Food diaries track more than calories

Keep a food diary for a couple weeks and you'll learn way more than calories consumed. If you're having trouble losing weight, DietBlog offers six ways a food diary can keep your food consumption accurate and honest:

• Account for those little extras: This is definitely my problem. I'll eat three healthy squares, but screw up in between. A food diary will keep you honest.
• Treat time!: Diets fail when there's no fun. Tracking calories can also reveal times when you can enjoy a guilt-free treat.
• When do you eat?: A food diary can reveal your danger zones -- moments in the day when you tend to overeat. For me, that's around 4:00 pm. I need more protein at lunch.
• No 'portion creep': If the pounds are creeping back on, portion creep may be to blame. Time to weigh your foods and record it all in your diary.
• Habits a changin': Flip around your food diary for motivation. If you're struggling, take a look at what you ate during a perfect week. If you've been on a roll, look at a bad day to visually congratulate yourself on how your nutrition has improved.
• Self-Control: Let's face it, keeping a food diary makes you face the music every time you pop something in your mouth. It's more than a calorie-counter, it can be a real self-control booster, too.