How to Make a Food Journal

Dieters who keep a food journal have significantly more diet success than their counterparts who do not track their daily food intake. Here is a guide to help you set up a food journal that will be beneficial to your diet plan.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Record everything you eat.
   
   To create a food journal, record everything that you eat, including liquids. Don't forget to track snacks between meals, and the "little bites" that can add up to a big saboteur to your weight loss plan.

2. Count calories.
   
   Get an accurate calorie count for the foods that make up your diet. Also mind the levels of your fiber, protein, and sodium of the food that you record in your diet plan.

3. Examine your food journal for patterns.
   
   Use your food journal to spot patterns in the times that you are overeating or eating unhealthily. You can use your food journal as a tool to recognize the emotions or events that make you most vulnerable to diet failure.

4. Practice diligence with your food journal;
   
   Stick to it. It may seem like a hassle at times but a food journal is an excellent way to improve your overall diet or catch mistakes that you are unknowingly making while trying to lose weight. Consider using an online food journal to make your diet recording easy and convenient.

5. Add an exercise component to the journal.
   
   Consider adding an exercise component to your food journal. Keeping record of your daily exercise successes is encouraging and helps you to reach your health goals.

Resources

• Everything Weight Loss; a Guide
• How to Avoid Snacking