Self-Tracking Behaviors Can Be Key to Success

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Achieving long-term success in weight loss requires developing skills for self-improvement. To ensure that an individual's food intake is conducive to weight loss, personalizing one's menu plan is a great way of moving closer to his or her goal. Technology can facilitate self-monitoring and help individuals better manage their weight in the long term. Studies indicate that frequency of self-monitoring is a crucial factor when trying to achieve successful outcomes for healthy living.

Aside from recording progress on a daily basis, you must also be aware of the nutritional composition of your meals. It is important to understand which foods are beneficial, and in what amounts they should be eaten. Weight loss is an intricate process that requires dedication and persistence to achieve lasting results. That’s why you must develop certain self-improvement skills to reach and maintain your desired weight in a healthy manner over time.

Benefits of Tracking Weight Loss Factors

Requiring yourself to track things after years of self-monitoring nothing at all can be tricky at first. Logging meals and physical activities one at a time forces you to follow your plan. Listed below are four benefits of tracking your food, weight and daily exercise:

1) Understand What You Are Eating – To better understand what you are eating, you need to know how many calories you are consuming, from what sources, and the ratio of macronutrients to achieve your goals.

2) Helps Prevent Overindulgence – For starters, avoid skipping meals, stay well hydrated, and be mindful of how much you are eating will make it easier to notice hunger cues to prevent overindulgence.

3) Tracks Your Fitness Progress – Researchers suggest that tracking your physical activities can inspire you to be more active and makes it easier to add to your daily exercise routine, which translates to better weight control.

4) Allows You to Plan Ahead – Tracking what and when you eat allows you to plan ahead and the better you get at planning ahead the more empowered you feel as you take control of your daily menus.

Self-Regulation Is a Lifestyle Strategy

The science behind successful weight loss suggests that self-monitoring of weight, dietary intake, and physical activity is key for overweight adults to lose weight and keep the lost weight off for the long-term through self-regulation. Despite the previous concerns that daily self-monitoring of weight loss variables could have negative consequences, recent studies suggest there are no statistically significant detrimental effects of self-weighing or self-regulation. Research has demonstrated that both men and women who engage in more frequent self-monitoring actually lose more weight during his or her weight loss journey and regain less weight after they’ve reached their individual goals.

Here at Metabolic Research Center, our approach is to restore your energy and stamina, so you are less likely to experience unwanted food cravings following a personalized menu plan. Plus, we provide the support needed for self-regulation.