Keep a Food Diary – and Keep at it!
Great news was released on Monday confirming the success rate of using a simple self-monitoring device that dietitians have been recommending for years—the food diary. A new study by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research with 1700 participants found that those who kept a daily food record lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t keep records. The participants also followed a healthy eating regimen – the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) as well as engaging in 30 minutes of moderate activity per day. They also attended regular support meetings. Weight lost averaged 13 pounds during the 6-month period. The study was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and will appear in the August edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
