Now that you are drinking more water, getting plenty of sleep and taking at least 15 minutes out of each day to clear your mind and meditate, it is time to start keeping yourself accountable for what you eat and drink! This week we will start a food journal. Studies show that people who keep a food journal are twice as likely to reach health goals and The American Journal of Preventative Medicine stated that, people who kept a food journal lose twice as much weight as people who don’t.
Benefits of keeping a food journal:
- MAKE SURE YOUR EATING A BALANCED DIET. A food journal can help identify if you are getting enough of what your body needs in your diet!
- IDENTIFY BAD HABITS. A food journal can bring awareness of bad habits such as, why your eating, when your eating, what triggers eating, what are the kinds of foods your choosing and more.
- IDENTIFY FOOD SENSITIVITIES & ALLERGIES. A food journal can bring awareness of what foods you are eating that cause adverse symptoms, reactions or feelings in your body.
- CAN PROVIDE A TRUE PICTURE OF YOUR BODY-MIND FOOD RELATIONSHIP. A food journal can identify if you eat for nutritional need or are an emotional eater and how you feel when your eating.
You may have tried a food journal before and gave up or always forgot to write in it. Just remember that studies have proven that they are very effective in helping people lose weight and reach their health goals. With a food journal, you want to learn what your eating, why your eating it, and how the food makes you feel physically and mentally. Here is what you should keep track of in your journal and a great app for keeping track of what you eat and drink:
- Food eaten, time eaten, portion size and number of calories (can use a notebook or an app or site like Myfooddiary.com)
- What were you doing when you were eating? (working, standing, sitting at table or on couch, watching TV, out with family or friends…)
- How did you feel when you were eating? (Starving, hungry, bored, sad, tired, stressed…)
- How long did it take you to eat? (Are you a fast eater, do you take time to enjoy food…)
- How did you feel an hour or two later after eating? (tired, energized, hungry again…)
- Write down how much water you drank and also keep track of any exercise/activity you do each day.