September 25, 2012

Trying to shed a few pounds? If so, you may want to start keeping a food journal. A recent research published on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that women who kept food journals consistently lost about six pounds more than those who did not. This is because recording food and beverage intake bring awareness to our eating habits and encourage us to evaluate our choices before consumption. Keeping a food log may even discourage consumption of some foods, which may not be a bad outcome. In addition, you may be able to understand your eating behaviors (such as eating when stressed or bored), identifying their triggers, and potentially coming up with different ways to cope with diversities.

To successfully maintain a food diary you must: (1) be honest, (2) be able to estimate portion sizes, (3) record detailed information about your meal, and (4) be consistent.

If you’d like to try, here are a few guidelines. Print a food log sample here.

  1. Carry your journal with you EVERYWHERE.
  2. Record the time of each meal or snack.
  3. Record everything you eat or drink (including water, added salt, candies, gum, condiments, supplements, and medications.)
  4. Record everything immediately after a meal or snack.
  5. Be very specific when describing your food. Example: Instead of just writing turkey sandwich, break it down to the ingredients such as two slices of tomatoes, one slice of Swiss cheese, three slices of smoked turkey sandwich meat, two slices of whole wheat bread, and a tablespoon of mayo.
  6. List the amount of food/beverage consumed. Check package-label information for processed items. You don’t need to be super precise; learn to estimate portion sizes here.
  7. Record the location you had your meal such as at “Applebee’s” or homemade, consumed at work.
  8. Note your level of hunger before the meal, being 1 for not hungry at all and 5 for very hungry.
  9. Record any significant feeling or emotions you’ve experienced before or after eating. Example: 2:30 PM – one snickers bar – 2oz – at work – not hungry at all – I was bored, now I feel guilty.

 References

Bauer, K, et al. Nutrition Counseling and Education Skill Development. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2012.

Webster, S. “Food Journals Can Help Women Lose Weight.” IDEA Food and Nutrition Tips, volume 1, issue 5.