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Daily habits turn into a weekly routine, which can become your lifestyle. So what if the answer to your success or your goal physique included a daily diary? A study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people who were committed to the food diary for six days a week lost twice as much weight and were successful in keeping it off.

Students come to college thinking any form of consumption wont affect that high metabolic body and there won’t be consequences, but oh are we wrong. I was blind from my intake and gained more than the “Freshman-Fifteen.” Now, I want to try to change the outcomes and teach myself how to rethink health with the help of a food diary.

My Food Diary:

I used to think I knew what I was eating I thought I chose the right items and ate healthy food. After a week of notes and a food diary, I am now cautious about what I eat and think twice before choosing an option and writing it down.

Each morning, I ate some form of fruit, a granola bar and then energized with a cup or two of coffee. I am not much of a morning eater, so the coffee filled me up until lunch.

I have also transitioned into a “to-go” eater because I have a few jobs and I am balancing a new school schedule.

This developed skill has only led me to spill, rush my meal and then grow hungry in a couple hours. I fuel my hunger later with a “snack” of a Starbucks Double Shot drink with protein to get me through until dinner.

Generally for dinner I eat chicken or turkey and pair it with some veggies or a salad.

After a long day of school and work, I now realize I overeat when I get home, and I snack while I am in the process of making a meal. Sometimes I even get lazy and give in to take out or a quick sub. Either option results in being so full and regretful, I just want to sleep.

My short bursts of healthiness have led to long periods of hunger, loss of energy during the day and overindulgence at night. I have learned a lot from my daily intake, the times that work best, what I need to replace and what works best for my body.

If you want to create your own food diary, here are some helpful hints for your journey:

1. Write down what you consumed immediately after so it is still fresh in the mind. Victor Stevens, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., said, “You’re accountable to yourself when you’re writing it down, and you’re accountable to other people who are looking at your food record.”
2. If you’re on the go, plan your meals, or prepare something ahead of time. Never skip a meal because of your lack of planning or being too busy. This leads to over-indulging at a meal or over snacking with whatever is around. “You’ll have more control over what you consume, and you know what that food contains, and how much of it you’re eating,” Stevens said.
3. Think twice about if you’re really “hungry,” and drink lots of water during the day. Carole Anne Tomlinson, registered nurse with experience in nutrition, dehydration and health problems said, “When you do not drink enough water, your body receives mixed signals on hunger. Dehydration causes you to believe you need to eat when you really need liquid intake.”