Don’t lie to yourself. It seems simple enough to be responsible for your actions when it comes to your diet, but so often we lie to ourselves and then wonder why we can’t lose weight. There’s no sense in keeping a diary of your meals if you’re not including the candy bar you snuck at work or the side of fries you ordered with your salad. Sneaking bad things into your diet isn’t hurting anyone but you. Keep an honest record of what you eat for one week; whether or not you’re trying to diet, it will give you an accurate -- and usually surprising -- insight into everything you put into your body. Once you identify trouble areas, change your diet accordingly and keep writing everything down to make sure you’re sticking to the plan. It’s okay to have a mess-up diet day; it’s not okay to lie to yourself about it.
