Think keeping track of what you eat is a chore?  Think again.

If you’ve ever been asked to write down everything you eat, you may have thought, “what a chore!”  However, recent research shows that keeping a dietary record may not be as difficult as you think.

It’s well known that one of the best predictors of weight loss is being mindful of what we actually eat each day, and recording calorie and fat intake is a major player in success.  When initially tasked with dietary self-monitoring, it’s easy to become overwhelmed thinking that the process is time-consuming and unpleasant.  However, successful participants in a recent study spent a mere 14.6 minutes per day recording their intake.  The study was conducted by both the University of Vermont and our very own local University of South Carolina!

As you become comfortable and an expert at recording your daily intake, the amount of time you spend recording actually decreases.  There are many online tools and apps that make this task easy.  However, old-fashioned paper and pen work just as well!

If you’re looking to give your weight loss efforts a boost or feel that your success efforts may seem in a temporary slump, we urge you to record what you eat throughout the day.  The best practice is to “write as you bite” rather than waiting until the end of the day to do so.  This task takes honesty with oneself to ensure that you make note of not only what you eat, but also how much.  The results can be quite revealing…and may be just what you need to get back on track!