How to keep a food journal, Part One

The one thing that is pretty consistent between the various popular methods of losing weight is the need to write down what you’re eating.  I know, I know - I’ve been there and done that too, and it is a pain in the butt sometimes.  But the truth is… the reason that so many programs ask you to keep a food journal is that it works.

Let me say that again - IT WORKS.

There is a certain level of accountability in writing down what you eat that automatically makes you THINK about what you’re putting into your body.  And THINKING about what you eat is the absolute first step to losing weight.

But how can a busy girl keep a food journal without pulling her hair out?

I’ve done everything with food journals.  I’ve written down exact portion sizes of foods, their exact calories, what time I ate them, what mood I was in before and after I ate… you name it, and I’ve journaled it.

But none of those complicated methods lasted very long.  So this series of blog posts is designed to help you learn to keep an effective food journal.

First, you’ll need a small notebook.  Something small enough that you can carry it to work and back home each day and it’s not a bother - perhaps something that fits in your purse.

Next, just do the obvious - write down what you eat, every meal, every time you eat.  Although it’s great to have the notebook with you in the moment, I keep mine on my desk.  When I get back from eating, I write down what I ate as soon as I sit down.

That’s the basic fundamental start to keeping a food journal - simply write down what you eat.  I don’t write down the portion size, or the time, or my mood - but all of those things are extremely helpful indicators at certain times.

So if you’re trying to tackle a specific mood problem, keeping track of that is a good idea; but for now I just want you to get in the habit of noting down on paper what you eat every single time you eat.

You’ll automatically begin to make better choices with food, knowing you’ll be recording your food intake later.  So go get the notebook, and start recording!  Tomorrow I’ll be talking about other things to record in your journal, and what to do with what you see written there.