5 Lessons From An Honest Food Diary

Sometimes we can be in denial about the food choices we make and even how much food we consume on a given day. I kept a food diary for a few weeks and some glaring bad habits stood out. I have never been one to count calories or keep a detailed account of every single thing I am putting in my body but keeping this diary has really opened my eyes to what exactly I have been putting into my body and just how much too! The truth is sometimes hard to swallow (pun intended!) but it’s absolutely necessary to help you see where you may be falling short. Here are some things I learned after reviewing my entries!

1. I eat more that I originally thought – A bite here and a nibble there all adds up at the end of the day. I can totally tell the times I was most likely bored and mindlessly eating to kill the time. It’s one thing to eat a lot when you’re eating wholesome and nutritious food but it is another thing entirely when the snacks that you eat in one day are 2 oatmeal raisin cookies, cheese its, or any other manner of empty calories with no nutritional value. 
2. I still drink way too much soda and not enough water – I filled out my journal every evening before I went to bed but during the day I kept track of the drinks and my water intake because they’re more difficult to remember at the end of the day. I am really disappointed at how much soda I have been drinking without even realizing it. On the plus side my water intake has been improving but it is still not where I would like it to be. I also think it may have increased because I was tracking it.
3. I give into snack temptations at work more than I am willing to admit – I swear, it seems like there is a birthday to celebrate every week with something sweet and someone is ALWAYS bringing in sweet treats to share with everyone. The issue is that I have not had the will power to pass on any of these. It’s weird because I usually crave salty snacks but my tastes may have converted as of late because it is ridiculous how many cookies and pieces of cake I have consumed since starting my job back at the end of January.
4. I depend on processed foods for too many last minute meals – I have started a bad habit of stopping for sausage breakfast sandwiches in the mornings. 3 out of 5 work days I got one. A lot of times that isn’t the only thing I pick up…I pair it with a pastry of some kind and a drink. For lunch I’ll sometimes order Jimmy John’s, go to Panera, or grab a lean cuisine from the freezer section. Studies have shown time and again how awful processed foods can be for our bodies. I think I was in denial about how much of my food I was eating out and getting from a box. I have a lot more work to do but I am willing and hopefully it will save me some money along the way too!
5. The weak links in my day are breakfast and lunch – I have stressed this before but planning and prepping your own food is key to reaching your health goals. In the past I was convinced that dinner was the weak link in my day because it seemed like all we ever did was eat out or prepare something from a box. That has transitioned now to breakfast and lunch. The weeks where I don’t plan anything or prep any food I tend not to eat the best which is evident from my entries. I am great at planning dinners because I have time in the evenings to follow a recipe and get creative in the kitchen. With breakfast and lunch I fear food boredem if I prep the same meals for each day of the week. I need to make time on the weekends to prep and hopefully Pinterest can give me some delicious new ideas!