Write Off the Extra Weight

   By drodriguez  Dec 17, 2008
36

Here come the holidays, which means here come the cookies, cakes, and all other things decadently dangerous.  If you are worried about putting on extra pounds this season you may want to check out a new study recently published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. 

The new research has proven that people who keep diaries describing their daily food intake lost more weight than those who did not.  The study followed almost 1,700 overweight and obese adult men and women throughout the country.  All of the subjects were encouraged to limit their caloric intake, take part in weekly group sessions, exercise, and keep a food journal. 

The senior investigator of the study, Victor Stevens was recently featured in a Time Magazine article about the study.  He reported, “Hands down, the most successful weight-loss measure was keeping a record of what you eat.”

The study, which spanned a six-month period, showed that participants who kept a food diary between 6 and 7 days a week lost on average 18 pounds.  This was double what non-diary keepers lost.

The concept of losing more weight by keeping track of exactly what you ingest all day makes sense.  It can really make a person think about the amount of food they eat and whether most of it is actually good for them.  It can also make a person more conscious of the labels on the back of the package detailing the fat and cholesterol count.  And, at the end of the day you are well aware that you will have to face the truth staring back at you in that journal.  Stevens talks about how a person may think about eating that extra cookie “but you didn’t want it to show up on the diary at the end of the day.”

What do you think about keeping a food journal as a way to stay healthy?

Is this something you might consider trying to keep the extra holiday weight off?
 

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rocketsummer17 by rocketsummer17 | Massapequa, NY
Jan 13, 2009

i agree that a food diary can be helpful...but you really need to stick to it for it to work

nyprincess by nyprincess | PIEDMONT, SC
Jan 12, 2009

I have kept a journal of how I felt, what I ate and what time it was. It was very helpful. I have lost over a hundred pounds. I can also look back on a week, month or year and see a history or improvements. I feel its encouraging.

clarkeb1984 by clarkeb1984 | Coleman, MI
Jan 12, 2009

This does work for me! I think this is a great way to stay "honest" with yourself, but you have to be just that....honest. YOu also have to remember that if you are "cheating" on what you write down, you are only "Cheating" yourself out of weight loss potential.

texasmama by texasmama | Provo, UT
Jan 10, 2009

I tried so hard to keep a food diary but I could never remember to record everything. I decided to just exercise harder and try to be careful about what I ate because it was a huge hassle to write everything down. Especially the amounts because I am not good at estimating. My attempts did open my eyes to some of my food habits (like snacking while I make dinner and stress eating in the afternoon and evening).

rockhound24 by rockhound24 | ELIZABETH, CO
Jan 09, 2009

I think that writing it down really works. It is a good way to be honest with yourself and erally figure out what you are eating.

ayesha16 by ayesha16 | huntington station, NY
Jan 05, 2009

writing it never helps me because I always eat more than what I had expected to eat.

joya08 by joya08 | MUNDELEIN, IL
Jan 04, 2009

i tried keeping a food journal but it was to much of a hassel.I always forgat to record everything I ate.

KrystalKF by KrystalKF | LOUISVILLE, KY
Jan 01, 2009

Two years ago when I switched jobs from a very active to a very sedentary environment, I gained about 15 pounds. I kept a food diary while dieting and in two weeks I lost just about all of the weight. It is very tedious but if you can keep up with it I think it helps you stay conscious of your choices and intake.

jh0816 by jh0816 | DULUTH, GA
Dec 27, 2008

I wonder if it is the writing of feelings (why you ate, what you were feeling, were you bored, etc.) that helps partly and I wonder if just writing period would help you eat less. I would think any kind of writing would be a good way to get out feelings instead of eating them away - like writing a novel or a diary/journal, something like that.

highlights by highlights | PATERSON, NJ
Dec 27, 2008

I think its really great to keep a food journal. It makes a person more aware of what you are actually eating. I think it would make you eat even healthier. I would definitely consider trying this.

MaurChclt by MaurChclt | Cattaraugus, NY
Dec 26, 2008

This is exactly what Weight Watchers recommends and has for years and it works!!

ambulars by ambulars | Gambrills, MD
Dec 26, 2008

i really agree with, this . its all about accountably. the more the better.

abigirl by abigirl | Rochester, NY
Dec 22, 2008

I think writing is a good tool for weight loss. I have tried paper and pencil journals and a variety of online tools. I'm not sure which is the best for me. There was another study recently that showed people who took photos of their meals lost more weight than traditional written diaries. It seems that the underlying idea of either of these strategies is to pay attention to what you are eating and not just munch mindlessly.

angelger28 by angelger28 | PHOENIX, AZ
Dec 20, 2008

Writing it down doesn't work for me. I've put in the effort. I've been writing down what I eat for months and it doesn't stop me from returning to the kitchen. I go one step further and write my mood and times down as well. I'm a nursing mother and have a huge appetite but I don't need to eat as much as I do, I just feel famished all the time. I'm about 15 lbs overweight. It'll probably drop off when I wean my son. I hope so. I plan to continue to write in my food journal, it's become a habit. Maybe one day I'll figure out some self-control.

sarahresch by sarahresch | Folsom, CA
Dec 18, 2008

fitday.com is a great site to keep track of your eating habits. it's a great accountability partner.