An American study has suggested that women who are on a diet lose more weight if they write down everything they eat. The research, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, showed that those women who kept a food diary lost six pounds more weight on average than those who did not.
It was also found that women who skip meals lost eight pounds less weight than those who did not, partly because they ate unhealthy snacks instead.
The researchers said that keeping track of the calorie intake was a more important factor for a successful diet than the type of diet the women embarked upon. Dr Anne McTiernan, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, said: “For individuals who are trying to lose weight, the number one piece of advice based on these study results would be to keep a food journal to help meet daily calorie goals. “It is difficult to make changes to your diet when you are not paying close attention to what you are eating.”
Elaine Mealey, from the British Dietetic Association, agreed: “All the evidence shows that people who use a food diary not only lose more weight but also keep the weight off.”
The study involved 123 dieting women aged 50 to 75.
Keeping a food diary can help women lose weight, a new study has found.
