Motivational Food Diary
Whenever I feel like I’ve been snacking too much, or that I may not be eating as healthy as usual, I turn to my food journals. I’m slightly weird that way. I have notebooks for everything…to-do lists, checklists for every month, goal lists for the year, doodle diaries, sketching books, my own personal journals, and of course, my food diary.
For me, I find scribbling things down in my notebook is helpful. I like to write what I eat and see if I ate enough nutritious foods that day. It’s how I keep myself accountable. Not only do I write what I eat, but sometimes I’ll jot down how much water I drank or the supplements I’ve taken. At the bottom of the page, I’ll write down what fitness I did for the day and for how long.
If you’re making it a point to lose a couple pounds, this is an easy way to do it. Many of us don’t really realize how much we nibble on throughout the day or how much we eat when we’re not hungry. Writing down every bite and being honest is the key. If dropping a pound or two is your goal, you can add extra information to your food journal, like when you stopped eating for the day, your measurements, or your weight. It might sound silly, but try to “impress” your journal…make your day’s intake look as perfect as you can. Many times I’ve wanted seconds on something, but didn’t indulge because I didn’t want to write it down.
You can go out and just use an ordinary notebook if you want, but I like to make things fun. I’ll grab my scissors, glue, health magazines, catalogs, and fun papers to make a collage. I think it’s more motivational to have inspiring pictures on the cover.
These are my last two food journals.
Sometimes at the end of the day I’ll grab a red marker and grade my day’s intake. It gives me an idea of what I could work at the next day. I’ll circle what I should’ve had less of or write notes to remind me that a protein snack after a workout would’ve been a good idea. I try to not have any red ink on my pages. I guess it’s kind of a game for the organizational nerd in me.
I certainly don’t do food diaries all the time, just when I think I might need to be more careful about what I’m eating. It’s been very helpful for me at maintaining my weight and reaching my fitness goals.
Do you use a food journal? If so, do you find it keeps you healthier?
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I love the idea of food journal. I think most of us would be surprised to see exactly what we do eat every day!
I don’t currently use a food journal but I think maybe I’ll start. Even though I try to eat mostly real unprocessed food these days, I’m still have issues with portion control. When I got married 8 years ago….I started eating the same man sized portions as my guy.
Omg! I love your blog ….it has such a fun feel to it :D
I like how you keep track of what you eat and make notes. I am the same way …i need to write stuff down….hehe.