The Food Diary: The “Write” Way to Lose Weight

As a child, you may have kept a diary to record your daily
activities, your hopes, and your fears. If you wrote in the
diary each day, it might have seemed as if the diary itself had
become one of your best friends. As you grew older, the diary
might have become a record of your job search, love life, or
wedding plans. Psychologists, in fact, tell us that writing down
your goals can be the first step to achieving them. It has been
demonstrated that individuals who kept a written record of their
hunt for employment were more likely to find the job they wanted
than those who did not.

It’s not surprising, then, that some dieticians recommend
keeping a food diary or journal if you’re hoping to lose weight.
If you’re not accustomed to writing, the idea can seem a bit
daunting at first. After all, if you don’t seem to have the time
to record all of your baby’s “firsts”–the first words, the
first steps, the first day of reciting the alphabet–how can you
be expected to find the time to write down everything that
passes through your lips? It’s a valid question; however, if you
stop to consider just how much time you spend eating, surely you
can find the time to write down what you eat.

The key to keeping a food diary is motivation. You have to have
a desire to record your food choices. One good way to do this is
to place a picture of your heaviest self onto the cover of a
notebook. Also, make sure that you keep the notebook in full
view, either on your bedside table or on the kitchen table. This
could provide you with just the incentive you need to make note
of what you’re eating.

Another motivating factor could be to log your daily weight at
the beginning of each diary entry. That way, you can see if your
dietary choices are having an effect on your weight. If you find
that you are shedding pounds, you can affix a gold star next to
your entry. The gold star can provide the psychological boost
necessary to continue to lose weight.

Of course, the next question you’ll face is: What exactly
should I write down for each entry? To begin with, just include
a running list of foods, along with portion sizes. You might be
surprised to find out not only what you’re eating, but also how
large the portions are. Next, categorize each food entry. Is it
a fruit, vegetable, whole grain, or fat? Such information could
be vitally important in determining where your excess pounds are
coming from.

You can also use your journal for meal planning. If you think
about what you should eat ahead of time, you’ll be less likely
to indulge in the wrong foods. Such planning can make you feel
more organized and more in control–two important elements for
losing weight.

If you indulge in comfort food every once in a while, don’t
panic. Eating high-calorie foods occasionally can help prevent a
feeling of deprivation which can lead to overeating. The key is
to eat “bad foods” in moderation. It is also important that you
write down everything you eat, including fatty foods. Trying to
hide your food choices by not writing them down is
counter-productive and could lead to feelings of guilt.

Yet another helpful idea is to write down your goal weight each
day. This can be an important element of psychological warfare.
Knowing what your goal is–and mapping out a way to get
there–can improve your chances of achieving critical
milestones.

Also, when possible, try to make your diary experience fun. Do
your writing on the patio, by the pool, or in your bathtub. Set
the mood by playing some of your favorite music in the
background. Decorate your diary by using colored pens or
colorful stickers. Whatever you can do to make your
diary-keeping chores more interesting will certainly be helpful.

Be aware of the fact that it could take you a while to get into
the diary-keeping habit. But, once you see those pounds melt
away, you’ll find it’s well worth the investment of time and
energy.

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