Why do I need a food diary and how it will help you personally ›I will lose weight!

Keeping a food diary, at first glance, seems like a waste of time, but no need to rush to conclusions. Nutritionists, nutritionists and fitness trainers are not just in one voice advise regularly and in detail write down everything that you eat throughout the day. Today we will tell you how, why, and why you should start your food diary. Let's answer all "why" and "why."

Why: 4 reasons to have a food diary

So why is the simple writing down of every bun, cup of coffee and candy that matters? There are several reasons for this.

First, the food diary helps to better understand what and when you eat. You may think that you eat properly and in a balanced way, eat a lot of fruits and greens, and kefir does drink liters. But as soon as you begin to record every meal in detail, you will see a real picture.

The main thing is to really record every meal. And under the meal here are meant not breakfast, lunch and dinner, but absolutely all your snacks. Every sandwich, every cookie, and even that little candy that your colleague treated you at dinner - all this is of tremendous importance. And all this needs to be written in a diary.

Secondly, the food diary will show what you need to eat. And we are talking not only about specific groups of products, but also about meals. You may eat too little fish or dairy products. Or maybe you regularly skip breakfast and then eat too much at night. Your notes will help find answers to these and many other questions.

Third, the power diary can be used to create a more balanced menu. Over time, you can move from simple notes to conscious planning of your diet for a day, a week, or even a month.

For those who did not seem to have enough of the previous three reasons, there is another weighty argument: keeping a food diary speeds up the process of losing weight. Back in 2008, American Journal of Preventive Medicine published study , the results of which forced many to reconsider their attitude to food diaries.

Along with the traditional diet, the experiment participants were offered to attend weekly support group meetings and to keep a nutrition diary. Six months later, scientists compared the achievements of all participants. The results were unexpected: people who took notes on a daily basis lost twice as much weight as those who took notes only once a week or refused to keep such a diary at all.

Still thinking that writing down every sandwich you eat is a waste of time? Then move on to the next part.

Why: what else is useful food diary?

The possibilities of using the information that the food diary gives you go far beyond the struggle with obesity. With the right record keeping approach, you can learn more about your health, relationships with others, and even your psychological state.

Food and Emotions

You have probably heard the phrase "seize emotions." What do you think, how often do you yourself “seize” stress, anxiety, boredom or loneliness? The power diary will help you figure it out.

Simply add a column called “Emotions” to your nutrition log and record how you felt before each meal. Did you eat this sandwich because you were hungry or because you needed a pause in your work? Did this candy help you to “kill the appetite” or to cope with the disorder after an unpleasant conversation? Over time, you will see that some of the foods in your menu are closely related to certain emotions and feelings. And having realized the problem, you can take a step towards its solution: replace sweets and cookies with soothing herbal tea or an apple, and another slice of pizza with a walk in the fresh air.

Food and Environment

Another important factor is your environment. Try recording who you are eating and observe how specific people and circumstances affect your sense of hunger. When are you better able to control your appetite: in the company of friends, a loved one, or when you eat all alone?

Diseases and intolerances

Another useful trick is to record your feelings after each meal. Whatever you feel, heaviness in the stomach, heartburn, nausea or bloating, be sure to make the appropriate note in your nutrition diary. So you can outline the range of products to which your body reacts badly. Who knows, maybe the tummy, with which you have unsuccessfully fought for so many years, is only a side effect of a gastrointestinal disease or intolerance to one particular product.

How to keep a food diary?

The power diary is in many ways similar to the personal organizer: to get the most out of it, you need to completely rebuild it for yourself. For example, vegetarians and bodybuilders keep records to control the amount of protein consumed. People who are prone to food allergies, focus on the reaction of their body to new products and dishes. Define your priorities and you will immediately understand what information is most important to you.

You can opt out of the classic paper format and start an electronic diary by choosing a special application for your phone or online service. In the end, you can just keep a diary in the Exel document.

And finally, a few tips that will make it easier for you to work with a food diary:

Be honest with yourself - “silent” about the next snack, you only make yourself worse;
make regular entries - do not rely on your memory, record every meal immediately, without delay until evening;
pay attention to details - be sure to record meal times and portion sizes. Without this data, a qualitative analysis is simply impossible;
take time to work with the diary - without regular review and analysis of the records you have made, keeping a food diary loses meaning. Select a specific day and time when you will work with your records. Compare, analyze and draw conclusions. Only in this way you will be able to achieve your goals soon!

No time for complicated calculations? Want to get a balanced diet for the month, designed specifically for you? Write to us and we will help you take the first step towards a healthy and beautiful body!

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