It’s a really good practice to keep a detailed food diary of what you eat drink and exercise every day.

Here’s Why

Makes you stop and think

The sheer discipline of having to write down what you are eating may cause you to think twice about saying yes to that muffin.

Manage your meal times

One of the principles for losing fat and eating is to make sure you eat regularly. If you go for a long period before eating and then have a bigger meal, this can cause you to pile on excess fat.

Having a diary with the times filled in can certainly help. Record the exact time of your meals.

Include your drinks

Ensure that you include any drinks that you have on your diary. Alcohol and coffee made with a lot of milk like a latte can include lots of calories.

Share it with your Nutritionist

If you ever end up consulting with a professional you can show them exactly what you have been eating, at a glance they should be able to work out where you could change things to get better results.

What format are you going to use

Use whatever method you prefer, nowadays many people use their phone or blackberry as a communication device. If that’s you then add updates as you go through the day directly onto your phone.

You may already carry a notebook around with you if so use that. The key point to remember is to try and add it to your existing routine and make it easy for yourself rather than introducing an extra task that you have to do.

Record your weight each day

Weigh yourself each day, preferably in the morning. Over a period of time you will be able to see the effect that certain food and drink have on your weight.

Also when you reach your target weight you will have a better idea of what you need to eat to maintain your weight.

Matt Lovell