Day 1 ....Again.

As a Dietitian I do not know how many times we tell people to write things down, keep track of their food for the past 3 days, take note of how they were feeling before they ate, ect..... You know the drill.. as we have ALL attempted to do this at one time or another.   I attempt to do this at least 2-3 times a year.  I am horrible at writing things down.. and I can relate with all my clients when I meet with them.. as I know how hard it is to keep a log, especially after a long day at work.  Who wants to sit down and think about what they had for lunch, dinner, or breakfast for that matter.   Fortunately with smart phones these days.. you can enter your food items and let the App do all the work.  Or you can do it like me.. keep a journal... or use Fitday.com to keep track and you can also input all your info for each food (such as calories, protein, fat, and sugar).  I really like this website. 
I went to WebMD to look over some research and found this great article on their site.  See below:

Researcher Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD, says based on the study results, the number one piece of advice someone should follow if they want to lose weight is, "Keep a food journal."
"It's about accountability, knowing what you're eating and how much, and how that all adds up compared with your calorie goal for losing weight," she tells WebMD.

A 2008 study found that dieters who kept food diaries at least six days a week lost twice as much weight as those who kept the journals one day a week or less.
Keeping a food diary helps increase awareness of mindless, distracted eating, says nutritionist and diabetes educator Megrette Fletcher, RD, who is also co-founder of The Center for Mindful Eating.
"We know that when people keep food journals they are more aware of what they eat and in what quantities," she tells WebMD. "Whether the goal is to lose weight, keep diabetes under control, or just to avoid eating when you are not hungry, food journals can help."
Most experts recommend writing down the foods you eat as soon as you eat them, rather than waiting until the end of the day.
Some other tips:

• It may also help to write down what you were doing when you were eating and how eating made you feel.
• Record your level of hunger along with the foods you eat.
• Be honest: Keeping a journal will do you no good if you only do it when you are being virtuous. Record the food slips along with the food triumphs.

The last time I journal ed my food intake I was floored by the amount of calories in my diet coming from juice at breakfast!  I was drinking > 200kcals at breakfast.  I also noted during the day I was not drinking enough fluid.  Take a look at this book I picked up in the Barnes and Noble discount pile (front cover displayed above).. I like the layout.. and you can keep track of your fluid intake as well (see the cups for you to color in).  DO NOT forget to drink water during the day.. most of us forget (including myself).

I also like the exercise section where you can keep track of your workouts as well as any "incidental" exercise you might of done.. such as run from a dog in the park that was about to bite your legs off, a few push-ups in the gym to impress some people that you had not planned on doing...

I will let you know how this goes... as I am starting this journal again.. or at least for the next 72 hours to see what kind of "Dietitian" I really am.   Oh.. and don't forget to take your measurments for a baseline... you might be suprised at the end.. and this might also provide you some incentive.  Whatever floats your boat....