Before starting out on a healthy eating program it is helpful to find out where you have previously been going wrong so that you can learn better eating habits or weight loss.
Keeping a food diary is a good idea so that you can see where changes need to be made. The best time to start using that food diary is before you start on your new healthy eating program. So before you start, take a week and monitor how you are currently eating. Get yourself a small notebook that you can carry with you so it is always there every time you put something in your mouth. Then be sure to use it. No one else ever needs to see it, so learn to be honest with yourself.
What to put in your food diary
Write down everything that you have to eat and drink, how much, the time of day and also, how you are feeling at the time. Don't miss out anything, not even the odd fries you pick out when cooking the kids' tea! You need to be able to learn the times when you give in to temptation and learn to recognize your feelings. This will help you to learn how to adopt better eating habits for weight loss.
Are you really hungry or is there some other reasonwhy you are eating?
Are you bored, worried, upset?
Keeping track of the times of day that you eat is also important. For many of us who struggle with weight problems, we often skip meals, only to find ourselves ravenousy hungry later in the day.
At the end of the week, study your food diary carefully and examine your eating habits. Notice your vulnerable times and try to change your routine so that you will not give in to temptation in the future.
You will also see just exactly how much you have eaten and how all the little
nibbles add up. By seeing it all in black and white you will be able to see
how you can start to make small changes that will make a difference.
Once you have started your food diary, it is helpful to keep it up so that you are always aware of what you are eating and why you are eating it. You will find this a really useful tool when you are finding out how to adopt better eating habits to lose weight. If you start this habit now, you will be well on the way to a much slimmer and healthier lifestyle.
