Food Diaries Increase Weight Loss
Shed More Pounds By Keeping a Food Journal
According to a new study released by Kaiser Permanente, dieters and those looking to achieve a healthier lifestyle lost nearly twice as much weight by keeping a daily record of all the food they consumed. Even better news is that the longer the participants maintained their food journals, the more weight they lost overall.
How to Keep a Food Journal
When deciding to keep a food journal, the most important rule is to write down every single thing consumed. Start with the basics: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and everything in between. Most dieters overlook sneaky, calorie and sugar-saturated things like beverages and gum, which can quickly add up to gained pounds. Be sure to write down everything you eat and drink as soon as possible, to minimize the likelihood of forgetting something. Templates and sample food diaries can be found by doing a simple web search and in many diet and weight loss books.
What Information to List in a Food Journal
Depending on an individual's specific health concerns, a food diary can be adjusted to meet a variety of goals. Whether a dieter wants to watch calories and fat or a diabetic patient wants to observe sugars and carbohydrates, a food journal can be a great tool for improving eating habits and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Physical activity and exercise can also be incorporated into a food diary, as this will give the dieter a larger picture of their calories both consumed and burned.
Options for Keeping a Food Journal
The goal of maintaining a food diary is that it will give you an honest reflection of the kinds of foods you are consuming and how they impact your weight and health issues. Therefore, finding a method that you are likely to keep up with is a vital component. There are two ways to keep a food journal: a pen and paper version or an electronic version. They each have their respective benefits, and experimenting with both options is a good way for you to find a method that meets your needs.
Dieters who are not internet-savvy, or who like to have the convenience of being able to access their journal anytime and anywhere, might find the pen and paper method to be a good choice. However, those who like being able to do things via the web will discover that there are many websites that offer dieters free and low-cost membership where they can keep an electronic version of their food journals.
In a world where the obese and overweight population is steadily increasing and more people are developing conditions like diabetes and heart disease, anything that can prompt healthier habits is worth a try.
