Those who write down what they eat are more likely to lose weight than those who don't, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In the 2008 study, participants who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. By writing down what you eat, you can keep better track of your diet and the daily conditions that may lead to overeating.
Step 1
Decide if you will use an online food diary or if you will hand write your food consumption. If you choose not to use a computer, you will need a calculator to compute daily calories as well as a book of the calorie contents of common foods.
Step 2
Sign up for an online food diary website, if you have chosen to keep your journal online.
Step 3
Keep track of what you eat each day. If you are using an online food diary, you will be able to search for the foods you eat in a online database and then add the food to your own personal record. If you are hand writing your food consumption, write down the name of the food you ate, followed by the calorie content.
Step 4
Optionally, include the time of date you ate, the location, whether you were with others or alone, any activities you were doing while eating and your mood.
Step 5
Include portion size. Estimate if needed.
Step 6
Continue to keep track of your calorie consumption for one week.
Step 7
Record your eating as soon as it happens. If you wait until later, you may forget everything you ate or remember portion sizes incorrectly.
Step 8
If you chose to include the conditions involved while you were eating, take notice of which conditions increase your food intake. For instance, some people eat more when they are upset or with other people.
Step 9
Bring your food diary to your health-care provider to discuss which conditions may cause you to overeat. Work out a plan together to help you lose weight.
Step 10
Decide if you can change any of the conditions that were causing you to eat more than you had planned. For instance, you could think of activities you can do when you are upset that don't include eating.
Step 11
Continue to use the food journal. Check your intake periodically throughout the day to learn how many more calories you can have that day to meet your recommended calorie allotment.
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