Write Down What You Eat to Help Lose Weight

The idea of writing down everything you eat may sound inconvenient, but it could mean the difference between weight loss success and another diet failure. Research has shown that people who write down what they eat in a food journal are more likely to reach their weight loss goals than people who don’t keep track of their eating. Why does writing down what you eat work?

Writing down what you eat is a form of self-monitoring that helps you stay on track. It can also help you get back on track if your motivation starts to sag, which is common after 4 to 8 weeks of dieting.

In addition to keeping you motivated, writing down what you eat and drink can help you identify problem behaviors. For example, you may not realize how many calories you consume through your daily soda pop habit. Keeping an accurate food journal may make you aware of extra calories you add to your diet with condiments and sauces or toppings on your lean turkey burger. Becoming aware of poor habits is the first step toward changing them.

In the end, losing weight requires making changes consistently. Writing down what you eat every day can help you keep making small changes every day until you reach your weight loss goals.