Why do a food diary?

runnerblues86

I have been exercising when I can but I don't want to do the food diary. I know I have weight to lose, but I just don't think I would keep an accurate diary. Any suggestions?

lambertj

Then don't do it. Nobody is going to make you

pg3ibew

So don't keep one. Check back with us in about 3 months and let us know how you are doing.

tsh0ck

I have been exercising when I can but I don't want to do the food diary.

kind of like going to build a wall but deciding to leave your hammer at home.

yo_andi

Simple. It keeps me accountable. When I see the crap, or not crap, I put into my body daily I make much better choices. I can diagnose and solve common issues, like triggers for overeating, causes for bloating and seeing the numbers go up and down based on what's in my food diary is positive feedback w.r.t. how my efforts are paying off.

shaynak112

You don't have to . We are not making you! lol
For me, it keeps me accountable for what I eat. I have to log every food I eat. Then I see how much bad food I eat, so I try and decrease it. Or I see what I need to eat more/less of.

skylark94

If you can't commit to do it right, don't do it. You'd be lying to yourself and will fail.

Keeping a diary helped me become more aware of what I was eating and allowed me to keep my portions under control and make the right choices and trades. If I want ice cream for dessert, I can look at my calories and see if I need to cut back elsewhere to allow it.

kali31337

then what's the difference between what you were doing before & the change you want to make?

scheatwood

In the begining, it can be like that. You may only enter one meal or just your food and not drinks, or log your meals and not exercise. But when your dedicated about weight lose, you'll realize you start including everything, down to the vitamins you take and how long it takes to prepare your meals.

Take it slOw, try just breakfast everyday and you'll be shrouded by the results.

jzammetti

If you don't think you can, then my guess is you won't. You just have to decide it's important and do it, or it isn't important so don't. Entirely up to you.

thescrumisfun

The biggest reason I do it is that it holds me accountable for my decisions. If I haven't lost anything, I can look back through my diary and see how my eating habits have been - also making it a reality check. Plus, I find myself making better choices when I log or pre-log my day.

Do the diary for a month and see how your progress goes. You may find it increases your results .

BecomingPremsar

You don't have to keep a food diary. It is there simply as a Tool among many other tools out there.

Why keep a food diary at all then? --> It helps people self-regulate their intake of certain foods to better their health in a balanced way. It makes people aware of the caloric and nutritional value of things they eat so that they can become conscious in and informed of the decisions they make. It also makes people accountable. It also facilitates others helping, encouraging and giving feedback on your nutritional intake.

But it is entirely up to you. If you don't need it, you don't have to use it.

jennifermaffei17

Keeping a diary lets you see what you eat. Most people don't realize how fast calories add up or even what they put into their mouth without realizing it. Adding foods to your diary at the same time you eat them will help you stay on track even if you have doubts.

While you don't have to do it, I strongly recommend it!

TheVimFuego

I keep a food diary so I don't have to exercise ...

davidjohnb17

Simple. It keeps me accountable. When I see the crap, or not crap, I put into my body daily I make much better choices. I can diagnose and solve common issues, like triggers for overeating, causes for bloating and seeing the numbers go up and down based on what's in my food diary is positive feedback w.r.t. how my efforts are paying off.

I agree, i've only used it for the past 2 days since I started but it's actually really handy to keep track of how you're doing and is good for tracking your progress. If you're struggling to lose weight or if you start to struggle then looking back through your food diary could help you see where changes could be made. As for it being accurate, it doesn't take that long to fill out and the database has pretty much everything in there with accurate nutritional information. I've confirmed this myself by seeing what the diary says is in my food and then looking at the nutritional info on the packaging. Bang on every time Good luck!

vim_n_vigor

I had a hard time starting the diary, so I made small goals. First I just logged fruits and veggies. As time went on, there was more and more I logged. I kept my diary private for a while so I could figure out what I was doing.

amercer09

I think a food dairy helps a ton! I normally try to estimate the best i can. If I am not sure I estimate over what i thought i had. in most cases ppl are eating a ton more calories than they think

sbenson1972

They are right, no one can make you but you would be able to pull so much info from it if you did If you aren't losing like you think you should or if you hit a plateau,it's a great tool to make some exchanges or curve an area you are taking in too much of (carbs/fats/etc). Have you tried doing it for the 21-28 day period to see if the action turns into a routine?

126siany

Because 80% of weight loss is diet?

runnerblues86

I have changed my eating habits, but I don't track calories. I don't mind "cheating" every once in a while, but I am doing better. Has anyone had success without a diary?

smhammons

I tried diet after diet and would always gain it back because I was not aware of what I actually ate untill I started the diary this is not a diet it is accountablity and a lifestyle change that only you can decide to make good luck on what ever you decide to do....