Print this page and tick the boxes as you go. Research on self-monitoring shows people who track their food lose more weight (about 3 kg more at 12 months across 47 trials) — and the simple version sticks. This is the simple version: three protein boxes, a fiber box, water, and a red-light tick for anything that made you feel sick.
| Day | Protein breakfast ☐ | Protein lunch ☐ | Protein dinner ☐ | Fiber + water ☐ | Red-light foods / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Tuesday | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Wednesday | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Thursday | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Friday | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Saturday | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Sunday | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Protein box = a meal with 20-30 g protein (eggs, fish, yogurt, chicken, beans). Fiber + water = a serving of vegetables or fruit plus your water count. The last column is the important one: note anything that triggered nausea, reflux or bloating so you can see the pattern.
Detailed food journals have high dropout rates; simplified check-off formats show far better adherence (roughly 97% vs 49% in one comparison). The goal is not a perfect record — it is a habit that survives. Any record is better than none.
Data reference: self-monitoring meta-analysis (Obesity Reviews 2024) and the JAMA 2025 patient guidance, which recommends sharing your food record with your care team. This is a tracking tool, not medical advice.