The Word on Weightloss

A recent study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine indicates that people who track what they eat lose twice the weight of those who don’t keep a record.  Is this because when you keep a food diary and record food intake you can’t lie to yourself about finishing off the whole bag of potato chips and you are shamed into eating healthier? Or maybe it’s just the simple fact that it is much easier to see where you can make cuts once you are looking at your habits on paper, rather than relying on memory. 

There are several diet and fitness websites that allow you to keep a food diary or journal as you track your weight loss progress.  You can also use these online journals to log exercise you’ve done by day or week, which, combined with a food diary, is a great way to see the bigger picture and keep you on track with your weight loss goals. 

A large part of losing weight successfully is your diet. As important as exercise is, if you do not eat balanced meals you may be overdoing it and taking in more calories without knowing it. Many, if not most people who are serious about losing weight benefit from the many free and paid, online or just pen-and-paper food journals. But what reasons might there be to NOT keep a food diary?

Some people can become almost obsessive about their caloric intake when they are dieting. By fixating on what you can’t eat and what you have eaten, food may become the focal point of your weight loss plan rather than the whole process of healthy eating and physical exercise.

• You may spend more time thinking about food than normal and end up eating more unhealthy food.
• You may feel hungrier more often.
• You may feel more "deprived" while you're dieting.

For some people, learning (or re-learning) the basic rules of a healthy diet that balances many fruits and vegetables with reasonable portions of meat, dairy and carbohydrates is enough. They can go about their busy day and only think about what they are eating at mealtimes.  If this is you, then keep busy, remember the basics when mealtime comes around, and keep up the good work!

For the rest of us, diligently tracking your eating habits in your food diary is one way to help with weight loss success; it will help you target your problem areas, keep you on track with your weight loss goals and lead you to a healthier lifestyle.