Healthy Weight Loss
For YOUR Healthy and Life-Long Weight Loss Program!
TIPS FOR A GREAT FOOD JOURNAL
A food journal is a precise record of what you eat each day. By keeping a food journal and analyzing your entries, you can get a general sense of how many calories you're consuming each day and also gain information about your eating habits. No one will read your journal but you, so don't cheat! And be consistent in your writing. If you can't consistently write what you are eating, how will you consistently eat healthy and reach your weight loss goals? Record what you have eaten right after you eat. If you wait until the end of the day to update your journal, you'll probably forget about some of of the items you ate. Purchase a journal small enough to throw in your bag or fit in your back pocket, you'll be more likely to record what you've eaten right away.
7excellent tips for a good food journal:
Record Exactly What You Ate: Be meticulous about noting every single item that you eat, not just the major meals. That handful of raisins counts, as does the butter you put on your toast.
Record What You Drink: Note everything that your drink, including water, coffee, soda or alcohol.
Record Portion Sizes: Instead of writing down, "ice cream", write down "two scoops of ice cream" or "two cups of ice cream". Be sure to note the amount of each liquid you drink. You may even want to measure or weigh your food for a few weeks.
Note The Time: Your food journal will help you determine the times of day at which you're likely to overeat or skip meals.
Note The Place: write down whether you were in your kitchen, a restaurant, on the street or somewhere else.
Note The Company: Your food journal will help you gather information about what kind of company causes you to overeat.
Note Your Mood: Draw a little smiley face (or sad face, neutral face or angry face) next to each entry. Part of the goal of a food journal is to figure out whether you eat because you're actually hungry or simply because you're bored, stressed, angry, sad and so forth.
Your food journal is your best way to get a sense of your typical calorie consumption. For each day, go through everything you have eaten and drunk and, with a calorie counter, add up the calories. After two weeks add up the calories for each day and divide by 14. This will give you a very good estimate of your daily calorie consumption.
When you start keeping your journal, you may be a little surprised to discover what your daily intake truly is. Many people are surprised to see how many calories they actually consume in a day. Once you see the numbers on paper it is hard to ignore, the facts are right there for you. After looking at your journal you may be able to overcome the weight loss obstacles that prevented you from reaching your weight loss goals in the past.
