Want to lose weight? Keep a food diary

Writing down everything that you eat daily can greatly help you lose weight, says an article in Time. The story cites the new results of a paper published in the August issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Scientists at several clinical-research centers in the US found that dieters who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t.

The study tracked about 1,700 overweight or obese adults — men and women — across the United States who were at least 25 years old. All participants were encouraged to use weight-loss methods such as calorie restriction, weekly group sessions and moderately intensive exercise as well as to keep a food journal. “Hands down, the most successful weight-loss method was keeping a record of what you eat,” the article quotes the senior investigator, Victor Stevens, as saying. In the six-month study, participants who kept a food journal six or seven days a week lost an average of 8 kg, compared with an average of 4 kg lost by non-diary keepers.

Keeping a detailed food diary, which includes even small servings, helps you pick out the eating habits that need to be modified, since you can see where the extra calories are coming from. And to keep the calorie count, the feature suggests a website called the Daily Plate at livestrong.com. It not only lets you accurately count calories but also helps you find people with eating habits similar to your own.

However, keeping a food diary works best in conjunction with regular exercise. Losing just 4.5 kg can help control high blood pressure and reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A drop of a few kilos also helps the movement of knees and other joints. It is also likely to positively affect your sleep and improve your energy levels.