Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Writing It Down Works!

Yes! A recent study by the health folks at Kaiser Permanente reveals that keeping a food diary helps people lose weight. The study, reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, states that of those surveyed, participants keeping a list of what they ate every day lost twice as much weight as those who did not.

It's not enough to just remember what you've eaten all day. It does make a difference to actually see it written down. That way there is no relying on your memory, and there is no 'fudging' on the information. We tend to allow ourselves too much leeway sometimes if we're not looking at it in black and white.

Organizers say two-thirds of the study subjects lost an average of 9 pounds in 6 months. But those who kept up with the food they ate by writing it down every day, lost up to 20 pounds! I know the idea of writing down every morsel we put in our mouths is a turn off. It feels obsessive. And the idea of our friends and families 'finding out' we have to do this in order to lose weight feels somehow weak-willed or something. I understand that. But it's such a simple thing! And it actually gets results. Who cares what others think about your methods if your clothes fit better, you feel better and are, in fact, healthier for it? Why not give it a try?

No comments: