Did you know that research shows that if you keep a food journal, you stand a greater chance of losing weight and achieving better health?
Indeed, people who've happily peeled off the weight — "Highly Successful Losers™," as I call them — report that one of their Smart Diet Habits™ is to "Keep Track Like a Lab Rat™." (In other words, watch yourself as if you were a scientist conducting an experiment or monitor yourself as if you were your beloved pet.)
When you Keep Track, you don't mindlessly shove nutrient-lacking non-food in your face. You think first, because you know you have to write it down — and possibly share it with an accountability partner.
To help you out, I'm sharing a food journal that I've created.
Feel free to share The Soul-Searching Food Journal™ with friends, co-workers, gym buddies, bosses, hairdressers, fitness trainers, loved ones and even frustrating frenemies. In short, spread the link love, as some like to say. (Of course, please provide the proper credit though, as indicated below.)
The Soul-Searching Food Journal™ – From Connie Bennett, Author, SUGAR SHOCK!
Name ________________________________________
Date _________________________________________
What did I eat and drink?
(Any sugary foods or drinks? Any refined carbs? Any artificial sweeteners? Any foods with gluten? How much salt? How did I I feel? Was I physically or emotionally hungry? (On the 1st line, state what you ate. On the 2nd line, jot down how you felt — tired, famished, angry, edgy, frustrated, furious, stressed out, etc.)
7 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
7 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
8 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
8 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
9 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
9 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
10 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
10 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
"at-page-break">
11 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
11 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
12 noon _______________________________________________________________
12 noon _______________________________________________________________
1 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
1 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
2 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
2 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
3 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
3 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
4 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
4 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
5 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
5 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
6 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
6 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
7 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
7 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
'8 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
8 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
9 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
9 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
10 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
10 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
11 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
11 p.m. _______________________________________________________________
12 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
12 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
1 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
1 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
2 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
2 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
3 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
3 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
4 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
4 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
5 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
5 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
6 a.m. _________________________________________________________________
6 a.m. _________________________________________________________________
What were the worst foods and drinks I had today?_________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
What were the best foods and drinks I had today?_________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
How much water did I have today? ____________________________________________
What exercise did I do today? Aerobic (What kind and how long?)_______________________ Resistance Training (What kinds and how long?) _____________________________________
When did I feel best today? Why? _____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
When did I feel worst today? Why? ____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What were my physical symptoms? __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What were my emotional symptoms? __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Did I ever eat when I wasn't hungry? When? Why? _________________________________________________________________________
How did I get along with my loved ones and co-workers today? Explain. ______________
_________________________________________________________________________
Did I embarrass myself today or behave in a way I was not proud – in other words, was I bitchy, moody, crabby, angry, irrational, short-fused or more? Specify. (It's OK that you did these things — knowing how food affects you is the first step to becoming more calm.) ___________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Was I a zombie at any time today? What did I do to pep myself up?
____________________________________________________________________________
How many times today did I eat (or drink) food and beverages with sugar, refined carbs or artificial sweeteners _____________________________________________________________________
How did I feel immediately afterward? ________________________________________________
How did I feel 2 hours later?________________________________________________________
How did I feel 4 hours later?________________________________________________________
What trends did I notice as to which certain foods affect me? ____________________________
What new healthy foods did I try today? _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Were there any trigger situations in which I found myself? ______________________________________________________________________________
Was I trapped in any situations by saboteurs (whether intentional or not?) What happened? _______________________________________________________________________________
What are my biggest obstacles today to my leading a clean, sugar-free, artificial-sweetener-free, low-salt life? ___________________________________________________________________________
Did I feel deprived today? How so? _______________________________________________
(If you ate sugar or refined carbs.) What did eating sugar do for me? ________________________
What is my tricky time of day? Why? Where am I?________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
How did I treat myself today in non-sugar way(s) today? __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
How can I treat myself tomorrow in non-food ways? _______________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Today’s most important lesson(s): _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What food(s) agreed with me most? ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What food(s) agreed with me least? ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What can I do differently tomorrow? ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, Connie Bennett & Stop Sugar Shock, 2009. The Soul Searching Food Diary™ . Feel free to share this with others, but please include this entire entry and the fact that it first appeared on the Sugar Shock Blog. Get inspired by experts on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show (www.GabWithTheGurus.com).
It's so important for your health and weight loss that you keep track of your food intake that fitness trainer Jim Karas and Dr. David L. Katz urge you to do so on Oprah.com. Likewise, Ali Hale of the Diet Blog gives you six good reasons to keep one.
In addition to using my The Soul Searching Food Diary™, you could look into other options as well. For instance, you could record what you eat and drink using tools from Fit Day, My Fitness Pal, Bella Online, The Daily Plate or Calorie Counter.
Or, you could monitor your food and beverage intake using the super-small, convenient Pico Pad Food Journal, which my pal Jimmy Moore of Livin' La Vida Lo Carb Blog is now enjoying.