Lose Weight with a Food Diary

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Step 1: Get a Reality Check from Your Food Journal

Sara Broek

Recognizing your eating habits now will help you better understand what issues you need to address. During the first week of journaling, simply keep a record of everything you eat and drink without making significant changes in your diet or exercise. It's easy to overlook what you're consuming--a taste here, a handful there--but by writing it down you're accountable.

To begin: Get a notebook to record your eating or, for a more specific plan, print our free food diary page. It has columns to note what and when you're eating, how much you're eating, and the nutritional values you consume to make sure you're on the right track to a heart-healthy diet.

After one week: Study your food diary. If you can, work with a dietitian to identify eating habits, what changes you want to make, what you can easily cut, and what needs to stay.

"Sometimes clients think I want to see their food journal with no fat, sweets, or treats," says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd., R.D., CSSD, LD, and American Dietetics Association national media spokesperson. "Nothing could be further from the truth. I try to help my clients find ways to fit these foods into a healthy nutrition plan. Not having this true picture of a patient's eating habits hinders my ability to help them set realistic heart-healthy goals."