A food diary is an amazing tool for getting a clear look at what you’re eating. Memory is faulty and it is sooooo easy to think you are eating more/less/better than your really are. Some long-term weight loss maintainers attribute much of their success to keeping a long-term food diary. Others may find it useful to keep short-term food diaries now and again. I saw some great tips on HealthDay last week on what to record in a food diary, and I decided it was the perfect thing to share during my crazy settling-into-grad-school week. So without further ado: 
(HealthDay News) — Keeping a food diary can help you stick to a healthy diet, develop healthy eating habits and monitor caloric intake, which are important in maintaining a healthy weight. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these tips on what to record in your food diary:
  • Exactly what foods you ate — don’t forget to include any condiments, sauces or other extras.
  • The amount of food that you ate, in either size or volume.
  • What time of day that you ate, and where you were when you ate.
  • What you were doing when you ate, and how you felt when you were eating.
  • Whether you were alone or with someone else.