Alright, so we know that you need to record everything that you eat in order to keep up with an accurate food journal. But the real question is - what kinds of other information do we need to write down?

Probably the most important thing that you can add to your food journal is the nutrient data associated with what you eat. First among these nutrient facts is the portion size, which, along with what you actually ate, should act as the core of your food journal.

Tracking your portion sizes is extremely important for any dieter, but it is the very essence of someone who is trying to lose weight by counting calories. This is because the portion you eat is directly tied to the amount of calories your body takes in during a meal or a snack. Keep track of your portions and it will be much easier for you to determine how many calories you've added to your diet on any given day.

But what should you do if you do not have access to exactly how large of a portion you ate. Maybe you're at a restaurant or you had a sample of a new product at a grocery store. If you can't get an exact number on the portion size, just estimate it. Or, better yet, write down how much of the meal you ate. A third, a half, three quarters, the whole thing, etc.

Once you have written down the portion size, you will need to consult a calorie chart to see how many calories you ate in that particular portion. You can do this right after you eat or sometime in the evening while you are watching television.

The other option is to simply remember how much you ate at each of your meals and then record every meal in bulk at the end of the day. This is a good way to keep up your food journal if you find that you are very busy during the day and do not have enough time to keep up with exact data after every meal.