Listing everything you eat helps you take a critical look at your eating habits. Keep your journal in a small notebook, or print and use the form provided here.

Write down what you eat on three weekdays and one weekend day, using the following guidelines:

Record everything you eat and drink immediately.

Note what you’re doing while you’re eating — driving, watching TV, etc.

Describe how you felt while you ate: angry, sad, happy, nervous, starving, bored?

Be honest. It’s a journal, not a newsletter.

At the end of each day, examine how your emotions affected your eating.

And make sure that you're getting at least:

9 servings of whole-grain cereal, rice, or pasta (1/2 cup) or bread (1 slice).

5 servings of fruits and vegetables (1/2 cup).

3 servings of low-fat milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese (1 cup).

8 ounces of lean meat, poultry, or fish or a nonmeat equivalent (1 ounce of meat = 1 egg, 1/2 cup beans, or 2 to 3 ounces tofu).