Journal Weight Loss Accessories

Know Your Nutrition with a Food Diary

Whether it is a high-fat, low carb, high-protein or calorie controlled diet that you are following, sticking to a healthy diet for weight loss is often a challenge. It can be difficult to track your calorific intake each day and figure out what tweaks you need to make, to achieve results. An effective yet simple way of keeping track is with a food diary. Available on eBay, these simple diaries ensure strict dieting rules are adhered to.

What should a food diary be used for?

At the most basic level, a food diary is used to chart all foods and drinks that have been consumed. Often used to support weight loss diets, the diary works on a day to day basis, ensuring that excessive calories, which lead to weight gain, can be avoided. Recording food intake can help reduce excessive snacking, as this will have to be recorded, and it also creates an awareness of the calorific values in food.

In a similar manner, the food diary can be used to help identify any intolerances. By keeping track of the food consumed, together with any significant bodily changes, it becomes possible to identify the dietary sources of any discomfort.

Which food groups are important?

Many diets work by eliminating or reducing certain macronutrients, in order to reach weight-loss goals. For any diet to help reduce weight, it’s important that the calories burned up exceed the calories consumed. As well as tracking calories, the food diary can be used to log intake of the main macronutrients.  

• Fat: This is one complex macronutrient. Good fats, or unsaturated fats, are essential for cell development and regeneration. Saturated fats are often known as bad fats, and it’s these which can increase the risk of cardiovasular diseases.
• Carbohydrates: This is the macronutrient that is responsible for energy. Common sources of carbohydrates include bread, potatoes, and pasta. Any carbs which have been consumed, but not used by the body for energy, will be converted to fat.
• Protein: Important for muscle growth, protein is generally harder for the body to metabolise, and also provides a longer lasting feeling of satiation.

How long does a food diary last?

Any successful, long-term diet will be something of a lifestyle change. A food diary can be kept for as long as is necessary to reach this new lifestyle. Whilst some diaries come dated, others are blank, ensuring they can be used as and when needed. This is particularly useful when it comes to tracking food during difficult or busy periods.