Does a Diet Diary Work? – Food Diaries For Weight Loss
Nov 12, 2009 | Posted by in Diet and Weightloss, Featured | 0 Comments
Food Diaries & Weight Loss
In the battle of the bulge, dieters now have a strong ally. Food diaries are here to help shed those stubborn pounds that just will not seem to budge. While diary may seem like an unlikely aid in this battle, consuming dairy is actually a proven weight loss technique.
A comprehensive six month study was performed. In it, participants were split in to two groups. One group was asked to write down everything that they consumed – both food and liquid. The second group only recorded in their diaries once a week. Each group met on a weekly basis. In the group meetings, participants were asked to go over their diaries and go over diet related skills.
Food Diary Guarantees Results
When the study came to an end, the average participant lost thirteen pounds. The researchers noted that the weight lost by each person was easy to predict. It corresponded to each participant’s food diary and how many times they wrote in it.
Write More, Loose More
Those who participated in the first group and recorded everything in their diaries daily lost twice as much as those in the other group. The second group was only asked to record liquid and food intake once or week or less.
Why Does a Diet Diary Work?
The answer is simple: accountability. As each person wrote down what they consumed, they became more accountable for what was ingested. They could not deny what they had eaten, because it was there, recorded in black and white. It also helps to point out where the most calories are consumed during the day. It gives the dieter a place to start, in terms to working on rewiring their daily habits.
Diet Diary Creates Accountability
Showing the food diary to others also creates accountability. If you know that you are going to have to write down food that is not acceptable and show the entry to others, you may think twice before consuming it. It almost adds an embarrassment factor to it. If you do not want to explain to others why you slipped, you may be less likely to eat the offending food.
Food diaries do not have to be hard to keep. Make it easy on yourself. Keep the diary nearby and easy to access. This will help you to record as you eat. If you wait until the end of the day, you are much more likely to leave out food or drinks that were consumed.
Record your intake accurately. Include the size of the portions you consume. Write down anything that you think will help in analyzing your eating patterns and portions. This is to help you, so do it right.
Diet Diary Comes in All Forms
Your diary does not have to be a notebook and pen. Record your food intake on whatever medium best suits your lifestyle. Record it on the notes function on your cell phone or PDA. Use sticky notes. Use a spiral notebook. Use a voice recorder throughout the day and then type it up at night. The point is to choose something that you will actually use.
For more interesting tips and advice on diets and weight loss please visit the Diet & Weightloss section on GKHealth.