How To Keep A Food Journal
Everyone eats.
It’s one of the most basic and important requirements for being alive. But what are we eating? And are we really thinking about what we put into our bodies? Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, clear up your skin, have more energy, or improve your mood, bringing awareness to your eating habits (like using a food journal) is a valuable tool for helping you reach a variety of health goals.
Tracking Your Food
There are a few things to keep in mind when tracking the foods you eat. The basics are what, when, and how much. By tracking the types of food you eat, when you are eating them, and how much of each food you are eating, you can get insight into the ways your diet plays a role in your overall health or specific health goals.
What Is A Macro?
Why do they matter so much? To address the what, first start by taking a look at the three categories of nutrients you eat the most, and which provide you with most of your energy: protein, carbohydrates and fats. These are called “macronutrients.” Counting and tracking the exact number of grams of each macro you are consuming will help you take a look at your overall diet.
Be mindful of portion sizes.
When possible, measuring the exact amount of each food you are eating will help you track your diet most accurately. Tracking your portions in tangible measurements (by weight or volume) is best, but estimating portion sizes is better than nothing.
When Are You Eating?
Consider the times of day you are eating. Do you have a tendency to eat three square meals per day? Or perhaps you eat one large meal and consistently snack throughout the rest of the day. It’s important to keep this in mind, especially gauging how early or how late in the day you consume your first or last food intake. For example, late night snacking can be problematic.
Pay Attention to Patterns
Learn about the trends in your diet and the way your body responds to them. Bringing awareness to the way you are eating is the first step. You will learn what feels natural to you, where your cravings lay, and the potential consequences of being undisciplined in your specific food habits.
Make Adjustments
Then, make adjustments based on your personal goals. It is easier to start where you are and make changes than it is to implement a new diet from scratch. Once you have a big picture of your personal eating habits, you can then learn about the best practices for your specific goals. If you are aiming to lose weight, eating less frequently or smaller portions may be beneficial, but it’s important to implement those changes within safe, science-backed precise methods. Make sure you get your information from credible sources, and consider working with an experienced nutritionist such as myself.
Remember The Goal
The long term goal is to be able to intuitively know how to eat within your planned macros. You won’t need to keep a food journal forever! Eventually, you will see where your cravings lie and which dietary changes affect you in positive ways. After shifting your eating habits to align with your goals and dedicating yourself to following a set of standards, you will see yourself making the right food choices without even thinking about it.
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