I like tracking progress when it comes to certain things. I track my daily workouts, I track work related projects like blogging, as well as books I've read, etc. It's always nice looking back on what I've done and decide how I want to move on. I believe tracking what you eat can be a tremendous help, particularly if you are still trying to change your eating habits. There are various ways to track your progress using online and offline methods.
Blogging Your Food Journal
A lot of people go with this option because it does two things:
1. Keeps you more accountable because it's public.
2. Allows you to get feedback from others who share your interest.
Blogging is easy to do and it's free unless you choose to get your own domain and hosting. I think it's a great way to stay accountable.
Online Food Journal Web Sites
There are more places online that you can use to track food. When I used to track my food online, one of my favorites was FitDay. It was easy to use and I'm sure they have made improvements since the last time I've used it. This is a great option for people who don't want to bother with keeping track on paper.
Keeping Track with a Notebook
Surprisingly, I do like using pen and paper for tracking certain things. I have noticed that I rather keep track of to-do lists on paper rather than online. Some people probably feel the same way about food journals. The type of notebook used isn't important. Spiral, composition, or even pocket-sized can work as long as you stick to it and log your progress.
Benefits of Food Journals
Food journals are great because they can help you stay on track with your eating habits. If you are in the process of trying to eat better, logging your daily food intake may help you to realize where your weak spots are during the day. Maybe you tend to skip breakfast and notice that you eat a big lunch. You may realize that you snack a lot more than you thought you did. If you have this information written down, you can diagnose the issues and fix them.
Don't worry about slipping up in your diet. If you eat foods that you are trying to avoid, log them anyway. It won't help if you pretend you didn't eat them and skip logging it in your journal. You're only defeating the purpose by doing that. Stay honest with yourself and make the journal work in your favor.
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Have you or do you currently keep a food journal? How has it helped you?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I have just been introduced to clean eating via a friend and haven’t taken the next step – starting to apply it. I have tried journal-ling my food intake before. I have a hard time to sticking to it. But I found that if I keep it simple I tend to keep at it longer. That means I just write the food down but don’t right the weight of it, the time I eat it, etc, etc. I find that is enough to keep me motivated. I was considering blogging because I also do better when I am accountable to someone.
I have started a blog about my clean eating journey (which began a mere 6 days ago) to help keep me accoutable.
Great Idea! I have the hardest time dieting. Keeping a journal would probably work. Thanks.
Good post. I have changed my eating habits a great deal but I have not cut out everything man made. I don’t know if I will go that far but I continue to reassess what I am eating and get rid of foods that are not healthy for me. I’m glad that I am not the only one that tracks everything. I don’t even want to try and remember what I ate last month but I might want to know later therefore I track. Like you I track other things like books I read and work that I do and for sure my exercise. I analyze everything, well almost everything. I even had my own “scientific formula” for kicking the Diet Coke habit. Hey don’t laugh, it worked with no headaches!!!