blog #102 The significance of a food journal

Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass, keeping a diet log is an imperative step toward reaching your goal(s).

"Did you know that the average person recalls only half of what he or she eats? Though you may remember what you had for breakfast, what about the extra nibbles you had while watching TV, snacking on the phone, cooking, or picking off your kids' plates?" 

Read about dietlogs: 

Keep a diet log:

• Update the diet log daily, ideally right after meals (the more frequently you update, the better)
• What type of tracking works for you? While a phone app may work for me (I prefer digital tracking), perhaps a small notebook works for you. Track your diet in a method that is conducive to your lifestyle. 

Check out some phone app info from NPR: 

At first, I don’t ask clients to change their diets. I only ask that they take notice. When we document our dietary patterns, we see habits forming and can draw conclusions. Once you keep accurate track of your consumption, then you can make adjustments accordingly.

Read the cell phone application post, in which I reviewed a couple of apps you could try.

According to Weight Watchers, here are nine solid reasons that food journaling helps. You can: 

1.       Control binge eating. You are less likely to go for that second helping if you know you have to write it down.

2.       Track progress. A food diary can serve as evidence of how far you have come in your journey. It also feels great to look back and see you are eating better today than you did weeks or months ago.

3.       Encourage conscious eating. Unconscious eating occurs when we eat without paying attention. You are more likely to avoid eating for unconscious reasons if you are writing it down.

4.       Connect eating to emotions. Many people include a column for "observations" or "emotions" in their diaries. In this way, journals can be used to examine certain feelings that may trigger overeating. Only once you identify the causes can you start to do something about them.

5.       Point out nutrition imbalances. As you jot down your meals and snacks, you may notice you lack fruits and vegetables on most days, or that you never eat a protein source until dinner. A food diary can give you clues, in black and white, as to what foods you have been neglecting and need to include in your diet.

6.       Monitor eating patterns. Until you keep a food journal, you may not realize that you have a seven-hour gap between your 11:30 lunch and your 6:30 dinner. Perhaps this is why you're at the vending machine every afternoon at 3 p.m., downing a bag or two of chips or cookies. Solution? Plan to bring or store a healthy snack for the mid-afternoon to ward off poor eating choices.

7.       Monitor calories. Journaling usually requires you to track your calorie intake - which can be eye-opening. Perhaps you were not aware your afternoon soda had 150 calories, or your "innocent" morning latte had 250. By forcing yourself to track portions and calories, you can begin to make adjustments.

8.       Create a tool for your nutritionist or doctor. A food diary is a clear source of information as to what, where and how much you eat. This ready-made tool can be viewed by a health professional, who can provide insight into what you can do to tweak and/or improve your habits.

9.       Show commitment. The effort and time it takes to keep a food journal is proof that you are committed to your health, and have a desire to take a proactive role in your weight loss.

What patterns do you start to see emerging as you keep a food journal?