With all of the seemingly infinite and conflicting recommendations about food and nutrition that are out there, it can be challenging to sort through the noise and find a weight loss strategy that works for you. But, most of the time, simpler methods work best when it comes to losing — and keeping off — weight. 

One of the simplest yet most effective methods is keeping a food diary or journal. This tried-and-true method has been researched frequently — one study of almost 1,700 overweight adults found that those who kept a habitual food diary lost twice as much weight as people who didn’t record their food. Read that again — keeping a food journal doubled their weight loss!

So, why do food diaries work so well? Many people confuse food diaries with calorie counting, but in reality, food journals simply make you more mindful of the foods and drinks you consume. Those extra bites of chicken nuggets off your kid’s plate? Record it! The half donut from the break room? Record it! Becoming more aware of what you’re eating is a crucial step in a successful weight loss journey — if you know you have to record it, you may think twice about eating something. 

If you’re a newbie to food journaling, don’t expect to make any radical changes at first — you just want to create a habit of recording your food so you can recognize a baseline of your typical diet. From there, you can start to work on altering unhealthy patterns. 

A few tips for successful food journaling: 

• Record right after you eat or drink something — don’t wait until the end of the day!
• You can record on your phone, or go old-school with a simple notebook — you choose! 
• Don’t judge yourself or try to “edit” what you ate. Honesty is the only way to succeed. 
• Try sharing your food journal with someone you trust to hold you accountable (only if you feel comfortable!) 

Overall, keeping a detailed food diary can help you to get started on your weight loss journey — or help you bust through any weight loss plateaus you’ve hit along the way. Happy journaling!