Keeping a food diary

Keeping a food diary is a proven way to lose weight and keep tabs on your eating habits.

The information you record in your food diary will help you and your family doctor design an eating program to meet your needs. These suggestions will help you get the most out of your food diary. Food diaries are meant to be used for an entire week, but studies have shown that keeping track of what you eat even for a single day can help you make changes in your diet. Here are things to record:

How much:
Record the amount of the particular food item you ate. Estimate the size, the volume, and the weight (ounces, for example), and/or the number of items you ate.

What kind:
Log the type of food you ate. Be as specific as you can. Include sauces and gravies. Don’t forget to write down “extras,” such as soda, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, sugar and ketchup.

Time:
Write the time of day you ate the food. As you establish your “eating patterns,” this information will help you determine if you’re more prone to eat at one time a day than another.

Where:
What room or part of the house you were in when you ate? If you ate in a restaurant, fast-food chain or your car, write that location down. You’ll begin to see more of your eating “patterns,” i.e., you may tend to eat or snack more in one location than another. Knowing those patterns can help you control your eating.

Activity:
Record any activities you were doing while you were eating (for example, working, watching TV, reading, working in the yard, etc.).

Mood:
How were you feeling while you were eating? Were you sad, happy, depressed, deep in thought?

Some basic rules to remember as you keep your diary:
Write everything down: Keep your form with you all day, and write down everything you eat or drink. A piece of candy, a handful of potato chips, a can of soda pop or a single cookie may not seem like much at the time, but over a week these calories add up.

Do it now: Don’t depend on your memory at the end of the day. Record your eating as you go.

If you have any questions, call your family doctor.