Tracking more than calories

[1000kw]

What else should be tracked aside from calories? I’ve been reading some websites that recommend that you track things like your emotions, when you’re eating, what you’re eating, and not just the calorie total throughout the day. Has anyone been tracking their eating? What is useful?

[tara]

Track your proteins, fats, and carbs. This will help you to better understand the nature of the foods you're eating and the types of calories that you're actually taking in. It will help you to balance your meals better, too.

[ffviifan]

There are some free sites that can help you track what you're eating and that can really help with tracking calories. You might find using one of these sites easier than trying to keep track of the food yourself. I tried to track my food on my own once and I ended up forgetting to do it sometimes or I'd get confused. It was really frustrating!

[speeddemon]

I've tried doing this and found it to be a complete waste of my time. The reason is I never kept up with it. It's not as easy to track your eating habits as much as you think it is, not unless you happen to be someone who has a lot of time on their hands or who isn't forgetful. I forgot to track A LOT and eventually the entire process just turned into this massive chore I resented. I'm not saying don't try it. Just don't be surprised if it doesn't work.

[tobetinytina]

Keeping a food diary actually really worked for me. I don't do it as much anymore because I know what types of foods to avoid and I've got a pretty good idea of how to stay within my targeted calorie range. I also would recommend keeping a food diary because it helped me to discover that I was allergic to certain foods because I was also tracking how I felt after eating meals and snacks. I actually learned I'm slightly lactose intolerant Definitely give it a try!