How does keeping a food diary help you lose weight?

Keeping a food diary can give you the best overall view of your current eating habits, enabling you to identify the areas you need to work on. It will also highlight your danger times of the day - when you reach for that sugary hit or salty snack - and allow you to plan healthy alternatives.

Step one is to start keeping the diary before you begin your diet. It's important that you write down everything that you eat and drink for at least a week before you start your diet. As your calorie intake can vary considerably between days, it's important that you maintain your diary long enough to allow for variations - drinks on a Friday, someone bringing in cakes, a party or celebration, etc. This will reveal the pattern of your eating habits and enable you to spot the areas where you can make changes to help you achieve your weight-loss goal. It's a good idea to include:

It's important for you that you are honest with yourself and write everything down! Researchers have found that most people almost always under-report what they actually eat. Remember only you need to read it! Write it down as you eat and drink it, otherwise selected memory may kick in! When you get some spare time, write the number of calories next to each item so you can work out your total for the day. Printable Diet Diary

Date &Time	Everything I've eaten and drunk today	Where & With	Feelings	Calories
Friday 0700	Tea with semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar. 15	kitchen alone	tired	31
0730	Tea with semi-skimmed milk 16 one sugar 15, bowl of cornflakes 160 with semi-skimmed milk 48 and one sugar 15, 1 slice wholemeal toast 88 with butter 50	kitchen - standing mainly - on the go doing other stuff	busy and rushed	392
0910	Coffee semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar 15	office at desk	needed that caffeine hit	31
1130	Cappuccino102 with one sugar 15 2 Chocolate Digestive biscuits 80	office canteen with girls	happy chatting	197
1225	Coffee semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar 15.	office at desk	starving - looking forward to lunch	31
1310	Chicken Salad sandwich with low-calorie mayo 275 1 Bag Beef crisps. 150 Cola drinks 150	on the go in town - shopping for dress for tomorrow	rushed and irritated by queues - really thirsty and hot	575
1415	Tea with semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar 15.	office at desk	stressed	31
1530	Coffee semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar 15 Cake 95	office canteen with girls	stressed and tired	126
1630	Tea with semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar 15	office at desk	looking forward to a drink after work - bad day workwise	31
1750	Bottle of Beer 5% ABV 275ml 145 1 Bag Beef crisps 150	pub with workmates	feel better	295
1820	Bottle of Beer 5% ABV 275ml 145	pub with workmates	feel even better	145
1955	One glass white wine 125 ml 90	home watching tv with Rob	shouldn't really - oh well!	90
2000	Chicken Curry with Rice 400, Poppadom 65 , Ice cream dessert 190	home watching tv with Rob	rubbish day - need a treat	655
2025	Coffee semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar 15.	home watching tv with Rob	falling asleep	31
2130	Tea with semi-skimmed milk 16 and one sugar 15	home watching tv with Rob	still tired	31
2225	Hot chocolate with 100ml semi-skimmed milk 48 and one sugar 15 and chocolate bar 103	home watching tv alone	depressed after trying on new dress - dreading tomorrow 's party	166
	Total for the Day			2858

In this example, the total calorie consumption for the day is 2858 calories. You can see from the column on the right that this level of calorie intake is too high for anyone, apart from an active/ very active male or a very active female.

In fact, this is a day's consumption for a female 23 year old office worker. As office work ranges between sedentary and average (1600 - 2000 recommended calories), our female office worker's consumption is too high.

This was a Friday, but even if we remove the after-work beer, crisps and wine (628 calories), the total is still over the limit for average and still too high for a female sedentary worker. Although cutting down her alcohol drinking would be a good start to getting in shape How to cut down your alcohol

Writing a food diary can help you lose weight

To stand any chance of losing weight and getting in shape our office worker needs to increase her daily exercise level and decrease her daily calories. By studying her food diary you can easily spot her danger points and how to improve her diet:

The above calorie counsumed table is an approximation and your actual calorie requirement depends on your health, metabolism and build.