Keeping a food diary aids weight loss
When beginning any weight loss program nutritionists often advise their clients to keep a food diary. Initially this is used to determine the amount and types of food consumed, but often its use is continued as a useful tool to help monitor food intake.
The value of food diaries has been demonstrated in a study released in 2008. Over the 6 months of the study the 1685 participants were encouraged to restrict their calorie intake, take part in daily exercise and record food intake. It was the participants that showed changes to behavioral measures, such as consistently maintaining food diaries and performing regular exercise, which continued to lose weight at a greater rate - losing twice as much weight as those that did not.
Additional benefits of keeping a food diary
Keeping a record of what you eat on a daily basis not only makes you more aware of just how much you are eating it also helps you keep an eye on the types of food you eat. For example you can ensure you are eating your 5+ a day of fruit and vegetables.
In addition to monitoring your food intake you can record how you feel throughout the day. Often we find there is a link to the quantity or types of food we consume with how we are feeling. A bad day at work may lead to a sweet treat, or eating with friends may result in larger than normal serving sizes. If you do notice a trend between your food and mood you can learn to make positive changes to avoid reacting the same way.
When keeping a food diary it is important to:
- Ensure you update your diary every time you eat, it is easy to forget things if you save it until the end of the day.
- Record everything you eat or drink, and how much you had
- Note down any emotional state (how I felt)
- Keep track of exercise
- Make it part of your daily routine and stick with it.
Make your food diary your own
In order to keep at it you need to find a system that works best for you. Click here to download the food and activity diary or try using:
- A white board
- Post-it notes
- Your computer, using word, excel or even email
- Your daily diary
You can either discard it daily or keep for long-term reflection. Try recording your weight so you can see the changes and associated food changes.
Most importantly be honest. You can keep it as private as you like. A food diary will reveal your true food intake and help break you out of any denial about habits. Once you are aware of your problem areas you can begin to make changes.