5 steps to master your diet plan

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles" - The Art of War

Most of us need to lose weight at some point. Over time, people have created many different diets. But do you know what really makes them work? It's how well you actually follow them. In this case, we tend to not objectively look at our own actions. We all love ourselves and make excuses. Therefore, whatever diet rules you choose, it's important to really follow them to get the maximum result.

How closely you stick to the diet and exercise plan has a big impact on weight loss results. Consistently following the recommended lifestyle changes over a long period is often the biggest key to success in weight loss programs.

If you keep a food diary, let's look at the most common mistakes, avoiding which will help you get better results for your goals:

• Measuring portions wrong: People often underestimate or overestimate portion sizes, which leads to incorrectly logging calories and nutrients.

• Skipping snacks or drinks: Often people forget to log little snacks like a piece of chocolate, or caloric drinks, affecting the accuracy.

• Missing ingredients: When cooking at home, it can be hard to track all ingredients, especially for complex recipes.

• Ignoring cooking method: How you cook food (like frying vs boiling) greatly changes the calories and nutrition, but this is often overlooked.

• Not updating records frequently: If you don't log food right away, you can forget details about what you ate, leading to incomplete records.

• Psychological barrier: Sometimes people feel ashamed or guilty about the foods they eat and avoid logging them.

Here are tips to better maintain and improve your food diary:

• Plan meals ahead. This prevents unplanned snacking and makes you aware of what you'll eat. Using a personalized diet plan from an expert is best.

• Log everything you eat or drink, including snacks and portion sizes.

• Use food diary apps to easily analyze nutrition and calories.

• Review your logs to understand your habits and make changes as needed.

• Most importantly, keep your diary with self-love and without stress. Don't force yourself.

Choose the logging method you like best - pen and paper or phone app. This increases your engagement so you're less likely to miss entries or quit.

The 5 most popular food diary apps are:

MyFitnessPal - Large food database, easy to use, connects with fitness devices. 

LoseIt! - Tracks calories, meal plans, and nutrient analysis. Set personal goals.

Cronometer - Detailed micro/macronutrient analysis, ideal for dietitians/athletes. 

SparkPeople - Tracks diet, fitness, and weight. Recipes, videos, articles. 

Fitbit App - Integrates nutrition tracking with activity tracking.

These apps make it easy to log in, analyze your diet, and live healthily.

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Each mindful small step today will become a giant leap for your well-being tomorrow.

Warm regards,
Kos