Journaling

Tracking what you eat by using a food diary can help you determine how many calories you're consuming each day. In the beginning, get out the measuring implements, and measure everything! You might be surprised at what you find out. After a little while, you should be able to estimate your serving sizes.

What is a Food Diary

A food diary, also referred to as a food log or journal, can be as simple as a piece of lined paper or as elaborate as a hard cover binder with divided sections for various entries. Most importantly, an effective food diary will give you a clear, precise picture of the day’s eating events. The following items can be included in a food diary:

• Food items consumed
• Beverages consumed
• Measured amounts of foods consumed such as one cup, one tablespoon, etc.
• Number of calories in each serving
• Time of day
• Hunger level at time of consumption
• Location of meal
• With whom the meal was eaten
• Emotional state at time of meal

I actually started my journal a week before I began my weight loss program.  I really wanted to take  a solid look at what I was eating and oh my, was I ever in for the shock of a lifetime!  It really didn't seem like I was eating all that much, but the written pages before me could tell no lies.  After getting married, I found myself consuming upwards of 2800 calories a day.  Most of it came from huge portions of calorie-laden, high fat meals at our favorite restaurants.

How It Works

By keeping a running list of food, calories can be assessed and modified as needed. Also, by writing down when and where you eat, you may be able to save yourself the extra calories by avoiding that particular environment in the future if it caused you to eat for reasons other than hunger. A food diary will also show you whether or not you are getting the recommended number of servings for fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, and protein over the course of day.

In addition, by reviewing a particular meal, such as that brunch out with friends with a higher than usual fat content from the pancakes and bacon, you can choose a lower fat lunch to balance out the day’s worth of food. Similarly, by assessing fluid intake, you can ensure that you are getting the recommended eight glasses of water a day.

Lastly, mindless eating and drinking is finally put rest. There are no more “hidden” calories being allowed to creep in. By documenting every morsel of food and drop of fluid that enters your body, you will be able to account for each calorie and make appropriate changes.