It doesn't matter if you do it when the days are long and hot and the clothes are smaller and skimpier, or if you do it in the wintertime when warm, heavy meals spend all day calling your name. The truth is, if you're looking to eat healthier, lose weight, or snap a skinnier photo for your internet dating profile, starting a food diary is one of the best ways to do it. Why? Because truly being healthy is about making a lifestyle change.
Reasons to Start a Food Diary
A good food diary can do a lot to change the way you eat-- including how, what, and why you eat. If you do it right, a food diary can help you with:
Calorie Control.
Most people don't have as good an idea of what they eat as they think they do. When estimating calories, some even believe that they eat less then half of the number of calories they actually consume. And whether it's 10% or 50%, those extra calories can make the difference between skinny and fat. Or between healthy and unhealthy. When you keep a record, you know what you're eating... and how many calories it truly has.
Accountability.
Another thing that gets in the way of losing weight is letting things slide. It's all too easy to eat that snack or candy bar and then let yourself forget all about it. When you have a food diary, however, you write down that secret little snack. It's there, it's on paper, it's in front of you... and that makes you a bit less likely to give in and eat it again the next time.
Understanding Emotional Eating.
A lot of people use their food diaries to track their moods and feelings as well as what they eat. If you know you're the kind of person who eats when you're stressed, this kind of food diary is probably a good idea for you.
To better understand your emotional eating, write down the real reason why you decided to eat something every time you record a meal in your diary. Were you really hungry at that moment? Or were you upset about a meeting with your boss, stressed about the errands you had to run, or just bored? The better an understanding you have of your emotional eating habits, the easier it will be to improve those habits.
Knowing Portion Sizes.
Most programs you use to keep track of your calorie intake also have an indication of portion size. After all, one ounce of potato chips is not the same as a whole bag. The more you measure your food and count your calories, the better idea you'll develop over time of what a portion should look like.
Measuring Progress.
For most of us, when we first start a food diary the calorie entries will tend to be higher than we'd like. But if you have a record of what you've been eating, you'll also have a record, over time, of the improvements you've made in your eating habits.
Food Diary Tips
Though a food diary can be helpful in living a healthier life (and having a healthier attitude towards food), your food diary won't be helpful if you don't do it the right way. Start off by:
Being Consistent.
Did you give in and go to McDonald's for a big burger and even bigger pile of fries yesterday? Don't let it discourage you from your food diary. Record that meal in your diary just like any other, and try not to get too down on yourself. Your food diary won't work if you don't use it, so get in the habit of writing things down every day.
Start Small.
It can be difficult to start tracking and dieting at the same time. So it's often best to start small. Write down how much you eat on a daily basis so you know what your current habits are. Then make changes in your habits gradually. If you try to do it all at once, it can be overwhelming.
Be Honest.
The only one looking at your food diary is yourself. So there's no reason to lie about what you're eating. After all, the final result that matters isn't that end-of-the-day calorie count: it's the weight you're losing and the way you feel. So don't fib and say you ate 10 peanuts when really you ate 30. Your body will know about the extra calories even if your food diary doesn't.
Go Online.
You don't have to be a mathematician or spend hours calculating your portion sizes and calories. Just like there are great resources for internet dating or searching for a job or anything else online, there are also plenty of resources for tracking your food intake. Look for a site with a built-in food diary. It'll make your life a lot easier.
