Study: Keeping a diary of what you eat can reduce weight

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Jot your way to your ideal weight.

A major study has found that dieters who kept a food diary about what they ate lost twice as much weight as dieters who didn’t keep a log.

Kaiser Permanente monitored 1,700 people and put them on a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables aimed at lowering hypertension and improving overall health.

While the participants lost an average of 13 pounds during the six-month regimen, those who kept a diary lost an average of 18 pounds, and those who did not lost nine.

“It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories,” lead author Jack Hollis, a Kaiser-Permanente researcher said.

The study appears in today’s edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Kathryn Thompson, of Longmont, lost 55 pounds that way. She is a Kaiser Permanente member and followed the K-P plan but wasn’t one of the 1,700 people who took part in the study.

“I exercised and ate healthier foods, but writing down what I ate definitely helped,” she said.

“It made me accountable. By writing down what I’m eating I tend to make better choices. I don’t want to write down that I ate this thing that has 500 calories in it.”

She also found that by keeping track throughout the day, she can put the brakes on the calories in the afternoon if she’s eaten a lot in the morning.

“I also kept track of my exercise and compared my total calories from eating and exercise,” she said.

She has kept the weight off for seven months and continues to keep a daily diary. “I’m hoping this is a habit I will keep.”

Helen Seagle, a K-P dietitian in Denver, said the diaries let dieters keep track of exactly what they eat. “People are amazed at what they’ve actually put in their mouths,” she said. “If they have an almond croissant every day and find out how many calories is in it, they’ll say, ‘Do I really want that?’ ”

The logs also help people check on their patterns and assumptions, she said. People might assume that they eat out three times a week but find after keeping a diary that they actually eat out 10 times a week.

“They get connected to reality,” Seagle said. “They may assume they’re the kind of people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables,” but the diary can put a lie to those assumptions.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Forty-four percent of the participants were blacks who, as a group, are at greater risk than other Americans for diabetes, obesity, hypertension and heart disease.

Participants were asked to eat 10 to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables a day — that’s three or four times the amount a typical adult consumes. They also were asked to exercise moderately for 30 minutes a day.

“If we all lost just nine pounds, like the majority of people in this study did, our nation would see vast decreases in hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” said study co-author Victor Stevens,a K-P researcher. In an earlier study, Stevens found that losing as little as five pounds can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20 percent.

• July 9, 2008

  1:18 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  mray65 writes:

  Food diaries are great and they really work. There are lots of good ones online, but my favorite is NutriMirror (http://www.nutrimirror.com). It's free, very easy to use, and has all the features you'll need for seriously taking control of your diet. It counts your calories and tells you how much you can eat to reach your weight goal, it shows you your nutritional balance, and lets you record your progress as you lose pounds and inches. If you're serious about making a change, this system works. Give it a try.

• July 11, 2008

  10:41 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  pj writes:

  I had a Dr. tell me to do this 30 years ago. He told me to "write down everything you put in your mouth". I did, and lost 15 pounds per month! I had a daily goal of calories (1200), fat grams (30), carb grams(75-150), fiber(20) (part of carbs, but gets deleted from carb total), and protein (30) grams. I paid attention to the SERVING SIZE, and used measuring cups to make sure it was right.

  When I reached the daily goals, I STOPPED there, and didn't consume any more in that day. I also tracked how much water I had consumed per day to make sure I was getting enough hydration.

  I took everything out of our pantry and made a table of the nutrition information for an easy reference of what I would be most likely to eat. I made a blank chart I could use daily by just writing down what I was eating AT THE TIME, so I wouldn't forget.

  It made it so EASY to do, anyone can do it. Just look at the nutrition labels on what you eat and pay attention to the serving size. If the carbs are too high, 1/2 the serving size and other nutrition information on the daily food diary. Doesn't cost a thing but a few moments of your time, determinaton, and intention.

• July 11, 2008

  10:45 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  pj writes:

  P.S.: Watching serving size was one of the most important things next to writing it down. It really shows you how much more we tend to eat just because we might fill a cereal bowl or plate, instead of watching how much is an appropriate amount. It teaches you what IS the right amount.

  This easy to do "diet" gives the individual control and personal accountability regarding what they consume and the consequences.