Have you heard of keeping a food journal as an additional and effective way to lose weight? The principle of it effect is obvious. When you see how much you have eaten before your mind gives you the signal that you shouldn’t eat more. As you see a list of all the morsels you have put into your mouth it gives a strong psychological and motivating effect. When you have a food journal it’s easier to trace the number of calories but, unfortunately, often we fail to keep the record regularly. So here are a few handy tips on how to keep a food journal that really work.
1. Be truthful
It is very important to be honest when you write down everything that comes into your mouth. Nobody is to see your journal except for yourself and probably your doctor so there is no need to lie. If you yield to the temptation and eat that second slice of cake, it is okay, write it down anyway. Then you can make up an overall picture of your eating habits and analyze it. It will make it possible to make objective remarks and make some changes in your ration.
2. Write down the amount
Do not only mention what exactly you have eaten but also jot down the precise amount of it. This will also help you trace the calories and balance the quantity of food you consume throughout the day. There is a certain norm of food you should eat every day in consideration of your age, height and individual peculiarities, no more, no less.
3. Have it with you all the time
Buy a small, cute notebook, which you can easily carry in your bag whenever and wherever you go. There must be no exceptions, even a tiny sandwich eaten for lunch with your coworkers must be counted. After a meal you can take it out and write down all the things you’ve had for dinner in a restaurant or at your friend’s. Treat it as something important and always needed like keys or your phone which you have to carry with you all the time.
4. Don’t forget
You should have an obligatory rule to write down everything that you eat with no exceptions. Remember that you do it only for yourself, nobody will be checking you and there is no need to lie to yourself. If you forget to record a small cup of coffee at least once you will be skipping writing down many other dishes. This will ruin your program of counted calories and controlled amount of food eaten.
5. Show it to your doctor
It is necessary to show your journal to the specialist. After analyzing your nutrition habits he will give you some useful advices which products to exclude and which to add to your diet. As you are to receive all the nutrients with the meals you eat, it is the doctor who can detect which you lack in your ration. That’s why you must keep your journal continuously and with all the foods registered.
6. Make it fun
You can show all your creativity when you keep your food journal in order to make it more funny and interesting. As it is your own notebook you can use pens and pencils of different colors, draw small picture on the pages. You’d better choose some cute and funny notebook and it will make your writing downs lively and entertaining. This activity shouldn’t be like a boring routine, you can easily turn it into something exiting and amusing.
7. Review it often
Seeing some regularity in your dietary pattern is very useful. You can predict when you will most likely get hungry and be ready for it with a vegetable salad, for example. Moreover you can make up a strategy of the products, which would be more preferable for you to keep a healthy diet.
Do you find having a food journal an effective way to keep a healthy diet and to control your weight? I can say that is a very effective additional means to use along with some others. I recommend you to start keeping one and use all these tips for it to a success.