Body Image
Eating Disorders
Pregnancy & Diet
Calories
Metabolism
Healthy Weight
Snacking & Cravings
Weight Gain
The Deal on Diets
Weight Loss
Get a personal diet plan
Why you should keep a food diary
We know, for example, that eating a lot of vegetables are in this rarefied category of ‘things about which there is complete agreement’. What other food or supplement qualifies for this VIP status?
One thing that makes the grade is not a food at all, but a food diary. Most nutritionists and dietitians agree that it is critical to weight loss success. Here's why.
When you keep a food diary, you're basically undertaking a project in which the sole purpose is to understand yourself better. Keeping a diary makes you feel in control by giving you the power of your own voice. In our case, the universe we're attempting to master is that of our own bodies.
Fact vs. fiction
The diary helps you to differentiate what you're feeling and what is actually happening. This is important in the weight loss battle because the facts usually don't make us miserable or force us to fall off of the diet wagon. The meanings we attach to them do.
For example, here are some neutral facts: I put on ten pounds. I ate five biscuits today. The facts only become problematic when we make them 'mean' something. 'I'm a fat slob with no will power' are meanings that we attach to the previously mentioned facts.
The 'facts' are: You put on ten pounds and you ate five biscuits. Everything else is your made-up version of events. Well, having a food diary lets you clarify this all-important distinction, so that you can deal with the facts and forget the attached meanings. The facts by themselves are never as bad as what you attach to them.
1 | 2 | next
printer friendly
send to a friend
these 3 easy steps:
2. Personalise your plan
3. Get started £2.99 a week
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Horoscopes| Message Boards | Quizzes | Newsletters | Join
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB
