The Benefits of Keeping a Daily Food Journal

One of the action steps I recommend is keeping a daily food journal, logging your food and beverages. The purpose of the journal is to become more aware of your eating habits and how your body responds to them. Too many of us are eating in automatic mode, and it becomes habitual. Some of us are not even aware of how much we are actually eating. Until you write it down, you will not be completely aware of what and how much food you are putting into your mouth.

As you keep your journal, what habits do you recognize?

• Are you skipping meals?
• Do you eat on the run?
• Are you snacking late at night?

What types of food are you eating?

• Are you eating whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, or is it primarily processed or packaged foods?
• Do you eat out or dine at home?
• How’s your water intake?

Answer these questions as you review your diary and start to observe where you can make the most changes. You could also include how you feel, you can also track your blood pressure readings and sugar levels, if needed.

I have found that keeping a daily food journal plays a powerful role in the healing process.  The purpose of this journal is not to make you feel bad or guilty. It’s to help you recognize where you need to make the most changes. The last thing I want to encourage is guilt and the need to be perfect.

The way to achieve success is by making small but consistent improvements over time. The journal is utilized as a tool to assist you in determining what areas you need to make those improvements. As you monitor your progress and continue to learn and understand your body during this process, you will begin to create new healthier habits.

Now, one more tip… don’t stress out on eliminating too many of the foods you can’t have right away, without replacing them with more of the foods you can have. Most people do better with adding in more of the good foods they can have before they start eliminating what they shouldn’t have.

Try this out and let me know what you think in the comments.

If you want to check out my free training about how you can remove the hidden barriers to weight loss, visit http://theweightlossbreakthrough.com/

Until next time, go out there and achieve more freedom in your health and your life!

Dr. Leona