Most people underestimate how much or how often they eat. This might be due to eating while distracted, habitual grazing, emotional eating, optimism bias and misjudging amounts. It is easy to see how snacks, drinks, and extra portions can quickly add up.
That’s where a food diary can be helpful when trying to lose weight. It can help you eat mindfully, pause to consider hunger while developing accountability—key ingredients for lasting, healthy changes. Considering how instrumental a food diary can be, this article can help you get started along with practical tips to make it easy.
Why a food diary works
Research shows that self-monitoring (simply writing down what you eat) can reduce mindless eating and encourage better choices. Even without calculating calories, you become more aware of your portions, snacking habits, emotional triggers, and patterns that might be holding you back.
One of the most compelling sources of evidence comes from the US National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), which tracks thousands of people who’ve lost significant weight and kept it off for years. The NWCR has found that the vast majority of people who have lost weight and kept it off long-term, regularly track what they eat, often with a food diary or digital app.
This however doesn’t mean that you must write everything that you eat forever. It means seeing it as a tool that can be used as you need it. This might mean you commit to keeping a food diary for the first few days of the month, or when you get back from a holiday or simply when you feel like your motivation/confidence is waning.
Benefits of keeping a food diary
- Increases awareness of what, when, and why you eat. This can make estimating your calorie intake more accurate and see patterns with emotions and triggers for non-hungry eating.
- Helps assess the quality of your food intake to ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs.
- Identifies patterns in your appetite. Perhaps you feel hungrier in the morning and less hungry in the evenings which helps you plan your meals and snacks.
- Supports accountability especially when you have set goals and plans around eating so that you can measure your progress.
- Find reason to celebrate by being able to look back and see your eating habits change and improve. This may be pivotal for keeping you feel confident and motivated while you wait for the scales to move.
How to start a food diary
There are quite a few options to choose from when considering how you want to track your intake.
- A simple notebook or printed template can be a great place to start when you are building the habit. Keeping it with you in your wallet or car can prove as a regular reminder to note it down through the day.
- The notes app on your phone keeps the recording simple while ensuring you have somewhere to discretely write down what you ate at the time of the meal.
- Dedicated tracking apps such as Easy Diet Diary which has an Australian food database provides a way to collect detailed information about what you eat along with calculating your macronutrients. This can be a great educational tool so you can learn more about the nutrients in the food you eat.
- Try the free TF Food and Exercise Diary if you want some structure to record what you eat and drink. There is a place to record fluid, calories and exercise.
What to record in your food diary
- Time: Simply writing what you eat alongside the time can be a great start
- Categories: Using headings as Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks can help to keep your writing organised and easy to review.
- Amounts: Using simple measures such as cups and handfuls is a great way to describe the amounts eaten without having to resort to food scales.
- Emotions/triggers: This can be useful if you find yourself eating when you are not hungry to identify your triggers so you can brainstorm alternative ways to cope.
- Fluids: Drinks can be a source of calories as well as a being important for good health.
Tips to stay consistent with your food diary
- Record as you go (don’t wait until the end of the day)
- Set a daily reminder or link it to another habit (like after meals). Many of the apps have reminders built in.
- Keep your diary visible and easy to access
- Use simple, honest notes - no need for perfection
- Review your diary at the end of the day and every few days to spot trends and celebrate wins
How a food diary supports a weight-loss program
Keeping a food diary is a useful tool in your weight loss plan. Systematic reviews of the evidence shows that those who keep a food diary, are more likely to see more weight loss. Consistency (daily recording) was a predictor of both short and long-term weight loss success.
A food diary helps you spot habits that impact your weight, like overeating, low protein intake, or skipping meals. It creates structure for your routine, making it easy to include meal replacement shakes or planned meals as part of your day.
Keeping a food diary is one of the simplest habits you can incorporate into your day with big potential benefits. Try it for one week and you might be surprised by what you learn! Ready to get started? Download your free Food and Exercise Diary here.
