Participants in a study about a new method of weight loss were instructed to keep food logs, documenting everything they ate and drank. The idea was, the researchers first wanted to get an idea of how participants normally ate, then to work on the changes from there.

What they found when the logs were returned a couple of weeks later was unexpected: most of the people who kept food logs had lost weight! That wasn’t the point of the study, of course, but it opened up a whole new theory of the power of awareness. Why did this happen? Probably because it made people think about what they were eating. Merely becoming conscious of what was about to go into one’s mouth made some people stop and make a reasonable decision.

Have you ever stopped for a minute before you ate something–even before you bought something– and thought about whether you really wanted to eat it or not? Has this led to a change in your behavior? When you keep a food log it makes you stop and think, “If I eat this I’ll have to write it down” and it might actually lead to the decision not to alter your choice.What’s keeping you from trying a food log? Often people respond to this by saying they don’t want to be inconvenienced by carrying a large pad around, and more so by forcing themselves to think about what they eat. But thinking consistently before you eat anything is the part that works to make better choices.Your log doesn’t have to be bulky or tedious. You can get a tiny memo pad to carry and make a plan to write down what you eat immediately after a meal. Make it as easy and enjoyable as you can, whether it’s by using fun-colored ink pens or carrying a colorful notebook, having a contest with a friend, or seeing how long you can keep the log. And be sure to have a reward in mind for yourself for when you accomplish your goal.

Consider the following when starting to keep a food log, note the following:

• how the food is prepared (is it broiled chicken or fried?)
• the portion size (is it a cup of pasta or five cups?) 
•  time you ate the food and whether it was a meal or snack. You might later see that you overeat if you wait to eat breakfast at 10:00 am, but if you eat at 8:00 am it appears to be a smaller amount of food. Or, you might find that if you have a small snack at 4:00 your dinner is much smaller, but if you don’t snack you are so hungry at 6:30 that you eat a larger amount of food for dinner.
• Where were you when you ate each meal or snack (was it in the car? standing at the kitchen sink?) This can give you ideas to reflect about when you see a trend. You might find that you eat a lot more when you dine at a restaurant than you do at home. Or that you want to declare a “No Food Zone” in your living room, at your desk, or somewhere else you find that you do a lot of mindless eating.
•  how you were feeling when you ate. Were you actually hungry? Or maybe just bored? Were you anxious about something and turning to food to calm yourself down? Maybe it has become a habit to munch on a bag of chips while watching a certain TV show. Consider having a column labeled “how hungry” on a scale of 1-10, or “mood” or “activity”.  Linking what you eat to these situations gives you a starting place to make changes. 
• Don’t forget drinks, too. Some people consume an enormous amount of calories from sodas, alcoholic beverages, even drinks you consider to be “good for you” like milk and juice.  

Challenge yourself to try a food log this week. It doesn’t have to be one hundred percent perfect every day. 

Here are a couple ways to start:

• Try writing down what you eat for 3 days this week and see if something comes to light. 
•  Maybe start with what you consider to be your problem times and try logging at those times.

Have some fun with this project and keep an open mind. Decide to take note of foods you were just about to eat, when you remembered you would have to write it down and then stopped yourself! Keep track of these and add up your healthy decisions.    This article was written by Life and Nutrition coach, Laurie Bebee, R.D.  She believes that   “We cannot merely tell people the healthy way to eat,” she relates, “but we must help them to change their environment if they are ever going to be able to change their lifestyle”.  Visit her website at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com, for diet tips, links to great books and websites, or to sign up for a free monthly newsletter! 

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