You often share your deepest thoughts in personal diary…your hopes, dreams, and fears. Diaries are a good way to get thoughts off your chest and can also be reflective when read at a later date. The same can be true for a food diary. Many may laugh at the idea, but a food diary can be a very powerful tool.

First, what exactly is a food diary? It’s very simple. Record every single thing that passes your lips – solid or liquid. It’s also helpful to note how you feel at the time…are you eating because you’re hungry? Are you simply just craving a particular food? Or is it just “time” to eat? I find that in the evenings I want a snack, not because I’m hungry, but just because I really want something.

Over time, you will most likely notice trends in your eating patterns. Maybe you are always hungry at 3:00 in the afternoon, when you are at work without healthy snacking options. Or even worse, you may find you grab frequent snacks from the break room without even realizing all the extra calories you are consuming. Culprits may be a donut in the morning or a few chocolates with lunch. These quick little snacks can really add up without mentally realizing all the food you are eating. Other trends may be that certain meals never satisfy you, which ultimately lead you to looking for other foods to satisfy yourself.

If nothing else, just knowing you will have to write down that you went for seconds with dinner can be enough of a discouragement for me. There’s something about being accountable for the food you eat that can simply change your eating patterns.

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