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Food Diaries Help You Lose Weight

If you eat it, write it down.

By Maggie Spilner
Fitness, Walking and Yoga Expert
About the Author
August 21, 2008

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One of the most effective strategies for losing weight is keeping a food journal. It doesn’t have to be formal and it doesn’t have to include the tedious process of calorie counting. You don’t even have to keep all your information in the same place. Scribble it on a napkin or send yourself an email after lunch. What seems to work is being aware of and reflecting on your food intake.

That’s what one of the largest, longest weight loss maintenance trials ever conducted discovered. They followed 1,700 people in a weight loss program that included eating a DASH diet (high in fruits and veggies and low in fat), exercising 30 minutes a day and attending weekly group meetings. Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who did not. Over a 6-month period, record keepers lost 13 pounds on average. Almost half of the participants were African Americans, who have a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease due to being overweight.

Another study showed that many people fail to lose weight, or gain weight, because they overeat on the weekends. They can restrain themselves all week, but when Friday rolls around, they lose control and eat or drink too many calories. If that sounds like you, try writing down everything you eat and drink, even on the weekend. Chances are you’ll see the numbers on the scale start to drop.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Being overweight puts you at risk for many diseases associated with aging, including cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Dropping just five pounds can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure by 20%! One proven way to lose weight is to keep a journal of everything you eat. This will make you more aware of overeating and unhealthy eating and will help you make changes accordingly.

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Written exclusively for Stop Aging Now, the authority on anti-aging research, anti-aging nutrition, and anti-aging supplements.

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