Keeping a Food Journal

Keeping track of what you eat and drink each day is a great way to begin to make changes in your diet. Writing things down will give you insight into not only what and how much you consume, but can help you uncover why, what, and when you are eating. You’ll figure out if there are particular times of the day that are challenges for you and whether certain circumstances (or people) cause you to overeat. You will also be able to see at a glance if you need to add more vegetables to your days, less sugar to your nights, and whether you need to re-think walking past the vending machine on your way to meetings.

Keeping a journal is easy. Write down:

  • Anything you eat and drink, with amounts Estimate the size, volume, weight and/or number of items, and calories.
  • Time of day you eat or drink
  • Where you are In your office? Car? Kitchen? Restaurant?
  • Who you are with Family? Friends? Coworkers? Alone?
  • Other activities you may be doing while eating and/or drinking? Watching television? On the computer? Driving? Making dinner?
  • Emotions you are feeling? Happy? Sad? Depressed? Angry? Bored?
  • Are you hungry? Yes? No? A little?

A Few Pointers:

Write Down Everything:

Keep your notebook with you and write down everything you consume. Above all – be honest with yourself.

Don’t Wait:

Don’t wait until the end of the day to fill in your journal. Write things down as you consume them.

Be Specific:

If you ate cereal for breakfast, what kind was it? Did you dip French fries in ketchup? Add sugar or cream to your coffee? Keeping your journal for at least a week will help you identify triggers that may cause you to overeat – or eat when you are not even hungry. You may start to see, for example, that everyday in the office at 10 a.m., you take a break with coworkers and have a muffin with your midmorning coffee, but you’re not even hungry at the time. You may find out that a stressful day with your kids causes you to reach for the refrigerator; that you tend to snack mindlessly while you watch television; or that you turn to food when you are bored. When you are aware of these clues to your eating patterns….you can start to change them. And that’s the beauty and benefit of keeping a food journal!