This has nothing to do with New Year’s resolutions, but I decided during my Christmas shopping to purchase a tiny, cute notebook and make it my food diary. I had tried to do this in the past with a digital food diary, but had been distracted on my phone and kept forgetting to type in what I was eating. Because it was too easy for me to forget, I bought a physical one – cute enough to notice, and small enough to conceal – and it doesn’t “look” like a food diary (because it isn’t) so that works out for me!
Why did I decide to do this during the holidays? Well, first, I remembered it while shopping when this cute notebook popped out at me and it wasn’t expensive or anything, so I thought, “Why not gift myself for a good reason?” Also, now that I’m pregnant, I tend to use the pregnancy excuse in my head quite often to really allow myself to enjoy everything that I normally wouldn’t allow myself to so freely indulge in when I am not pregnant!
There are many opinions about how to eat during pregnancy. We have the facts about what’s dangerous for baby (sushi, soft cheese, fresh cut deli slices, raw meats, etc.), but not as much about healthy eating during pregnancy and NOT eating for two (I’m NOT eating for two; we are not two fully grown humans). Also, the fact that being overweight during pregnancy is just as dangerous to baby and mommy’s health as being underweight (a fact not stressed enough here on the island in my opinion) is what has led me to be a little more cautious – just a little.
So how does that translate to you non-pregnant readers? Well, the cute little notepad is so easy to carry around, and it’s kind of fun. I keep a pen handy in my purse and I do write EVERYTHING that I consume, whether it’s fresh juice containing four carrots, three celery sticks and two small apples, or a handful of cheesy Pringles, a fully loaded meal, and even the one (or three) little candy I pop into my mouth very quickly, it ALL goes into the “food diary.”
I also add the date, my current weight and my workout or exercise, or any fitness I have done for the day; whether it’s just taking a walk, going to a kickboxing class, on the bike or “shopping” for two hours. (Hey! That’s a workout! There’s a lot of walking to be done!) You can add any other bits of info you’d like to as well, but I must say it has been an eye-opener, and shows me what I’m in denial about; my portion sizes – it wasn’t’ so much, it wasn’t so bad. Well, the food diary lets you know – yes, it does – it’s not about guilt-tripping myself, it’s about staying aware of what I’m doing to myself.
I think it’s a good idea, because it somehow makes you want to improve, when you actually see or have to write what you are doing. And I must say, it has helped me a lot and I hope I’ll keep it up after my little bundle of joy is born.
Please try this out for yourself. It doesn’t have to cost you much, not even that much time to write little notes on what you are eating. After a week, you may surprise yourself! Good luck, and if you have any advice or comments, please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
