31 Days of Weight Loss Tips: Day 17 Keep a Food Log

Photo by Vic on Flickr

Accountability is the missing link for a lot of people who are trying to stick to a diet and exercise program. 

Keeping track of what you eat on a daily basis will help you maintain healthy habits by giving you an honest feedback of what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. This is one of the reasons why personal trainers are so helpful. But if you don't have a trainer, you can be accountable to yourself my keeping track of the food you eat.

A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that participants who kept food records lost twice as much weight as those who didn't.

When I keep a food log for myself, I'm less likely to indulge in cheats because I know I'll have to write them down.

Keeping a food log is easy. All you need is a dedicated notebook. Don't write anything else in this notebook other than what you consume and when. Or tracking online is useful too -- www.myfitnesspal.com is a good tool. After a while, start researching the calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates and keep track of that too. Before you know it, you'll have very specific information about how your body handles to food you eat.

For an example of one of my old food log's, click here.