The Food Diary: The "Write" Way to Lose Weight

Author: Tony Robinson

Source: articleage.com



As a child, you may have kept a diary to record your dailyactivities, your hopes, and your fears. If you wrote in thediary each day, it might have seemed as if the diary itself hadbecome one of your best friends. As you grew older, the diarymight have become a record of your job search, love life, orwedding plans. Psychologists, in fact, tell us that writing downyour goals can be the first step to achieving, Psychology, them. It has beendemonstrated that individuals who kept a written record of theirhunt for employment were more likely to find the job they wantedthan those who did not. It's not surprising, then, that some dieticians recommendkeeping a food diary or journal if you're hoping to lose weight.If you're not accustomed to writing, the idea can seem a bitdaunting, Psychology, at first. After all, if you don't seem to have the timeto record all of your baby's "firsts"--the first words, thefirst steps, the first day of reciting the alphabet--how can yoube expected to find the time to write down everything thatpasses through your lips? It's a valid question; however, if youstop to consider just how much time you spend eating, surely youcan find the time to write down what you eat. The key to keeping, Psychology, a food diary is motivation. You have to havea desire to record your food choices. One good way to do this isto place a picture of your heaviest self onto the cover of anotebook. Also, make sure that you keep the notebook in fullview, either on your bedside table or on the kitchen table. Thiscould, Psychology, provide you with just the incentive, Psychology, you need to make noteof what you're eating. Another motivating factor could be to log your daily weight atthe beginning of each diary entry. That way, you can see if yourdietary choices are having an effect on your weight. If you findthat you are shedding pounds, you can affix a gold star next toyour entry. The gold star can provide the psychological boostnecessary to continue to lose weight. Of course, the next question you'll face is: What exactlyshould I write down for each entry? To begin with, just includea running list of foods, along with portion sizes. You might besurprised to find out not only what you're eating, but also howlarge the portions are. Next, categorize each food entry. Is ita fruit, vegetable, whole grain, or fat? Such information couldbe vitally important in determining, Psychology, where your excess, Psychology, pounds arecoming from. You can also use your journal for meal planning. If you thinkabout what you should eat ahead of time, you'll be less likelyto indulge, Psychology, in, Psychology,, Psychology, the wrong foods. Such planning can make you feelmore, Psychology, organized, Psychology, and more in control--two important elements forlosing weight. If you indulge in comfort food every once in a while, don'tpanic. Eating high-calorie foods occasionally can help prevent afeeling of deprivation which can lead to overeating. The key isto eat "bad foods" in moderation. It is also important, Psychology, that youwrite down everything you eat, including fatty foods. Trying tohide your food choices by not writing them down iscounter-productive and, Psychology, could lead to feelings of guilt. Yet another helpful idea is to write down your goal weight eachday. This can be an important element of psychological warfare.Knowing what your goal is--and mapping out a way to getthere--can improve your chances of achieving criticalmilestones. Also, when possible, try to make your diary experience fun. Doyour writing on the patio, by the pool,, Psychology, or in your bathtub. Setthe mood by playing some of your favorite music in thebackground. Decorate your diary by using colored pens orcolorful stickers. Whatever you can do to make yourdiary-keeping chores more interesting will certainly be helpful. Be aware of the fact that it could take you a while to get intothe diary-keeping habit. But, once you see those pounds meltaway, you'll find it's well, Psychology, worth the investment of time andenergy.