Dieting results in long term changes to hormones and muscle fibers.

[noamnety]

216. That's good advice.

I don't personally do a food journal but I did find that understanding why I was overeating made it a lot easier to control. I already mentioned the food addictions, and consciously thinking of my cheese consumption as an addiction - reading up on what it does to the brain - gave me more control than telling myself that I should eat less cheese. I understood why when I decided to have a "moderate" portion, it would inevitably lead to seconds or thirds. Certain foods I can't have in small amounts. On refeed days I can go nuts if I want, but the other 6 days if I cross the line from NO to Maybe just a little in moderation, it's all over for me. Knowing that I have to be rigid even when dealing with peer pressure has been key. And it's part of the reason why for me weight watchers wasn't an option I thought I could stick with - it doesn't address the addiction part of the equation.

I do journal the exceptions to my diet and my morning and evening weight, though. So I have entries that look like this:

10/12: 129lbs, Tuesday kettlebell routine, 132lbs at night, not enough water, handful of raisins.

When I saw all that laid out, I could see directly where the things I did affected my weight. The immediate feedback loop between actions and weight helped me link cause and effect better. I know that sounds stupid, DUH if you cheat you will gain, but I still needed to see my own evidence on that level.