"What's the first thing I should do?"

If you want to lose weight, put on some muscle, or improve your tennis game start with what you're fueling your engine with.

Maybe the easiest and most effective place to start any new program is a food log. I know, most people immediately go to the eye-roll when they hear "food log." But study after study show how important it is to plan and write down what you are putting into your body.

Often it takes less than a week to realize that we really don't think about what we put into our mouths. Our thought process is usually something like "I'm hungry, what SOUNDS good?" Not what IS good, but what SOUNDS good. But no matter what your goal is 80% of your results will come from how you feed your body. For instance, if your goal is to lose weight you need to limit calories just enough to create a deficit but not so much that you slow your metabolism and thus reduce the amount of calories you burn through out the day. You may think you are eating healthy, but are actually restricting your calories too much and missing the optimal weight loss window for your body. Not to mention whether or not you are getting proper balance in your meals can also affect your metabolism as well as cravings. This is true for any goal you set, there is an optimal range and quality of fuel that your body operates within. Without fully knowing what you are putting into your body can slow, or even reverse, any progress towards accomplishing your goals.

So what should you be keeping track of? There are many types of food logs/journals out there. You can visit a book store and pick through some books until you find one that you like or just grab a piece of paper. Each person is different, choose whatever you will stick to.

The basics:
Anytime you put anything into your mouth to consume and digest it you should write it down in your log/journal along with what time you ate it. You will also want to note the amount of calories of each meal and add up the total for the day at the end. Here's where people get fussy. "I don't have time, or want to add up all those calories." Or, "How can I figure out how many calories are in each piece of food I'm eating?"

Let's start with the time issue:
The easy solution is fill out your food log the night before. This serves two purposes: to plan your meals ahead of time, and we all have 5-10 minutes before going to sleep. The planning aspect is the best and will significantly increase your ability to reach you goals. No last minute, grab whatever is there, or drive-thru windows! You can have tomorrow's menu already figured out, calories calculated, and cut back on time spent thinking about what to eat. This is a great way to set yourself up for success, whatever your goals are.

Now for the math issue:
Today we have calculators, but even better we have computers and the internet. You can search the content of just about any food item you can think of on websites like and several others. Not to mention the nutritional content is put on the label for you. Again, sitting at your computer for a few minutes the night before with your food log/journal can really make things easier for you and SAVE you time in the end.

In summary, food logs/journals are invalueable tools in reaching any fitness-related goal. Keep track of times of meals, contents of the meals, and the amount of calories in each meal. Keeping track doesn't need to take very long, especially if you plan ahead. Also, if you're a routine-oriented person or get the hang of things quickly, you can ditch the food log after only a week or two. Of course, each person's learning curve is different and many people simply need the accountability of a food log to stick to their goals, so it may be better to maintain a food log for a longer period of time. Remember, food logs create awareness and accountability neither of which are bad to have.

(To develop a nutritional program to reach your goals contact me at mseward@fitnessmatt.com or your preferred professional.)