Keep a Food Journal

Make Like Bridget Jones and Start a Food Diary to Keep Track of What You're Eating

A food diary will help you pinpoint where your diet goes wrong and can reveal your calorie intake, so you know if you are getting too many or too few calories.

Logging every bite you eat also forces you to take an honest look at your eating habits. You may not normally keep track of how many times you pick off your kids’ plates or taste food as you’re cooking it—but your journal will.

For a more structured approach that includes helpful bonus tools pick up DietMinder Personal Food & Fitness Journal or The Calorie King Food and Exercise Journal.

Do you reach for chips every night when you watch The Daily Show? Does having a fight with your boyfriend drive you straight to Ben and Jerry's? Start recording the circumstances that lead to mindless snacking and see if there’s a pattern. Then come up with a battle plan (calling a friend when you’re feeling down and craving chocolate, for example). And remember: Jon Stewart is just as funny without a bag of Doritos on your lap!