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Ten Steps to a Healthy New Year

By , About.com Guide

Updated May 05, 2012

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The Seventh Step - Getting Started with a Food Diary
If you are really serious about changing your diet, losing (or gaining) weight and improving your health, you will find that keeping a food diary is key to your success. You can keep track of the foods you eat every day in a food diary notebook. Note the portion sizes and write down the calories you eat every day. Add up the number of calories you eat each day and your total for the week. If you need to lose weight, decrease the number of calories you need to eat each week by 500. By eating 500 fewer calories each day, most people will lose about one pound per week.

You can make your own food diary or join Calorie Count to keep track of your healthy new diet online.

Readers Respond: What Motivated You to Change Your Diet?

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