Losing weight is hard work, and mentally tracking calories consumed is time consuming and tedious. Also, people tend to underestimate the amount of food they have eaten. A food diary is an easy way to track food consumed, and is a great tool for those who want to lose those few extra pounds.
Function
A food diary is a record of everything a person eats and drinks on a daily basis. This information can be written by hand on paper, typed into a Word document, or entered into an online food diary program.
Benefits
Food diaries lead to successful weight loss because they encourage personal accountability. In fact, a study reported by ABC News claims that dieters who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who did not record their eating habits.
Significance
Being aware of the amount of food consumed daily contributes to greater control. This is an efficient way for someone trying to lose weight to keep their daily caloric intake within healthy bounds, and can also be used for effective weight maintenance.
Features
The information included in a food diary varies depending on the individual dieter and includes as many or as few details as desired. Things one may want to include in their food diary include: date, type of food or drink consumed, exact amount consumed, time food was eaten, and even the dieter's mood at time of consumption.
Potential
Food diaries are also useful tools for tracking food intake for medical purposes. They allow a doctor to examine a patient's eating habits and help them come up with a better eating plan, or can be used to narrow down the possible causes of an allergic reaction.
