Do I fill my food diary in at the beginning of the day or the end?

There is no right or wrong way – see what works best for you. The options are:

Fill it in advance

Some people like to plan what they are going to eat and enter it into their food diary at the start of the day (or night before) so they can check they will stay within their daily target. The good thing about this approach is if it looks like you might go over, you can take action before the damage is done! If you are new to calorie counting, this might be the best approach for you.

Fill it in as you go

This is the best way to ensure you don't forget anything. It also makes you aware of how many calories you have left for the day.

Fill it in at the end of the day

You can enter everything in one go at the end of the day – it's quick and easy using 'Copy' and your 'Favourites' however the risk is that you forget adding something.

If you exceed your daily calorie target, try to 'up' your exercise and/or reduce your calorie intake over the next few days to get back on track (as long as you don't go below 1,200 cals).