Keep a food journal. Don’t skip meals, but do skip your afternoon lunch dates. Those recommendations come from research published Friday in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics[1].
Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center[2] evaluated the impact of self-monitoring and diet-related behavior and patterns among overweight and obese post-menopausal women. Among the 123 women who participated in the study, they found that those who completed food journals lost about six more pounds than those who did not note their food intake. Women who skipped meals lost eight fewer pounds than those who did not miss meals, and those who ate lunch out at least once a week lost five fewer pounds than those who ate out less frequently.
Dr. Anne McTiernan, lead author of the study and professor of epidemiology at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said losing weight[3] is really just about “accountability, knowing what you’re eating and how much, and how that all adds up compared with your calorie goal for losing weight.”
It’s difficult to change a diet if dieters are not paying close attention to what they are eating, researchers said.
“The food journal helps you keep track, in real time, of what you are eating,” said McTiernan. “Restaurant eating, on the other hand, makes it difficult to know what you are eating, and the serving sizes are often large enough for several people. So, it’s difficult to keep an account of what you eat if you don’t know what’s going into the food.”
The biggest obstacle in losing weight is setting unrealistic goals, McTiernan said.
“If you weigh 250 pounds, you won’t get down to 125 overnight,” she said. “That might take a couple of years, or you might need medical help. The good news is that you get major health benefits by just reducing by 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight.”
Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said food journaling can be difficult because it forces dieters to “confront everything in real time.”
“Taking this action can be extremely helpful though, so it’s worth it, but it means letting go of some of the spontaneity about eating,” he said.
Because of this, people make more informed choices.
“There’s no ‘I’ll deal with it later’ thing,” said Ayoob. “When you write it down now, you have to think about it now, and that means you think about whether you really want it or need it.”
“There’s a tendency to eat more than you would if you were eating at your desk, perhaps because it can be seen as a treat,” said Ayoob. “Unfortunately, people often fail to compensate for such treat occasions, so it results in weight gain.”
Nevertheless, most experts said that the study offers confirmation, not necessarily new information, on the need for accountability while trying to lose weight.
Self-monitoring is a long-established mainstay of cognitive behavioral therapy, and the evidence has long been clear that it improves outcomes, said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Center.
“This study merely observed association between such behaviors and the outcomes, so does not prove cause and effect,” Katz said. “Perhaps those people who kept the best journals are just the most meticulous people and adhere the best to any program.
“If so, it is character, rather than behavior, that is the real cause for the better outcome,” said Katz.
For those interested in keeping a food journal, researchers gave the following tips to study participants:
o Be honest – record everything you eat
o Be accurate – measure portions, read labels
o Be complete – include details such as how the food was prepared, and the addition of any toppings or condiments
o Be consistent – always carry your food diary with you or use a diet-tracking application on your smart phone
References
- ^ Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (www.adajournal.org)
- ^ Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (www.fhcrc.org)
- ^ losing weight (abcnews.go.com)
Resources:
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Easy Tips for Weight Loss: New Study : FIT magazine
Women who want to lose weight should faithfully keep a food journal, and avoid skipping meals and eating in restaurants especially at lunch suggests new research from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. http://www.abqjournalfit.com/blog/2012/07/13/easy-tips-for-weight-loss-new-study/
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What Are Some Weight Loss Tips And Ways To Appear Thinner? I am a teenager with a problem and I need help so please help me… I’m  desperate. I have Lupus and when it flares up I have to take prednisone which causes weight gain. I want a higher self esteem. Please, can someone give me some weight loss tips like high calorie burning excersices, health food, some sort of plan and also tips to appear thinner. Thanks!
There are some good tips listed in the answers, here are a few more. Recent studies have shown that having eggs for breakfast will increase energy during the day and act as a natural weight suppressant. Have listed an article on using eggs as a weight loss food. Tracking your daily food intake and daily exercise will help a lot in determining how much you are really eating and working off each day. Have also noted a article that list a few easy ways to work exercise into your routine.
What Are Some Good Work Out Routines And Weight Loss Tips For A 16 Year Old Male? I’m a 16 year old male and I am about 6foot 2 and weight around 185-190lbs. I was wondering what a good work out routine I can start and any good weight loss tips?
Just get into the habit of swimming every day or two and stick to it.
Also for a normal (non drastic) diet that works you might want to see:
http://www.bestinternetfind.solutionsarticles.com/Lose-Weight?id=xh8q
Does Anyone Know Any Good Weight Loss Tips? I’ve been struggling for the past few months to drop the last few pounds I need to fit in my cheer uniform from last year. Does anybody know any good, fast, sufficient weight loss tips that can help me drop 10-15 pounds by at least January? Please help!
The best advice I could ever give you is losing weight takes time. If you’ve tried and failed many times (which is what I am going through), you have to start slowly. Maybe start cutting out bad things in your diet little by little. You can’t expect to go from eating sugary processed foods and not exercising much to extreme healthy eating and exercising 7 days a week in one day, or even one week. You have to learn to control yourself and that means start small and keep everything under control. Another VERY important thing to remember is to NEVER EVER EVER give up! No matter if you go a whole week eating junk foods and not exercising, that does not mean you have to give up and never reach your goals. Just think, well, next week I’ll do better and get back on track. You have to believe you can do it. You have to want it for yourself and no one else.
Exercise at least 5 times per week. I suggest strength training and cardio. Let’s say Monday you walk/run for 30 minutes, then Tuesday you would do push ups and sit ups and planks, and squats and then take a break Wednesday and start back up on Thursday.
As far as your eating you really need to watch what you eat! That is the most important step. Portion control is important. If you normally get a big dinner, then cut the amount of food you get in half and that will help a lot. Another way is to get your plate and only eat 3/4 of the food you have on your plate.
Eating healthy, lean meats, whole grain breads, and staying away from sugary things and high calorie foods. Always remember that cutting out something bad with something healthy really makes a difference. Drinking sodas and eating candy bars is empty calories. If you replace those things with a whole grain waffle or one small piece of dark chocolate it will really help.
What Is Are Some Of Your Favorite Weight Loss Tips? What are some of your most succesfull weight loss tips?? I have my few that I live by, but I am looking for some tips on cutting down. Please only share different/ unique tips.
I know about all the common ones…. lots of water lots of rest six small meals etc.
thank you so much in advance!
Hi CollegeGirl
In my opinion, no weight loss tips are truly successful on their own. Lots of water is not necessarily a good way, because how much water a person needs depends on the BMI of the person. 6 small meals maybe hard at times, especially when you are stuck at school or office and have no chance to eat, and then you need to eat more when you have the chance. Well, dieting is a good way to lose weight, but then it is hard to stick to a diet. For example, something like this:
Breakfast:
2 egg, low fat Cheddar cheese omelette – 320 calories
2 slices wholemeal toast with thin smear butter – 200 calories
Large slice melon – 47 calories
Lunch:
Spicy Turkey Salad recipe – 304 calories
Snack:
Muesli or honey nut Health Bar “Sainsbury” – 180 calories
Dinner:
Baked potato with 100g “Heinz” baked beans &/or Cottage cheese if desired – 300 – 400 calories (350 average)
Large helping salad fruits &/or vegetables – 100 calories
Another weight loss tip is to do interval and turbulence exercise.
Turbulence Training is a fresh plan that requires finishing three 45-minute exercise sessions each week with marginal equipment. It is an increasingly trend-setting fitness plan with the intention of helping you in the reduction of weight.
Interval training is the fitness world’s equivalent of a visit to the in-laws. The shorter and more intense the visit, the better. An interval is a short period of exercise performed at a given intensity for a specific length of time. Each interval is separated from the next interval by a short rest or lighter activity. There are no strict rules on how long or how intense the interval must be, however, changing the interval length or intensity changes the way your body works and responds to exercise.
But people have a short willpower. It may be strong at the beginning but will eventually fade as time goes on- as they realize that going on a diet is not actually as easy as they think it is. Of course, the strength of willpower differs from one person to another. This is the reason why there are people who can actually maintain a diet and exercise program for 1 year and there are people who can only maintain it for few months. Nonetheless, willpower is a big factor that dictates someone whether to continue losing weight or not.
And in my opinion, besides sticking to a diet and exercise plan, it is the ultimate willpower to stop yourself from overeating that is the #1 tip to lose weight. But that is the hardest part if you are accustomed to eating lots of food even though your body does not need it. It is partly because of the delicious taste of the food causing a craving for more. There are certain ways to fight this craving ad I found one that maybe helpful. It is a type of chocolate that can actually suppress your appetite. It will can provide Good Energy that promotes a healthy weight by providing energy while burning fat. And it helps suppress cravings for sugary snacks.
Good luck!
PS: Information on the Special Chocolate that I mentioned can be found on the website in the source box. Recently, they are giving away a one month free trial.
What Websites Have Good Weight Loss Tips? Does anyone know of any websites that have helpful (and free!!) weight loss tips?
Try this AWESOME diet program — “Spark People”. It’s a FREE website (www.sparkpeople.com) that actually works!! It’s SOOO helpful in losing weight, finding exercises, and tracking your progress! It is run by nutritionists, and it encourages a healthy/balanced diet (no fads!). You can track food eaten, read articles about nutrition, exercise, and motivation, talk to experts, receive motivation from other dieters, look up exercises that will work for you, and SO much more! I belong to it and LOVE it!!!! Please check it out – you won’t be disappointed!!!!
If you join, please state that I (matcm81) referred you. Thanks and GOOD LUCK!!