So, I have been keeping track of everything I eat, how it effects me and my overall well being for about 9 months now and I was just wondering what other people track and how they track it. I am trying to look at my weight, nutritional/caloric intake and also my energy level and amount/type of workout. Likewise I track a % of normal, though I haven't had 100% in months. I have been using the DietMinder Personal Food & Fitness Journal and it has worked really well for me. It has a place to not only record but also graph and a quick reference guide of food facts which have been great, but I can't help but wonder if there is something else out there that works for people too. What do you do? Is there something else you think is worth tracking? Am I going too far?
Tracking Diet/Health
- Thread starter alicat
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You're definitely not going too far. I think it's incredibly important to be aware of what you eat and how it affects you. That way if you're in a flare you can hopefully minimize the pain as much as possible. I usually keep a journal and I log what I eat, how it affects me and I also keep track of my blood work. I keep track of Hemoglobin, Vitamin D, CRP, and a SED rate. They're usually pretty good indicators of how I'm doing.
When I was first diagnosed I kept a journal. After 4 months or so I started using an iphone app called CDDiary. Now I use a calorie counter type app. It helps me be more aware of what I am eating. Also I think I have got into the habit of overeating (since I wasn't absorbing food properly), so I am trying to stick to what I need to eat rather than what I want to eat.
xJillx
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I keep a food diary, too. Also, I record my BM's and any symptoms. And similarly to you, Ali, I rank my day from 1-10. I, too, haven't had a 10 day since diagnosis.
I don't think it is over the top, and I personally find it very helpful. Not only does it point out issues/problems, but it points out good days, as well. So, when I am down in the dumps and say, "I always feel like crap!" I can look at my diary and see that it isn't true - there are some good days, too!
I don't think it is over the top, and I personally find it very helpful. Not only does it point out issues/problems, but it points out good days, as well. So, when I am down in the dumps and say, "I always feel like crap!" I can look at my diary and see that it isn't true - there are some good days, too!
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I don't think you're going too far.
I'm 3 weeks into tracking what I eat and their caloric value. Also, I'm about 2-3 months into tracking my BM's, forgetting to take pills, symptoms, etc.
It's wonderful to be able to look back over everything and find what keeps me and my stomach happy.
Oh, and a resource I use sometimes is livestrong.com. You can track what you eat on their, but I mostly use it as a reference. There isn't any food I've had since I've been keeping track, that I haven't been able to find on that site.
<3 Good Luck.
I'm 3 weeks into tracking what I eat and their caloric value. Also, I'm about 2-3 months into tracking my BM's, forgetting to take pills, symptoms, etc.
It's wonderful to be able to look back over everything and find what keeps me and my stomach happy.
Oh, and a resource I use sometimes is livestrong.com. You can track what you eat on their, but I mostly use it as a reference. There isn't any food I've had since I've been keeping track, that I haven't been able to find on that site.
<3 Good Luck.
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I have to admit, when it comes to tracking what you eat there is a fine line between it being a useful activity and an obsession. For me it became a total obsession.
It can be really stressful obsessively monitoring all your food in take. I used to be obsessed with it and I made myself very ill indeed with all the stress.
It is important to work out what you have a problem with. But its very odd, since I've stopped obsessing about my diet, my body seems to know what I can and can't handle and I am no longer even temped to eat things which will cause me problems. Things like meat and yogurt and ice cream give me problems.
Just really try to chill out about your food, your body know's what it can handle and just by tuning into it you don't have to worry about the food. Its so much less stressful and the food taste much better as well!
xxx
It can be really stressful obsessively monitoring all your food in take. I used to be obsessed with it and I made myself very ill indeed with all the stress.
It is important to work out what you have a problem with. But its very odd, since I've stopped obsessing about my diet, my body seems to know what I can and can't handle and I am no longer even temped to eat things which will cause me problems. Things like meat and yogurt and ice cream give me problems.
Just really try to chill out about your food, your body know's what it can handle and just by tuning into it you don't have to worry about the food. Its so much less stressful and the food taste much better as well!
xxx
rygon
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Thanks for this thread. I was thinking of doing something like this as my friend said it helped his young kid when she became bloated. Reckon i will stick to food i eat and how I am feeling (never been bothered about how many calories i eat etc), hopefully I will see signs of improvement
supercellbaebe - I hear you. There have definitely been days where I feel like I have gotten a little crazed about documenting everything and looking over past entries for patterns and meaning. I am trying to keep myself from going there, but where it feels like nothing is really working I think it is easy to start looking at stupid little things and giving them way too much meaning. I am thinking of stopping the calorie count thing for that very reason. It hasn't yielded any meaningful data, is time consuming and just brings me down when I only consume 900 calories in a day and cannot stand another bite/sip of anything.
rygon- Good luck with tracking things. Writing down what I eat, how much of it and how my body seems to react within the next hr have been the most useful to me. The rest is probably just because I need a hobby. However, my overall wellness from day to day and the # of times a vomit are always of great interest to my Dr, so if there is certain info he/she might like it could be worth including. It was my consistent documentation of the fact that liquids as well as solids were not getting out of my stomach for an eternity that actually led us down the path to a Crohn's diagnosis.
rygon- Good luck with tracking things. Writing down what I eat, how much of it and how my body seems to react within the next hr have been the most useful to me. The rest is probably just because I need a hobby. However, my overall wellness from day to day and the # of times a vomit are always of great interest to my Dr, so if there is certain info he/she might like it could be worth including. It was my consistent documentation of the fact that liquids as well as solids were not getting out of my stomach for an eternity that actually led us down the path to a Crohn's diagnosis.
