@pupdug First of all, pick a format that works for you. For me, writing it all down in a notebook is preferable to keeping an Excel spreadsheet. Then, decide what all you want to track. I track the times I eat and what I eat (I do this in some detail because I am also tracking potassium consumption so I'm weighing pretty much everything I eat), when I have bowel movements and their consistency - I use the Bristol Stool Scale for this. I also track when I take my meds, when I go to bed and wake up, and any exercise I get during the day. I've been doing this since I started having chronic diarrhea in September, 2023, and it has helped tremendously in identifying foods I need to avoid and if I have done anything different that might trigger a flare. Also, helps me identify side effects to meds. Hope this helps!

@pupdug Sorry it took a while to get back to you (on vacation, no mayo access). It is good to have a spreadsheet or text of what you ate prior to onset of symptoms. If you have known safe food, those either don't need to be added, or just a symbol, like B for beef. Dividing it into food groups is handy; some people are sensitive to dairy, nightshades, gluten, and/or others. I figured out I'm sensitive to legumes after getting sick a few times from peanut Kind bars (and subsequent tests with beans), for example. Tracking by food groups is likely enough, so detailing exactly what one eats may not be necessary. There might be online info on elimination diets and how to track what helps/hurts.