The Healthy Ginger: Keeping a Food Diary

If you read my 2014 New Year Resolutions post, then you will know that this year I am making a conscious effort to be a healthier person. This means cutting back on the naughty treats, eating a more well-balanced diet, and upping the exercise regime. 

Boyfriend - being as supportive as always - said he would help me in this goal. So, for the first step on this epic journey, he set me the task of keeping a food diary. 

As a record to show what I am eating on a weekly basis, and where I need to improve/change.

Often, during the day, I will subconsciously reach for the snacks. And when there is a LOT of chocolate in the house, this is a very bad thing. Before I went back to work I could attack the stash at regular intervals. But since keeping my food diary, I find myself making a conscious effort to choose the healthier options. There's something about keeping a running record of what I have eaten that makes me want to prove to myself that I can be healthier. 

Looking back at what I have eaten so far is empowering. I have in no way deprived myself of anything. I'm still having my daily chocolatey treats, but I'm doing it now in moderation. And because I'm going to be sharing my weekly diary with Boyfriend, it's giving me a sense of achievement. 




I won't do this every week, but I just wanted to share my first week of Food Diary with you lovely lot. 



13/01/14 - Monday




.Caramel Latte 

.500ml water

.Bowl of nut & seed muesli w. semi-skimmed milk & linseeds

.Coffee w. coffee mate

. 3 Quality Street 

.Peach Yogurt

.3/4 banana

.200ml Chocomel 

.500ml water 

.Chicken breast, chopped tomatoes & pepper w. rice

.1 piece of chocolate cake 




14/01/14 - Tuesday 




.Coffee w. Coffee Mate

.Bowl of nut & seed muesli w. Linseeds & semi-skimmed milk 

.Caramel latte 

.4 Chocolates 

.1 pint water 

.1 banana / 5 table spoons mango & vanilla yogurt 

.Coffee w. Coffee Mate 

.1 pint water

.Mug of Milk 

.2 pints water 

.Minced Meat, Pepper, Onion, Ham, Chopped Tomatoes, Grated Cheese & Pasta

.4 Chocolates

.1 pint water 




15/01/14 - Wednesday 




.Caramel latte 

.Bowl of nut & seed muesli w. Linseeds & semi-skimmed milk 

.Caramel latte 

.4 Chocolates

.Banana & Honey sandwich on white bread 

.5 tbsps mango & vanilla yogurt 

.1 pint water

.1 pint water 

.Coffee w. Coffee Mate

.200ml Chocomel 

.Earl Grey Green Tea 

.Cumberland sausages, potato wedges, peppers, onions, passata, Tabasco, mushrooms 

.1 pint water 

.3 chocolates




16/01/14 - Thursday 




.Caramel latte 

.Bowl of nut & seed muesli w. Linseeds & semi-skimmed milk 

.Caramel latte 

.4 Chocolates

.1 pint water 

.4 tbsps Mango & Vanilla yogurt & 2 tbsps of Mango, Papaya. & Passionfruit yogurt + 2 bananas 

.1 pint water 

. Coffee w. Coffee Mate 

.Hot dog wrapped in bacon with BBQ sauce and cheese w. Chips (Half bun)

.Glass of water 




17/01/14 - Friday 




.Caramel Latte 

.1 piece of toast with lfs. 

.100g mini eggs 

.Bowl of nut & seed muesli w. Linseeds & semi-skimmed milk 

.1 pint of water

.Caramel latte 

.Coffee w. Coffee Mate 

.Breaded chicken, half burger bun, mayonnaise, salad & small chips 

.Mocha 

.Water




18/01/14 - Saturday 




.Caramel latte

.4 chocolates 

.Coffee w. Coffee Mate 

.1 pint of water 

.Banana 

.1 Poppadum, rice, keema naan bread, chicken tikka pieces in mango, almond & cream sauce 

.1 pint of water




18/01/14 - Sunday 




.Coffee w. Coffee Mate

.Vanilla latte x 2 

.Pint of water 

.2 Poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, English muffin, 2 slices of ham, chives & 2 portions of black pudding 



If you are looking to be healthier in 2014, then I highly recommend going on a Food Diary journey too. Even if you are just wanting to change one thing in your lifestyle, like drinking more water, doing more exercise, or cutting down on ice cream....The sense of satisfaction and achievement that you'll gain when you get to the end of each week and see how well you have done will be amazing! 




If you are starting a Food Diary journey too, let me know in the comments.There will always be somebody here to support you in your 2014 Healthy Quest. 




Good Luck!








Psst....Keep an eye out for more Healthy Ginger posts. I'll be sharing meal tips, my new exercise regime, and other pieces of advice

2014: New Year Resolutions

2013 really was an amazing year. I learnt so much about myself. Became more confident. Became stronger. And met some wonderful people along the way. 

For this year, I wanted to continue on my voyage of self-discovery and make some resolutions that were just for me. I'm not ashamed to admit that I do stress a lot about things in my life. I get anxious. I get worried. And sometimes with a bus day-to-day schedule these things are inescapable. So by making a few "Me Time" resolutions, I can make sure I remember to take time out from the craziness of life, and have some time to refresh.

Exercise: I can't tell you the last time I went to the gym. Bad, I know. But now I have joined the gym (I got a year membership for my birthday,) so there is no excuse. Even if it's just once or twice a week, I'm going to make sure I get some quality workout time in to each week. 

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Currently, the house looks like an explosion in a chocolate factory. There are piles of boxes, packets and tubes everywhere. Over the holidays I have put on a few lbs, and it has got to me. But instead of diving in to a massive diet, I'm going to take it slow. Cut out the chocolate-gorging, drink more water, do more home-cooking and make friends with the fruit bowl. A healthy diet will not only help my body feel better, but make my mind clearer too. 

Schedule: My blogging of late has become a bit erratic. I tried to fit uploading posts in between a jam-packed schedule and this meant that everything became out of sync and spontaneous. It's my January mission to find a scheduling system that works for me, and stick to it throughout the year. I love my blog-baby. It's my escapism. I need to claim that back. 

Love: Love is really important. I want to make sure I take as much time as I can to show the special people in my life how much I love them. Even if I don't get to see them that much, the time we do spend together I want to be super-special so that even when we aren't together, they know how much they mean to me.

What are your resolutions for 2014?