerance. There are over 250 documented symptoms of gluten intolerance. Inflammation and joint pain being two of the symptoms.
4. I agree 100% that processed foods are the root cause of a lot of our medical issues, including gluten related issues. A Mayo Clinic study found that Celiac disease is four times more common now (2009) than in the 1950s. http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2009-rst/5329.html Look at how we eat now versus in the 1950s. We consume a ton of processed foods now where as in the '50s diets were more whole food based.
5. Eliminating grain (gluten) and dairy IS sustainable if you have to, to function. Let's be positive and encourage those that need encouragement.
6. Official diagnosis of gluten intolerance is very difficult. Most doctors have no training regarding gluten. Celiac disease is easier to be diagnosed with but incidental data shows that it takes over 10 years for the average person to be diagnosed with Celiac disease. Once again lack of medical training. My suggestion is get tested for Celiac disease before doing a gluten free challenge. Keep in mind that the blood test is notorious for having false positive and negative results. Genetic testing is the only 100% accurate way to test for gluten intolerance. Even an endoscope with biopsy has the potential for a false negative. After being tested if you still think you have a gluten issue. Do a one month 100% gluten free challenge and see how you feel. This one month is going to be very painful, difficult and you can't cheat. Before you start make sure you are setup to be gluten free for one month. You will need to study gluten free eating so you know the key words for hidden gluten. Robby is right you should see health benefits during this gluten free challenge from eating healthier (less processed foods). That is, if you weren't eating healthy already.
7. There is a direct relationship between inflammation and gluten. I can't tell you if this relationship exists outside of people who are gluten intolerant or not. But I can tell you that a few weeks after going gluten free my chronic knee and back inflammation had been significantly reduced along with the pain associated with the inflammation. After 13 months of being gluten free I am 100% free of the knee and back inflammation and pain.

Thanks muleman. I did tell the person who PM'd me to see your other thread, so maybe????

Your point in #4, right on!

#5, I agree it is sustainable if a person has to, I was referring to all the hype that healthy people need to elminate WHOLE grains (and dairy, although we never got into that one). Most experts agree whole grains help people be healthy, IF they don't have gluten intolerance/ celiac like issues.

Inflammation = Bad. agreed

A voice of common sense on sugar

While it wasn't intended, I'm glad we got into the perils of refined grains (and sugar) in this thread as it is a big problem. Although not as big as some might think.

Just today, I found a great blog from one of my favorite researchers, Dr. David Katz of Yale Prevention Research Center.

( see http://www.davidkatzmd.com/ ) if you want to check his credentials.

He's writing on the problem of getting too focused on just one nutrient, in this case sugar, like so many diet gurus do (or protein, fat, carbs). It also delves into the food industry and how they manipulate American's ignorance about food.

It's a long article you can drink a whole cup of coffee reading, but if you want some common sense on sugar intake, high fructose corn syrup, here it is:

"It has been some time since Dr. Robert Lustig emerged as the messianic nemesis of added sugar -- or perhaps specifically fructose. It has been some time since his meme took hold, engaging high-profile adherents and apostles. And it has been some time since I first started expressing my opposition to this "sugar is poison" platform (1, 2, 3, 4).

Consequently, it has been some time since I started receiving a bounty of hostile correspondence that would make my mother pass out, my wife wince, and my children cry. Confronting fervor is ever perilous, and I likely owe the filter of cyberspace for the fact that I have only suffered rhetorical violence.

The fainting, wincing, and weeping notwithstanding, I am sticking to my figurative guns. Excess dietary sugar is harmful, and among the salient liabilities of the modern food supply. Sugar is not poison, however. And yes, I think the distinction matters enough to keep fighting for it. Here's why.

(entire article here)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/sugar-diet_b_1553284.html?utm_s

STEP THREE: Record Keeping

All Right, we're back on track here.

The third step the research identified that successful weight managers use is Record Keeping.

Simply put, unless you do a very restrictive diet with very limited food choices, (most people can't make it more than a few months with that approach,) then you have no choice but to keep food records if you want to lose weight.

Why? Are we broken? Do we not know how much to eat?

No we are not broken and most of us know exactly how much to eat. The problem lies in our environment we live and work in.

30 years ago before the obesity epidemic really hit, gas stations sold gas and most restaurants closed at 9:00 PM.

Fast forward to now and gas stations are restaurants, and food (crappy, high calorie) food is available 24/7. In the 80's, convenience stores turned the pop fountain around so you could serve yourself and the 22 ounce cup was born (I think it's up to 80 ounces per cup now.) We are inundated with cues to eat from television, radio, and internet. Every event is "foody" event (I picked my kids up from soccer game Saturday and each had their reward of a pop-tart in one hand AND a capri sun in the other- double the calories they burned in their 50 minute game.)

Due to advanced farming, etc, Americans only spend about 7-9 cents of each dollar earned on food, the lowest in the world. This equates to an abundance of food everywhere. Virtually no one stops eating in this day and age because there may not be enough for tomorrow. I could continue...

Anyway, record keeping brings us back to earth per say- confronts us with how much we are really eating. If you don't practice record keeping, especially early in your nutrition experience, you will never realize how much damage you can do in a few meals of letting your guard down. It's hard work but it's good work. You will learn a lot.

All good weight management systems have some type of tracking system or are based on menus derived from tracking system. One reason Weight Watchers scores high in popularity AND it's a 38 year old company (quite a feat in this day and age when many diets only make it a few years- Eating for Your Blood type comes to mind and Covert Bailey’s Fit or Fat) is because they have a good record keeping system.

From Dorene Robinson of BeyondDiets.com:

Ten Reasons Why Record Keeping is Critical
1. Success requires self-management. Record Keeping is the basis of this.
2. It keeps the focus on relevant behaviors, which translates to more success with those behaviors.
3. You learn calorie and portion information.
4. You learn the consequences (caloric cost) of various food choices and environments.
5. You learn where you consistently have trouble (difficult/impossible places to be and not also overeat).
6. You learn to balance overeating and undereating days.
7. You learn there are no good/bad foods – it’s all a calorie game, and it makes no difference where the calories come from (as far as weight is concerned, health is another issue altogether, and is covered in the Healthy Eating section).
8. You learn to make better choices instead of continuing what clearly doesn’t work.
9. Records show you whether your actions are aligned with your goals.
10. Records provide objective reality-based information from which to evaluate your actions.

As mentioned at the beginning of this thread, there are several resources available like myfitnesspal.com and calorieking.com

Good old pen and paper do it for me.

Till next time (which will be Stimulus Control)

Thanks as always for your thorough and informative post Robby! The record keeping thing really appeals to me (I think it's the nurse in me, "if it wasn't charted it wasn't done")...it really helps me to stay accountable, but I think I might have previously overlooked what I learn through the process, and how that info sticks with me. While I have calorie counted before, my downfall has paradoxically often been that I sometimes can't/don't keep track when I backpack and take other trips, and find myself rationalizing "I hiked 6 hours today, so I can eat whatever I want".

I have been using myfitnesspal very consistently for about the last two months, but did two different trips in the last two weeks where I didn't have Internet access. I found at I could keep at least rough track of my calorie intake and output because I pretty much know the "worth" of the foods and activities that I commonly use. While i didn't actually write them down (though I could have, and might in the future), i must have done an ok job because my weight this morning was within 0.3 lb of my last weigh in before the trips. Record keeping has made me more aware, and so I am finding on the infrequent occasions when I can't keep track as diligently that I still have the know how, I just have to utilize it

While this thread is mainly geared towards weight loss and diet, I really think this is good info for anyone who takes trips into the backcountry for any length of time. I have found my performance suffering on several previous backpack trips because I wasn't getting enough to eat, and also wasn't aware how many calories were required (burned) for the activity I was doing. Probably best addressed in another thread, but I think it would be really interesting to discuss backpack meal planning, and how many calories we really need when we are working hard and making sure we pack enough food to sustain that activity level.

Good points Becca. Tracking should get easier over time and once in weight maintenence, shouldn't have to track unless weekly weigh-ins show you're gaining. It's just a tool to use when needed.

You also pointed out how all humans think= I did this so I can eat all this. Hopefully tracking has shown you that you can still eat a huge deficit you've created (like backpacking 6 hours) pretty easily if you're not careful.

Take home tip is this: it's hard to burn it, easy to eat it, so be careful and know what you are doing. Record keeping helps to know.

Robbie great info as usual, when I began following your advice and tracking my daily eating habits it was a real eye opener to see how easy it is to over eat your calories. Tracking not only keeps you in line but teaches you how to eat better...