Getting gut-level honest.

True story:

I have a salt tooth.  Most people swing the other way.  Me?  I’d pick a crunchy, salty, savory chip or cracker over something sweet any day.  I am one of those freaks that even likes rice cakes, as long as they have a little salt on them.

So I’m always interested in new chip and cracker finds.  Usually, I find one that I love, love, love, and I’ll buy a box every time I go to the store (We shop once a week.  Period.  Don’t fret; I’ve got a blog ready that tackles all things grocery store related), but don’t think I won’t stalk the cracker aisle on the lookout for the next great snack food.

Back in the day, it was plain ole Wheat Thins.  Nearly perfect, they’re pretty hard to beat.  Thanks to the nutrition facts label (again, a future blog), I would count out my portion and give thanks to the geniuses at Nabisco for making me so happy.  Then along came the rise of non-cereal Special K products, and I discovered a mighty taste for graham flour.  Have you tried those Special K crackers?  That little wangy taste is graham flour!  Yum.  But the new queen on my salty throne is once again a Wheat Thin cousin, cleverly called Sticks.  These sticks are crunchy, salty, delicious and addicting.  Oh my.

All this intro is to let you know that alas!  She, the one who lectures about controlling portions and striving to be the example of healthy eating, is human after all.

The other day, I opened a new box of Wheat Thin Sticks.  But when I went to get my daily “fix” yesterday, there were 2 left!  WHAT happened?  (Side note:  Joe and dad don’t snack on these, though I can’t imagine why.)  

Which brings me to today’s hint.

You need to WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU EAT.  (Clearly, so do I!)

This is a perfect time to get you a new notebook, journal, or whatever paper strikes your fancy, as long as it’s portable.  This goes where you go.  On paper, in ink, write down every single thing you put in your mouth.

When you drink a glass of water, write it down.

When you eat a bite of the cake that’s in the coffee break room, write it down.

When you eat, write down your meals.  Include the butter on your roll if you used any.  Every detail.

When you snack, write down your snacks.  Count how many WTS you eat and write it down.

When you drink, write down your beverages.  If you use cream and sugar in your coffee, write it down.

Because this is YOUR tool, you must be honest.  Nobody will ever see this except you.  The purpose of course is to make you aware of what, and how much, you ingest on any given day.  You can’t hope to fix anything if you don’t know what’s broken, right?

We’ll visit this in about a week, so be faithful.