Losing weight after having a baby

A couple of years ago or more I wrote about the importance of keeping records for effective weight loss. Today, while reviewing this article, I accidentally deleted it from the website! So I’ve decided to update the original information and post it again. Keeping records is an important topic because it matters!

Rather than theorize or speculate as to which strategies are most beneficial with weight loss, there have been a number of studies that analyzed what has actually worked. Researchers have followed the weight loss and maintenance efforts of people who have successfully met their weight loss goals and kept the weight off.

Self-awareness has emerged as a common theme in effective weight loss success stories. This was determined to be true regardless of whether someone participated in a professionally led behavioral weight loss program, a do-it-yourself program, or a commercial weight loss program. The strategy most often mentioned for improving self-awareness is record keeping. There seem to be three key record keeping techniques.

Food Records/Food Diaries

Keeping food records or a food diary does take time and effort. I would agree with many others in saying that it can be tedious! But don’t get discouraged at the mere thought. Taking the time to complete a food record for at least 2-3 days and preferably longer really matters.

The majority of participants in the National Weight Control Registry say they kept some form of food records while dieting. This registry tracks more than 5,000 individuals who have succeeded with long-term weight loss. Many of these individuals have continued to keep some form of food record for maintenance.

In June of 2008, the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research released a study that measured the significance of keeping food records for dieters. The results were astonishing! Participants in the study who kept daily food diaries lost TWICE the weight or MORE compared with the individuals who did not keep records. (About 2/3 of the participants lost 9 pounds or so in 6 months. Those who kept a food diary lost as much as 20 pounds! To read more about this study see: Food Diaries are Best for Weight Loss Success )

If time constraints or motivation make keeping a food diary a difficult choice, just keep it simple. A basic food record will help. Keep track of what you eat, how much, and the calorie count for a minimum of 2-3 days. The extras that might be included with a food diary such as where you eat, the circumstances, your feelings, and more can be revealing but are not essential.

Pedometers

Keeping track of your physical activity can be surprisingly helpful. One of the easiest ways to do this is to wear a pedometer. Pedometers track the number of steps you take each day. Many research studies have demonstrated that individuals who wear pedometers are more likely to take additional steps each day than those not wearing a pedometer.

Health professionals recommend setting a goal to walk a minimum of 6,000 to 10,000 steps each day for better health. This translates to approximately 3 to 5 miles. A mile is the equivalent of about 2000 steps. By wearing a pedometer you get feedback on how you are doing and that seems to be motivating. Taking more steps by parking further away from your destination, taking stairs rather than escalators or elevators, or walking to the desk of an office co-worker rather than sending an email means more steps. More steps, burns more calories.

Tracking Body Weight

Something else common to those who have successfully lost weight is tracking body weight with daily weighing on a bathroom scale. I find this to be quite interesting because it goes counter to what I would recommend for a variety of reasons. For example, body weight fluctuates regularly with changes in water weight. That can be discouraging! It is one of the reasons I believe using a body fat monitor and weight scale can be more helpful than a standard weight scale. (See Body Fat Scales ) Either way, the research results speak for themselves. Evidently getting daily feedback helps people to stay on track.

If you are seeking effective weight loss strategies, record keeping may be something you want to try. The three forms of record keeping I’ve mentioned may greatly enhance your chances for weight loss success! Good luck.

Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food!

Maintenance weight loss

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