What This Habit Helps You Do
A food diary shines a light on what actually happens during your day, not what you think happens. It’s a simple way to notice patterns, habits, nudges and traps you didn’t realise were steering you.
Think of it as switching on the kitchen light at night. Suddenly you can see where you’re stepping.
Why It Works
Most people try to change their eating by guessing. Guessing rarely works.
Writing things down slows the moment just enough for you to become aware of it. Awareness is the first domino. Once that one falls, the rest becomes much easier to line up.
A diary also removes the pressure to “be perfect”. It’s not a judgement tool. It’s a clarity tool.
What to do
Pick one place to record everything you eat and drink. You can choose:
- Your current calendar/diary
- Our paper worksheet template you can download by clicking here
- An app on your phone
Each time you have something, jot down three quick things:
- What you had
- How much you had
- How you felt before and after the food (Hungry? Bored? Stressed? Full? Happy? Sad? etc)
Keep it going until your next check-in. Small entries. No essays. No calorie maths. Just the truth, captured in real time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Waiting until the end of the day to fill it in. Your memory is not as loyal as you think.
- Judging yourself as you write. That’s not the job here.
- Adding too much detail. If it takes you longer than a minute, you won’t keep it up.
What You’ll Need
Either:
- Your diary and pen
- Our template worksheet (download by clicking here) and pen
- Your phone app
How to Know It’s Working
You’ll start noticing small things:
- Maybe you graze when you’re bored.
- Maybe you skip meals when busy.
- Maybe your hunger creeps higher than you thought before you finally eat.
When those patterns start popping out like bright sticky notes, you’re doing it right.
Your Next Check-In
Bring your diary to our next session. Your job is simply to capture things as it happens, so we can go over it together next session.