Keeping a food log or weight loss journal can actually double the number of pounds an individual loses, according to a recent study printed in The American Journal of Preventative Medicine and reported by Nanci Hellmich of USA Today!
Long believed to be a valuable weight loss tool, research confirms that the use of a food diary amplifies weight loss!
Over 1600 obese adults participated in the study that was conducted at four separate clinical research facilities around the country.
In addition to being encouraged to utilize the weight loss journal to record daily caloric intake and exercise, participants were also offered optional weekly sessions with nutritionists and behavior counselors.
Study participants did not have to follow a particular diet but they were asked to reduce their caloric intake by 500 calories a day. A diet heavily infused with fruits and vegetables was recommended along with moderately intense exercise, of at least 180 minutes each week.
After six months it was obvious that the dieters who kept food logs lost twice as much weight as those who chose not to. In addition, dieters who attended support sessions lost more weight than those who did not; and participants who regularly exercised lost more weight than their sedentary counterparts.
So there you have it, three definitive strategies that enhance weight loss: food logs, support sessions, and exercise. Let’s focus on the first strategy since that one doubled weight loss.
To get started, purchase a journal, a spiral notebook, or download printable weight loss journal pages. Use your journal for everything weight-related. Record your weight, your measurements, your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Record everything you eat and drink, and all of your activity.
Your daily record is also a great place to post the weight loss facts you discover throughout your journey. As you read weight-related books and magazines, and browse various weight-related websites, jot down interesting tidbits that you want to remember.
