A Healthier Us : Best Way To Lose Weight Fast - Weight Loss

People who kept daily food diaries lost twice as much weight or more as those who didn’t keep track of their meals, finds a new study. In the struggle to lose weight, picking up a pen might be just as useful as putting down the fork.

It seems today there is a feeling that Weight Loss is almost impossible and very few are successful. This study proved that with a simple, straightforward approach nearly 70 percent of the participants were able to lose weight by eating a healthy diet and simply keeping a food diary. Overall, two-thirds of the study subjects lost nine pounds or more during the six month study. But those who kept a food diary every day of the week dropped up to 20 pounds, more than twice as much as those who didn’t record their every bite.

Keeping a food diary makes you accountable for every thing you put in your mouth. Many dieters don’t want to take the time to keep a journal, but it can have a very big impact. If you are Walking through the kitchen you might think twice about eating a cookie because you don’t want to have to write it down. I know when I was keeping my food diary I was very conscious of what I was eating. Plus I knew my trainer would have something to say about some of my poor choices. The other huge benefit of keeping it was she was able to take a closer look at how and what I eat and guide me. I know I eat better when I keep my food diary. Many say that is one of the reasons Weight Watchers is so successful. The food journals help people see where extra calories are coming from, and also to recognize the hidden calories in familiar foods. One of the big effects of the diary is that it can help people realize when they’re just eating out of boredom or stress. Many times people do mindless eating, under stress, at their desks, bored, just eat things without thinking about it. This strategy can help people avoid that.

The great thing about today is that we have so many choices when looking for free help with keeping food diaries and menu plans. There are many websites that automatically calculate calories in common food items. Most people only eat about 30 to 40 different things, so with a little practice, you quickly learn how many calories are in the food you’re eating, so you don’t have to keep looking it up every time. I know when I first started keeping my food journal at ediets I quickly learned that I was eating too much sodium. I normally do not salt anything or eat chips. I found out it was in some of the processed foods so I have since limited those to keep my sodium intake in check.

So if you’re having trouble dropping a few pounds try keeping a food diary and see what results you get. It made a difference for me it will work for you too.