Up with Protein, Down with Pounds

Interview With Diet Specialist, Susan Cohen

Accountability

L.W.: Why do you ask your clients to keep a record of their food intake?

S.C.: Successful diet and weight loss can be attributed to keeping a record of your food intake. When a client records what they are eating during the day, they become conscious and more accountable.

L.W.: So once the client reaches their goal weight, do they discontinue the food intake record?

S.C.: It really depends on the client. I have clients who, for years, have been emailing me what they eat each day. Some clients feel that when they do this, there is no room for error. It also enables me to see every detail of what and how they are eating.

L.W.:  How do you help clients solve problems by reviewing this record?

S.C.: I had a client tell me that she was eating according to the plan, but feeling hungry. After we reviewed the record together, we were able to see that she was not eating a salad with 2 of her meals. Salad is crucial to making you feel full. By adding that to her diet, she was satisfied and not looking for other foods to stave off the hunger.

L.W.: I know you have a quote that you live and work by: “Show me a person who doesn’t weigh themselves, and I’ll show you a person who is slowly gaining weight.”

S.C.: That’s right. We all need to be accountable to someone or ourselves if we want to maintain a healthy weight. The scale is one form of measurement that accomplishes that.