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If you are looking to lose weight and gain your will power back when it comes to how much you eat, starting a food journal is a wonderful place to begin.
There are many benefits that can be derived from recording your food intake. Below is a list of just some of them:
1. Knowing where your all you calories are coming from
If you are going to start a food journal, make sure you keep up with it. Updating it as you eat throughout the day is important because it's difficult to remember everything you ate at the end of the day. You want your list to be as accurate as possible. It's also important you have all the correct information because it can reveal any habits you may have that you're not aware of. Perhaps you snack more than you thought and that's where the majority of your calories are coming from. Once you can pinpoint where your calories are coming from, you can alter your habits and create newer, healthier ones.
2. Keeping you Motivated and on Track
Keeping a food journal is one of the best ways to find motivation. If you consistently stay up-to-date with your food journal, you may start wanting to create goals. You can even turn it into a competition where you are rewarded with something special if you stay within your calorie limit for X amount of days. Turning it into a game will help your success rate and keep you on track.
3. Having control over your Portion Sizes
When keeping the food journal, keep track of how much you eat. If you start recording how much you are eating, you will be less likely to eat bigger portions sizes than you should. If you need to, estimate how many portion sizes you are consuming as best you can.
Now that you know some of the benefits of keeping a food journal, here is a list of what specific information you should record:
-What the food/beverage is
-The time
-Location you ate the food
-Calorie Amount
-Portion Size
