Weight loss tip #112 — Maintain a food diary

If you are a foodie planning to lose weight, keeping a track of what you eat and penning it down will help you go a long way. Whether it is grabbing a pack of chips while working or snacking on junk food sitting your couch, most people fail to register what are they eating and how much calories they consumed. All you need to do is form a simple habit to lose weight – maintain a food diary.

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine revealed that maintaining a food diary doubles the chances of weight loss. Another study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics proved that women who had a food diary lost around six pounds more as compared to those without one.

Ever wondered why every visit to a nutritionist always ended on logging the food you eat. It is the easiest way of recording your daily intake of food and counting your calories. When you write down everything that you had, including snacks, you are more likely to cut down your unhealthy munching habits and quenching your thirst with carbonated beverages. Are you clueless about how to go about your fitness plan? Check out our 365-day fitness plan.

A food diary not only helps you to track your caloric intake but also helps cut down mindless snacking. It also gives you a clear idea about bingeing so that you plan your diet in a better way and avoid emotional eating. Don’t know how to keep a food diary? Here are few tips to help you out –

Pen it down as you go: Done with your breakfast, write it down; had your meals, put it up, so on and so forth. Don’t wait till the end of the day to write what you ate during the day. As soon as you have your meal, snack or drink, record it before you fail to recollect.

Don’t cheat yourself: Always be honest and complete. Record everything in minute details, including a slice of a pizza or any indulgent days that you had. Don’t fail to measure your portion size as well to track your calories and mindless eating, if any.

Be consistent: Make sure you always carry your food diary. If this is not appealing to you, then you can even download a diet-tracking app on your smartphone and record whatever you eat on the go – be it sitting in a restaurant with your partner or in a meeting/conference. Here are 7 fitness apps that will make weight loss fun!

Cook at home: If you have time, try to cook at home as you will have more control over what and how much you eat. You can even keep a tab on the amount of ingredients that you add.

Try this only for a month and compare your weight with the previous month to know if it worked for you or not. Hope this weight loss tip works for you!

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Disclaimer text TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any weight loss through this method as the results may vary from person to person. We recommend you consult your nutritionist and physician before following any of the tips suggested here.

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