Keeping A Food Diary

Posted September 24th, 2008 at 4:01 pm in Low Carb

New Study Shows Dieters Can Double Their Weight Loss

By keeping track of what you eat with a food diary you can lose double the weight in the same period of time than if you didn't keep a food diary. I thought this was a another gimmick until I tried it. And you know, if you are honest about it and write down everything you eat, you will be more motivated and less tempted to stray. You will be amazed at how motivating this can be. I've tried it and it makes a huge difference. That donut or that piece of pie you ate (just this once) looks pretty bad on paper.

Identifying Eating Habits That Need Modification

A food diary will also help you identify eating habits that need to be modified. Most people only have a general idea of what they eat and a selective memory about the bad things (that donut for example) that can derail any diet. Keeping a detailed food diary will help you see where the extra calories are coming from. A new study published in the August issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that participants in the six month study who kept a food journal six or seven days a week lost an average of 18 lbs compared with an average of 9 lb lost by non-diary keepers.

Keep A Food Diary And Exercise

Keeping a food diary is a great tool for weight loss but it's best to do it in conjunction with a regular exercise regimen. Even if it's just a short walk every day you will find that losing weight can help with high blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Even just a few pounds lost will help ease the strain on your joints, your energy level will improve and you just might sleep better too!

A Food Diary Is All About Accountabilty

Not only should you be honest about writing down everthing you eat but you should show it to someone like a wife or a husband. You may have been thinking about eating that donut, that just this once it won't hurt, but you don't want it to show up on the food diary at the end of the day. And, before you know it, you have lost weight!