Food JournalDo you know the number one technique that assists in generating fat loss besides limiting caloric intake?  I discovered this little tip years ago, and have never looked back. As a matter of fact, I my 1 hour per week Fit Fast Program in Fitness Program Secrets relies heavily on tracking. Why? Because it works unbelievably well! I am speaking in term of using a weight loss journal, or even a workout journal.

If your main goal is fat loss, and you are not using a weight loss journal, you are making a big mistake! This is not just me speaking from my experiences, and expertise, but current research to back me up.

A recent study was conducted at the Kaiser Permanente Health Research Center to determine how effective weight loss journals really are on losing body fat.  They looked at 1700 overweight, but healthy individuals who wanted to lose body fat. The study lasted 6 month in which each participant was instructed to keep a daily record of how many calories they consumed.

After the 6 months had expired, the average weight loss of all 1700 participants totaled 13 pounds of fat. They also found that the more food records people kept, the more weight they lost. The individuals who didn’t record their food, and activity lost only 9 pounds compared to participants who recorded 6 plus entries per week’s for a 20 pound weight loss. Therefore, by keeping a consistent weight loss journal, you will lose twice as much weight as the people who don’t utilize one.

Why, you ask? Well, it is mainly because people who record their diet, and activity become more accountable to what they are doing. They pay closer attention to what they are putting into their mouths. This closer attention will  also get their minds to focus more on the result they are seeking.

Using a weight loss journal will help you determine where all the calories are adding up.  The fact is calories add up quicker than we realize. Once again, awareness propels you towards accomplishing you workout goals.

To help with food journal forms, and fitness tracking here are some free resources:

http://dailyburn.com/

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/7420.asp   list of online weight loss diaries you can use. (not just for women!)

I hope I have provided enough evidence to encourage you to begin a weight loss journal today. Please remember, journaling is not just for fat loss, but workouts also. Tracking your fitness program will also drastically improve your results.