A food diary will benefit you whether you are trying to lose or maintain weight. Kelly Rhoads, a former Weight-Loss Challenge participant, says keeping a daily food diary was the most important tool she used to get healthy and lose weight, as reported in USA Today. Because of the food diary's efficacy, many people continue to use them even after they have reached their weight loss goals.
Benefits
Keeping a food diary helps to understand a behavior before you try to change it, according to "The Mayo Clinic Diet." A food diary helps you keep track of what you eat and what triggers you to eat, even when you're not hungry. Dieters that write down everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, according to USA Today. Your food diary should include the time you eat, what you eat and drink, serving size, calories, and mood or feelings when eating.
Types
Food diaries made specifically for keeping track of your diet are sold in a variety of department stores. You can also use an online food diary, or create your own with a blank notebook. You can save the information to their website and print a copy of your diary, or download a food journal application to your cell phone or other portable device. If you are not sure how to set up your own diary, there are templates available online as well.
Misconceptions
A major misconception is that beverages, gum, candy, shakes and anything not typically considered food does not need to be written in a food diary. However, everything that goes into your mouth should be written down, including its portion size. Although these types of items may not be considered food, they still contain calories and can cause weight gain. And many of these items contain a lot of sugar, which has calories but no nutritional value, according to "The Mayo Clinic Diet."
Time Frame
You should keep a food diary until you are comfortable making healthy food choices, within your caloric range, on a daily basis. You can refer back to your diary if your weight starts to fluctuate or if you forget how much food you can eat per day. Sometimes a person's perception of their food consumption is very different from their actual consumption, according to the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
Considerations
Consider organizing your food diary by food groups to monitor your nutritional intake; ideally you want to get the most nutrition out of calories. The food guide pyramid provides detailed information based on your age regarding the serving size for each food group. A healthy diet is one that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Your diet should also consist of items such as lean meats, nuts and a small amount of fats.
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