There’s some exciting news that appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine this month: Dieters who keep a diary to track what they eat every day lose twice as much weight as those who don’t.
Actually, this isn’t a new idea. Fitness trainers, nutritionists and weight loss specialists have promoted pushing the almighty pen for years. However, this published report may be the last word on whether or not this dieting strategy really works.
The study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, involved four clinical research centers and is one of the largest weight loss studies ever conducted. The study subjects—more than 1,600 in number—weighed an average of 212 pounds at the start of the project. The objective for the participants was to lose a minimum of nine pounds within six months by cutting back at least 500 calories per day and engaging in moderate exercise for an average of 180 minutes per week. Of course, they were also asked to keep a daily food diary. Some did, some didn’t.
Did the study subjects reach their goals? Indeed, and some even surpassed them. Almost 70% lost at least nine pounds within the given timeframe and two-thirds of the entire group lost enough weight to have a significant positive impact on their health, such as improved blood pressure, reduced joint pain and less risk of developing diabetes. What’s even more remarkable is that those study subjects who jotted down their dietary habits in a diary at least six days a week lost an average of 18 pounds—twice the amount than those who neglected to keep a diary at all.
Aside from being a self-monitoring system to keep an eye on what and how much you eat on a daily basis, a dieting diary can also help to identify emotional or physical triggers to the urge to splurge. To that end, it’s a good idea to keep a diary or journal that provides enough space for you to make notes on how you are feeling at the time you eat a meal. This is especially important when it comes to snacks. Within just a few day a pattern may emerge from which you can learn a lot about yourself.
Another benefit to keeping a food diary is to help keep you motivated. After all, we’re all our own worst critics, aren’t we? If you have to answer to yourself, you’ll think twice about reaching for unhealthy food choices if you have to write them down to look at later. Somehow, the words ‘chocolate chip cookies’ seem to spring off the page, especially when you realize that you ate a handful right after balancing your checkbook.
If writing about your emotional feelings isn’t a particularly favorite thing for you to do, then try this: Assign a number to the mood that went with the food. For instance, you could rate your emotional state at breakfast on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being exuberantly excited to start a new day and 5 to indicate that you’d much rather be back in bed. You can make your own definitions, of course, but you get the idea.
It’s also a good idea to note how hungry you were at the start of each meal. Again, the number rating system comes in handy for this purpose. The number 1 could mean that you were only mildly hungry while 5 could suggest feeling famished.
Some final suggestions: Make room at the end of each day to note any physical activities in which you partook and also any reflections on the day that you may have. Remember, you’re not writing the Great American Novel here. For that matter, your diary is for your eyes only. So, keep it honest and keep it up. Before you know it, you’ll have lost twice the weight you thought you could in a given time, just like the folks in the weight loss study.
Actually, this isn’t a new idea. Fitness trainers, nutritionists and weight loss specialists have promoted pushing the almighty pen for years. However, this published report may be the last word on whether or not this dieting strategy really works.
The study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, involved four clinical research centers and is one of the largest weight loss studies ever conducted. The study subjects—more than 1,600 in number—weighed an average of 212 pounds at the start of the project. The objective for the participants was to lose a minimum of nine pounds within six months by cutting back at least 500 calories per day and engaging in moderate exercise for an average of 180 minutes per week. Of course, they were also asked to keep a daily food diary. Some did, some didn’t.
Did the study subjects reach their goals? Indeed, and some even surpassed them. Almost 70% lost at least nine pounds within the given timeframe and two-thirds of the entire group lost enough weight to have a significant positive impact on their health, such as improved blood pressure, reduced joint pain and less risk of developing diabetes. What’s even more remarkable is that those study subjects who jotted down their dietary habits in a diary at least six days a week lost an average of 18 pounds—twice the amount than those who neglected to keep a diary at all.
Aside from being a self-monitoring system to keep an eye on what and how much you eat on a daily basis, a dieting diary can also help to identify emotional or physical triggers to the urge to splurge. To that end, it’s a good idea to keep a diary or journal that provides enough space for you to make notes on how you are feeling at the time you eat a meal. This is especially important when it comes to snacks. Within just a few day a pattern may emerge from which you can learn a lot about yourself.
Another benefit to keeping a food diary is to help keep you motivated. After all, we’re all our own worst critics, aren’t we? If you have to answer to yourself, you’ll think twice about reaching for unhealthy food choices if you have to write them down to look at later. Somehow, the words ‘chocolate chip cookies’ seem to spring off the page, especially when you realize that you ate a handful right after balancing your checkbook.
If writing about your emotional feelings isn’t a particularly favorite thing for you to do, then try this: Assign a number to the mood that went with the food. For instance, you could rate your emotional state at breakfast on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being exuberantly excited to start a new day and 5 to indicate that you’d much rather be back in bed. You can make your own definitions, of course, but you get the idea.
It’s also a good idea to note how hungry you were at the start of each meal. Again, the number rating system comes in handy for this purpose. The number 1 could mean that you were only mildly hungry while 5 could suggest feeling famished.
Some final suggestions: Make room at the end of each day to note any physical activities in which you partook and also any reflections on the day that you may have. Remember, you’re not writing the Great American Novel here. For that matter, your diary is for your eyes only. So, keep it honest and keep it up. Before you know it, you’ll have lost twice the weight you thought you could in a given time, just like the folks in the weight loss study.
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