It is easy to make the decision to make a dietary, lifestyle change but actually making the transformation is a whole another story! One thing people don’t think of when trying to lose weight is to journal! By writing down what you eat makes you accountable for every bit of food that goes into your mouth.

You should be detailed in your food journaling. You should include not only what you ate for the day but what time you ate that food.  You should include other things such as water intake, supplement intake, and any exercise you did for that day.  In your food journal you should even include your mood or symptoms. You might feel different after eating a certain food; this can be helpful in identifying foods that don’t agree with you or you should stay away from.

Although keeping a food journal might feel like extra work but it really can be a very helpful “tool” if you are serious about making a dietary change. At the end of each day you should review your diary so that you can see where adjustments in your diet need to be made. You will be surprised what you find out about your eating habits. By keeping a food journal you can help yourself plan balanced meals comprised of all the food groups, thereby improving your nutritional status.

To review, keeping a record can be very helpful to you! It will allow you to identify your currently eating habits and where you might need improvement.  It allows you to reduce or eliminate mindless eating. It will tell you how much you are eating and what foods might not agree with you. Food journals allow you to spot at a glance any shortchanged food groups that could be potentially depriving you of important nutrients. It allows you to identify the “whys” of your choices, systematically work on forming new habits, and find non-food ways to cope with emotions.  Journaling can make or break your lifestyle change to eat better or lose weight. Don’t make you weight loss journey harder than it needs to be; pick up a pen, paper and start journaling today!