KEEPING A DAILY FOOD JOURNAL

 

In order to determine how much food you need and how much you actually consume, an activity and food journal should be maintained for the number of days as applicable to you (usually any ONE typical day prior to getting on a plan and for selected days after beginning the plan as advised.) journal is a notebook to record the foods you eat, when you eat them, how you felt when you consumed the foods, and how much you exercise.

 

THESE GUIDELINES NEED TO BE FOLLOWED:

 

• Record EVERYTHING you eat and the amount.
In other words, if you bite it – write it. If you have 3 M&M’s record it. If you had 2 bites of ice cream – record it. If you can note the size or weight of packaged foods, great! But do not fret about weighing home made/ fresh foods to the nearest milligrams/ milliliters. You can always note them down in terms of small/medium/ large cups/bowls/glasses, teaspoons or tablespoons etc .Describe them to their best possible details.

 

• Record your emotions/health symptoms.
What were you feeling when you ate? Were you happy, sad, angry, or actually hungry? Did u have a burning feeling in stomach before meals? Did u experience bloating or cramps after eating? Were you nauseated?

 

• Record all information

Immediately after consuming the food. You don’t want to forget foods or your feelings; your feelings can change several times during the day. Ideally, you would record each meal, mood and activity on paper or on your computer notepad right up until the end of the day and then fill it out on the recorder below. You could either send us a record of two meals at a time as you consume them or all 6 meals at the end of the day - but please remember to fill out your name and date each time you send your meals across

 

• Be Honest
Do not be tempted to modify your dietary/activity pattern in an attempt to make it appear healthy as it would defy the entire purpose of analyzing and charting an effective health plan. Be Honest!

 

• Record your physical activity.
Record the activity performed, level of performance, and the duration. For clients writing a 1 day diary before beginning any program, If the day does not reflect your average dietary and activity habits then please provide details of a more typical day instead.