How to keep a food journal

Record everything.

Record everything you eat and drink over three consecutive days.

Include one weekend day because weekend schedules tend to differ from weekdays.

Note as many details as possible including:

Who?

• Who did you eat with?
  Examples: friends, family, co-workers

What?

• What did you eat (and how much)?
  Top 5 easily forgotten calories

When?

• When did you eat?
  Examples: 12:30 pm, after stressful meeting

Where?

• Where did you eat?
  Examples: office desk, break room, in front of the TV

Why?

• Why did you eat?
  Examples: hungry, stressed, bored, don’t remember

Answering these 5 questions may give you some valuable insight into your eating habits. You may find that you eat:

• more or less than you think.
• certain foods in certain situations.
• more with certain people or when feeling a certain way.

Although you may be tempted, don’t change your food intake just because you are writing it down. The purpose of a food journal is to get an accurate assessment of your current eating habits.

Related Posts

• Top 5 reasons to keep a food journal
• Should I keep a food journal?
• How to maintain your weight loss
• Can I still eat out at restaurants and lose weight?
• How to break through a weight loss plateau

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