Introduction:
Whether someone is trying to lose weight or attempting to eat healthier, maintaining a food diary can help make positive changes. Noting down every snack, carb, or soft drink can make people more accountable for eating. In addition, a food diary can be a valuable tool for understanding eating habits and patterns and help identify food sensitivities. Research reveals that a food diary can be an effective tool for individuals interested in losing weight to help change behavior.
What Is a Food Diary?
A food diary is a daily record of what a person eats and drinks. This diary helps an individual and the doctor understand eating habits and patterns. Once someone knows this, they can change their diet to improve their weight.
In addition to jotting down particular foods and beverages, one can note down the following things:
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What are you eating? Note the food items and beverages consumed and how they are prepared (baked, fried, broiled, etc.).
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How much food do you consume? It is best to weigh and measure the food using household measuring tools, such as cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons.
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When do you eat? Keep a record of the time at which you eat and drink. This can be very helpful in determining potentially problematic times, like late-night snacking.
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Who do you eat with? Note whether you eat alone or with friends or family.
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Where do you eat and drink? For instance, at the dining table, on the sofa, or in the kitchen.
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If done, list any activities while eating or drinking, such as watching TV, working, or playing a game.
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Also, include how you feel when you consume food, like are you happy, sad, or bored? A person’s mood has an impact on what, when, and how much he eats or drinks.
Doctors and dietitians sometimes recommend food diaries that can be used by them to understand a person's eating habits better. Sometimes, a doctor can also use them to find out which foods or ingredients one may be sensitive to.
A food diary is a method of mindful eating. However, some may argue that this may turn into an unhealthy habit, which is possible. But instead of looking at the negative elements of the food diary, let us read some of its positive aspects.
What Are the Benefits of a Food Diary?
The following are the benefits of maintaining a food diary:
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It Helps Achieve the Weight Loss Target: Noting down everything consumed in the food diary can reduce the risks of consuming unhealthy foods. In addition to increasing awareness of how much a person is eating, it can give details like which foods, feelings, or other external factors may cause a person to consume fat-loaded, sugar-rich, or calorie-rich foods.
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It Helps Keep a Check on the Total Calories Consumed in a Day: Maintaining a food diary lets one track the total number of calories consumed daily. People can also note the total amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, micronutrients, and macronutrients consumed throughout the day and analyze if they lack any particular nutrient.
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It Helps Track Any Missing Food Groups in the Diet: Writing down regularly helps analyze which food group is missing from the diet. For example, after analyzing the food diary, one might notice that one might be skipping a particular food group like curd, leading to bad gut flora.
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It Helps Note down the Exercise Regime and Water Intake: Not only do people write down their total food intake, but they can also write the number of glasses of water they consume per day and their daily activities.
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It Helps Keep a Note About Stress or Anxiety Levels: During stress, people often binge on sugary or fatty foods. Using a food diary to register certain triggers can help eliminate unhealthy habits.
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It Helps Understand the Source of Problems: Most feel certain symptoms of restlessness, including stomach pain, an upset stomach, and headache. Sometimes, the reason for these problems lies in the food we eat. A food diary can help a person understand patterns and exceptions in the diet, thus helping to avoid these health problems in the future, either by not consuming those foods or getting medical assistance to solve the problems.
How to Keep a Food Diary?
Keeping a food journal should be easy and manageable. Here are a few quick tips for keeping a successful food diary:
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Write down everything, no matter how small it seems.
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Write down the food or beverages immediately after consuming them. Refrain from relying on the memory at the end of the day because the recollection will likely be less accurate. If someone cannot keep the food diary with them, note down some notes on paper or the smartphone after eating and add them to the log later that same day.
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Be as specific about the type and size of the food or beverage. Also include the ingredients, spices, or seasonings used in the meals. For the portion sizes, try food measuring tools, such as measuring cups or a food scale, to obtain a more accurate idea of the quantity of food eaten. Alternatively, one can estimate portion sizes with household measuring tools such as measuring cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons.
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Ensure to include any alcoholic drinks if consumed.
Things to Ponder:
To succeed, the food diary needs to tell the truth. No one gains anything by cheating to look good. Share the food diary with the doctor. They can review it and help plan a healthier lifestyle if required. Keep a record of the complete food diary for a minimum of 3 to 4 days before bringing it to the visit to doctor. Some individuals may find it helpful to continue with the food diary for longer to maintain their weight goals.
Conclusion:
A food diary is a mirror that shows what is being consumed and in what portion. As a result, one gets to know eating habits better. In addition, food diaries can help identify food sensitivities and manage a healthy weight. Using some quick tips outlined above, keeping a food diary can be a great way to improve diet and control health.
