Have you ever been watching TV and reached into a bowl or box – and hit the bottom? It’s startling to realize that we just consumed hundreds. or even thousands. of calories – and we received no enjoyment from our eating. In fact, we don’t even remember all the calories we just sent down our throat. The only way to gain any control over our eating habits is to pay attention to what we’re actually consuming and a personal food journal is the best tool, because we obviously can’t rely on memory.

It’s a rule of life that habits are tough to change. If we’re in a rut of ending mindlessly changing to become a mindful eater won’t be easy so don’t expect it to be. We’re all very busy and we will resist the discipline of writing down everything we eat. And some people complain that food is always on their minds once they begin keeping a food journal.

There are multiple advantages to recording every bite you eat and below are some of the most important. Keep in mind that this isn’t a life-long activity but instead it’s merely a tactic to make you more aware of your own behavior. If you understand what you’re trying to accomplish it will be easier when you fail at some times (and you will!)

1. You will discover exactly what you eat or do not eat – and how that affects your life. For example, many people either skip breakfast or scarf down a sweet roll with coffee or other nutritionally empty foods. With a food journal, you will be able to see exactly what such a breakfast does to your body and eating habits. For instance, hunger may force you to the vending machines at 10AM and you will realize that if you take the time to eat a decent breakfast you can skip this nutritionally empty and very fattening expedition.

2. Lots of time we eat when we’re not hungry. There are a vast number of emotional reasons to stuff something in our mouths and these flimsy reasons range from deep depression (eating to ”feel better”) to the most joyous event that, naturally, calls for a food celebration. None of us wants to confess that we are emotional eaters, but keeping a food journal may well reveal these bad habits. Once we recognize that we’re misusing food, we can learn to deal with any emotional issues in a more constructive way.

3. You may well create changes in your diet that improve your health but cause no personal suffering. By using your food journal, you can easily take a look at substitutes that are better for your health and fitness. For instance, if you eat a considerable amount of pasta, turning to whole wheat pasta and decreasing your portion size can lower your cholesterol and your weight. You could possibly modify one recipe at a time and notice how effectively your brand new behaviors are working out for you.

4. It is very possible to be thin – and unhealthy. Someone who is stays thin by eating very little, yet what they eat is potato chips and cokes, is certain to be missing out on important nutrients provided by food. Constipation, for example, is a sure sign of a deficiency in both fiber and water. Those who eat only “whites” – whit rice, white bread, white pasta – and certain to have a deficiency in B vitamins. Many people think that taking vitamin pills means that they can ignore nutrition and eat anything they chose but this is false. Pills won’t make up for nutrient shortages.

Try keeping a food journal just one week. In just seven days you can find out a lot about your typical eating habits. With that information, you can make changes in your diet that will help you to lose weight, become healthy and reduce your risk of disease.

Always read diet reviews previous to choosing so that you don’t waste time on plans like the Kimkins diet.

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