Have You Ever Kept a Food Journal?

According to a recent study of 123 overweight and obese middle-aged women, methodically keeping a food journal is a very effective weight-loss strategy. Over the course of the year-long study by the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, women who kept journals lost an average of 4% more body weight than women who did not.

“Knowing what you are eating and knowing how much you are eating seem to be the key," said Anne McTiernan, the director of the Hutchinson Center's Prevention Center that conducted the study. "For individuals who are trying to lose weight, the No. 1 piece of advice based on these study results would be to keep a food journal to help meet daily calorie goals."

Unsurprisingly, reading labels, measuring portions, and accurately recording everything you eat increases awareness of the types of foods and the number of calories you are consuming. Other strategies recommended by the study included eating regular meals and avoiding restaurants and takeout at lunchtime. Interestingly, the scientists discovered that skipping meals often backfires and leads to weight gain. They also found that women who never ate restaurant lunches lost an average of 3% more body weight than those who did so at least once a week.

So, what about you SodaHeads? Have you ever kept a food journal?