Finding Success in a Simple Discipline: Food Records

It's hard to imagine keeping up with your bills, running a successful business, or even going bowling without keeping records of some kind to keep us on track, so why do we expect to manage our weight without having to use some method of self-monitoring? Studies have shown that keeping a food diary results in more successful weight loss. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions, behaviors, people and places that trigger overeating and help you discover where you may be picking up calories that you didn't expect.

Some important things to include in your record are:

Time: Keeping track of the times that you're eating will help you determine if you're waiting too long between meals and overeating as a result.

Amount: Indicate how much of the particular food item you ate. Do your best to measure items whenever possible so that when you're at a restaurant or a pitch-in, your eyes are well-trained to estimate the size (2" x 2" brownie), the volume (1/2 cup corn), the weight (3 ounces chicken) and/or the number of items (12 chips) of the foods that you are eating.

What kind:Being as specific as possible when writing down the type of food you ate. Include sauces, gravies, condiments, and beverages. Overlooking1 pat of butter or 1 teaspoon of mayonaise each day adds up to 4 pounds of extra weight in a year!

It might also be helpful to note the following information if you tend toward stress or emotional eating:

Where: Are you eating on the couch? In the car? At the table? In a restaurant?

With whom: If you ate by yourself, write "alone." If you were with friends or family members, list them.

Activity: Make a note of any activities you were doing while you were eating (for example, working, watching TV or ironing). You may need to focus on eating to be able to learn to listen to your body telling you when you're full.

Mood/Hunger: How were you feeling while you were eating (for example, angry, happy, anxious or depressed)? Are you feeling hungry? Try ranking your hunger on a scale of 1-10 to get an idea of when you should really be eating.

Set up an appointment with yourself once a week to review your records to look for any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. Make one small goal for yourself to work on for the next week such as pack an afternoon snack to avoid overeating at dinner, find a on-the-go breakfast that doesn't involve a drive-up window, or add an extra serving of a fruit or vegetable to each day.