A food diary is a powerful tool

Overeating

It’s never too late to take action, and to start addressing your behavioural patterns and your relationship with food.

Many of our clients have commented that we are like detectives! Dissecting the information they have shared with us before sessions, in questionnaires and timelines etc. When helping people with their weight issues, we ask they that they complete a food diary for a minimum of two (ideally three) weeks, so as to document how they eat, where they eat and what they eat. This includes drinking.

We encourage you to do the same! Slip your food diary into a plastic folder and keep it with you at all times. If you’re at home, then leave it in the kitchen. If you’re going out, place it in your pocket or bag. If you’re at work, keep it on your desk… If you’re on a car journey, leave it on the front. It’s important to note down everything at all times of the day.

Food diary

Documenting what you are eating makes you consciously aware of what you are consuming. More importantly, it keeps you accountable. Many of us eat unconsciously and without consideration. Whether that’s popping a biscuit, or a bit of chocolate at work or at home, without even noticing. Such habitual behaviour is a pattern we are swept up in, and it is only when we take conscious action that we can interrupt that habit and start to make changes.

Writing down what you eat is also a great motivator in helping you to avoid unhealthy food and make wiser choices. Once you have completed doing one for three weeks, you may want to continue for good practice – even via using voice notes on your phone. Many people we have worked with have maintained the practice as an ongoing support structure, with some moving on to doing it just from Monday to Friday, with weekends off, to keep themselves focussed and in control.

There are so many marketing companies trying to manipulate your food intake, with a plethora or calorific temptations on every street corner and every channel on television. There is an abundance of food-orientated products and advertisements poking at us daily, reminding us to eat, eat, eat.

However, there will only ever be one person who will be with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the rest of your life, and that person is YOU. Life is not only about living as long as possible, but also being in a fit state to enjoy it. You owe it to your future self, therefore, to be in control of how and what you eat, and writing your food diary is a big step towards that.

Extract from our book, Winning At Weight Loss. Please keep an eye on our TikTok channel for new uploads every week, with specific videos on weight loss. Also, we’d love to see you at one of our upcoming workshops this year, where we go into much greater detail on our approach, tips, techniques and methods.