A food and exercise diary can help treat a medical condition, whether it's obesity or a food intolerance or allergy. By combining the tracking of both what you take in to your body and how you expend your energy, you can create a powerful tool to better manage your condition, or simply keep tabs on your health.
Function
Food and exercise diaries help track your food intake and activity level for multiple reasons. If you are nursing, you can use the diary to track what you eat, when you nurse and your exercise as part of a weight loss program. For those seeking to identify a potential food intolerance or allergy, a food and exercise diary notes your food intake and provides you with some clues if you have an allergic response. In addition, by adding exercise to your diary, you can see if exercise triggers a response, as it can for some sufferers of migraines, for example. For those seeking to lose weight, a food and exercise diary helps identify what and when you eat as well as how you put that food to work in your daily activity.
Types
Food and exercise diaries abound on the Internet. Many of these are available free of charge and include access to a user community. Others, such as Weight Watchers, charge a monthly fee for access to their database of information. For those who prefer a simpler approach, use a lined journal and write down what you've eaten and activity in which you've been engaged. If you prefer, you can also download applications onto your personal device.
Benefits
MedlinePlus notes that those who track their food consumption and exercise are more successful at losing weight. In addition, if you are recovering from pregnancy, a food and exercise diary ensures you're taking in enough nutrients, such as calcium and protein, which help restore your body after the rigors of pregnancy and also help you sustain your milk supply if you are nursing. For those using a diary to help track a source of illness, the diary might provide sufficient data to identify an intolerance, such as to lactose or wheat.
Time Frame
Most diaries require daily tracking, recording each meal and snack as well as activity each day. Weekly tracking tends to be inefficient, as you can't keep track of all of your food intake and exercise effectively on a weekly basis.
Misconceptions
Food and exercise diaries aren't just for those looking to lose weight or find a trigger for a health issue. Elite athletes often track their food intake to ensure they are taking in enough calories, and in the right combination, to fuel their activity level.
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