By
Israel Lagares on March 04th, 2009
The Importance of Keeping a Weight Loss Chart
Helps with motivation. Helps keep you focused. Helps keep you honest.
Advertisement
What else? C’mon folks, add to the list in the comments below…I want this to be like group therapy!
About the Author
My name is Israel Lagares. I used to be the kind of guy that was always in shape, but over the last few years I've fallen off tremendously. This site is my final attempt to get back into shape. So far I've lost
70.4 lbs. Check out my
weight loss chart,
weight loss videos and
progress pics. Follow my journey, those of others, and read our thoughts on various health topics. Share your thoughts, experience, and journey here on FMU.
I could see keeping a weight loss chart as being very rewarding. Watching the line come slowly but steadily down would have to be encouraging and a source of real pride.
– Dave
I second that!
My friends and I have been keeping track of our weights since last September when we started our weight loss challenge. I think it helps us to see where we started and give the motivation to continue the challenge.
I’ve also started to journal what I eat through the day so I don’t go overboard with my intake.
I’ve lost 33lbs since last September, plateaued some then joined the local gym.
Good progress.
I use DietPower Software to log food. You can configure the opening screen to display all sorts of stuff. Mine is a weight graph. Helps too to see that weight loss is anything but linear – well at least for women it isn’t! A good reminder for those weeks you did everything right but don’t get the results you expect!
I’m working on an excel graph that tracks all sorts of things. I’m trying to figure out a way to “layer” it so that I can compare weight trends to various data of my choosing – i.e. sodium intake, carbs, calories, and on and on.
Yikes, sounds like a lot of work.
I use fitday.com to track my weight and my foods. It’s helped alot, plus it makes me accountable for when I slack off and put weight back on. I think it’s a huge motivator!
Cool. I use Skinnyr to track my weight. Simple and useful.
I have a journal and keep up with my weight loss, measurements, etc. I also have a journal that I write all my daily workouts in and another mini journal that I take to the gym with me to jot down my numbers while there.
I try not to make things too over complicated or I get frustrated. I was keeping a food journal and although it helped and I might start it up again, it did kind of drive me crazy writing down everything I ate and the calories.
I think I need to get back to it though because the scale keeps creeping back up and I need to change that.
thats just too much for me. lol.
The Food Journal is so important. It’s helped both myself and clients stay on track. You said it, the most important thing is, it keeps you honest. That’s the first step to making/maintaining positive changes.
honesty baby!!!
We missed you Israel. Commitment and community are keys to any struggle. Community could be just one other person that shares your passion. Dropping a line to those that check here is important for you (even if you just say that you’re eating half gallon bowls of ice cream and just sitting on your ass) as well as those that check in on you. All of us have checked out of the healthy living from time to time and then figure some stuff out and get back at it.
I use Livestrong.com to chart food, exercise and weight
very true Tom, very true. livestrong huh? I need to check that out.
Keeping a weight loss chart is very useful. Watching the line come slowly but steadily down would have to be encouraging and a source of real pride. The Diet Chart is so important. It’s helped myself stay on track. The most important thing is, it keeps you honest. That’s the first step to making/maintaining positive changes.
I think it is important because then you can give yourself a reward for sticking to your goals too! You can also tell what you need to work on and what has been working so far. Equally important too is to keep track of your exercise too!
I agree with this! Keeping track of what I do has always worked for me, specially when its about losing weight or controlling my appetite. It serves as a checker and motivates us to keep on doing our efforts.
Hi I’ve just stumble across your blog through a Google search. I love it and just added it to my reader. I’ve been struggling with my weight pretty much all my life and it will be sure an interesting read.
Evelina
I’ve noticed that since I started my program, keeping a diet and exercise log is important. After a while it becomes a daily part of your life. I’m using a program called diet and exercise assistant from keyoe. It’s a great program that has both a desktop and PDA version. Entering my foods and exercise takes literally seconds. I don’t have to think about anything. It does most of the work for you. Just enter and it calculates everything. It even lets you set your goal and tells you how much you have to eat and exercise to reach the goal that you have set. One of the things that I hated was having to keep manual track of my food intake and exercise. This eliminates that problem.
Glad you found something that works for you.
Chart plays a important role in someones diet schedule. And most important save you from having much food.
I need the numbers or I start “forgetting” what is importaint. I may try skinnyr… it is a desktop app?
I use it more online, but there may be a downloadable app.
Thanks for the Guide..Weight Loss is very useful
Keeping a weight loss chart also helps with your motivation.I’ve just started one on my blog and knowing that people are watching your progress keep you motivated to keep making a loss each week.
i have been looking for Quick Weight Loss tips and guidance for Healthy Weight Loss Diet from couple of weeks. I hope you will elaborate more on this. thanks
Just stumbled across your blog. I started about 2 or 3 months ago and have only lost about 17 lbs so far… I started by counting calories but don’t feel the need to do that much anymore since observing certain calorie patterns…
I would probably lose weight much faster if/when I phase in an exercise program as part of it. For now I am just happy to see a consistent pattern of weight loss.
One thing I would suggest you look into is substituting coconut oil for whatever oil you are currently using in your cooking. It raises the bodies metabolism and is more readily converted into fuel for your body than most other types of oil. (There are also various other health benefits associated with it.)
I almost dropped sodas from my diet completely after discovering it would take about 1/2 hr of walking to work off one lousy can of soda! (a standard fast food lunch with a large soda and a couple of refills would require 2 hrs of walking to undo! Not worth it. I just get water now. Also dropped fries. They also would take about 1/2 hr to 45 min of walking to undo. Not worth it. They don’t add that much to the meal anyway…) Eating a good turkey sandwich for lunch that I make myself keeps me out of trouble most days but once in a while I still go to lunch with the guys at work.
Keeping “zero calorie” foods around to snack on if I get hungry has helped a bit too… Good luck and I hope to see you cross the “magic” 300 lb mark…
I will. Thanks for your advice. good luck on your journey.
Just landed here looking for something to get me jump started again. My journey started in June 2007 at 433 lbs. I have since gotten down to 294 lbs. I have been in plateau mode for the larger part of 8 months. Recently I have increased my exercise by walking 7 miles a day for 5 days a week to get ready for a half marathon walk that I am doing this sunday. I just wanted to say that I read about your running at 3.2 for 40 minutes and I am impressed. I just started adding jogging to my walks in small quarter mile streches. It kills me just to do that few minutes. Keep up the work. I admire your willingness to share your journey.
Keep at it. You’ve come along way man!