According to the University of Michigan, a food diary is an effective tool not only for losing weight, but also for tracking your eating habits. Because these diaries are used for different purposes, not all food journals are created equal. Taking time to consider your goals and needs can help you choose the right food journal for you.
Step 1
Assess your needs. List the primary variables you are interested in tracking. Decide if you want a food journal designed specifically for weight loss or if you want one that is meant to identify food allergies.
Step 2
Consider additional factors you want to track, such as supplement or medication use, menstrual cycle, moods or the amount of sleep you get.
Step 3
Decide if you are more apt to use a written journal, a Web-based journal, a computer software program, or a PDA or cell phone application. Choose the kind of journal you're most comfortable using and the one that will allow you to update it according to your schedule.
Step 4
Determine if you need a journal with extra space for emotional information. For example, while you might have no problem sharing the chart that contains what you've eaten, you might like to keep the information about how you were feeling or what happened during your day private.
Step 5
Look at or test several journals before committing to buy one. If you are using software, look for free trial offers. If you are using a website, such as The Daily Plate or SparkPeople (see Resources), try more than one service to find the one that feels most comfortable to use. If you are buying a paper journal, flip through all of the options available to you and evaluate each one against your list of requirements.
Tips and Warnings
- The University of Michigan suggests that you not attempt to change your food habits for at least the first few days of journaling to get an accurate account of how you are eating.
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