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July 27th, 2010
12:15 AM ET
The more you log, the more weight you keep offPrevious studies have shown that one of the keys to losing weight and keeping it off, is to keep a food diary and watch what you eat. There are plenty of tools on the Internet that make it easy to keep track of your diet and your weight, but the question is, do they help? According to a new study out of Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, the more people use these interactive weight management sites, the longer they keep their weight off. The study looked at 348 people using the same Internet weight management program. Participants were encouraged to log in at least once a week, receiving e-mail reminders and follow-up automated phone messages if they did not. On the website, participants recorded their weight, minutes of exercise, and the number of days they kept food diaries. The site also included an interactive bulletin board where participants could talk with one another and pose questions to nutrition and exercise experts. After a two-year period, 65 percent of the participants were still logging on to the website. Investigators found those who logged on the most and recorded their weight at least once a month, had kept their weight off, as opposed to those who did not use the site. "Keeping weight off is even more difficult than losing it in the first place, so the fact that so many people (in the study) were able to maintain a good portion of their weight loss is very encouraging to us" says Victor J. Stevens, Ph.D., study co-author and senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. If you're looking to lose some weight, study investigators say there are many useful weight management websites that people can access. They advise consumers to look for these elements when choosing a site. · Sites that encourage accountability by asking users to consistently record weight, exercise, and calories consumed "Consistency and accountability are essential in any weight maintenance program. The unique part of this intervention was that it was available on the Internet, whenever and wherever people wanted to use it," said study lead author Kristine L. Funk, M.S., R.D., a researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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"More you log, more weight off"
And just what is that headline supposed to mean? English is obviously not the first language of the headline writers on CNN.
Log means to enter or keep record of. So, the more you keep record of what you eat, the more weight you are likely to lose. I got it.
Ah, it's "Tonto English".
As are most headlines.
If laughing about your own ignorance of a fairly common english word makes you feel better about yourself, Russ, then go ahead.
The more you 'log', or the more you 'jog'?
From dictionary.com: to enter in a log; compile; amass; keep a record of: to log a day's events.
I've found that when I log my meals/calories, I do a much better job eating nutritionally and dropping weight. It's kind of a hassle–or should I call it a discipline? lol
I've started keeping a food journal of what I eat. I find myself feeling more guilty when I break into the junk food. I eat way healthier and exercise more when I keep track of it.
AGREEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it's really inconvenient to do!!!
I agree Renee, tracking my diet really opened my eyes to what I was really eating, and also helps me make better food choices. I had tried many fad diets with no success but when I started keeping a food diary I lost 2 pounds my first week and have lost 50 all together so far. It was actually a nutrition class that encouraged me to start tracking my diet to help. And my group started using OnTarget Nutrition as an assignment but I was getting reliable results so I stuck with it.
It's kind of a hassle initially, but most people eat a lot of the same things in rotation – so once you build up your "library" of dishes in nutrition logs it becomes easier to continue doing on a regular basis.
Keeping a log is a pain, but I found it did help. Mostly because I wouldn't eat junk because I was too lazy to figure out the fat grams, sugar, calories, etc and then have to log it.
Logging food is really a pain I agree. I tried so many times to write down or online what I eat but I quit after 4-5 days.
My daughter discovered something called HelloFood.com. She can call in and say what she ate and somehow it appears in her food diary. According to her, it works very nicely. The problem right now is she stopped eating my cooking... 🙂
It's true. I've lost over 100 pounds using an online calorie counter (fatsecret.com) and plan to keep using it it maintain the loss. The calorie counting tools keep you honest with yourself and online weight loss buddies are very supportive and keep you accountable. It works!
I, too, have been keeping an online food and exercise diary (with fatsecret.com) and I have lost 27 pounds, while still eating enough to feel full and not giving up everything I enjoy. It is sometimes a hassle, but I find as I watch the running total of calories per day I plan more what to eat in my mind and choose healthier foods and snacks. It has been a simple, inexpensive and easy way from home to lose weight. I feel the health benefits already!
I am actually writing a chapter in my book on why you should NOT write down what you eat; but rather already have a customized diet printed out and posted on your fridge as a pre-determined plan of attact to give you the best chance possible at consistent fat loss.
After all, it doesn't do you much good to write down what you eat AFTER you have already eaten it.
http://www.theOMEP.com
What's the difference between writing it down before or after as long as you use the log to determine how many calories you consume during the day? Keeping a log allows me to plan meals in the future. Many of us have lifestyles that don't allow us to easilly predict where we will be eating breakfast, lunch or dinner. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with creating preset menus for yourself, but it doesnt make calorie control any easier.
Nonsense.
I'm using livestrong.com's My Plate option to log what I eat as I eat it. Because the site tracks how many calories I've eaten and my calorie goal, I automatically tailor what I eat to how many calories I have left. Eating plans with preset menus do NOT work for me in the real world where I'm only responsible for cooking 4 nights a week (we share meals with family), and where I don't have a typical sleep schedule.
Assuming that writing things down after the fact will have no impact on what is eaten next ignores common sense.
I've found My Plate the most manageable way to stay accountable on my weight. And because the database has such detail and so many of the foods I eat regularly (such as almost every food Trader Joes and Costco sell), it makes tracking super easy, even on days when my plan for meals changes. Since June 4, I've tracked every day I had access to a computer, and have only gone over my calorie goal three times, and two of them were by less than 100 calories. I've lost weight. So clearly it does good. The one time I went farther over? I wasn't even up to "maintenance level" of calorie intake. I'd call that a good thing.
I haven't been going hungry, either.
That's good in theory, but getting to the store to stock for a preplanned diet is more labor intensive for me than keeping a log. I know it's a mental thing, but that is what I have learned. I have done well on Nutra System in the past, but it is way to expensive to stay on permanently and it does nothing to change your habbits.
@otto
You shouldn't be counting kcals in the first place.
Kcal counting is awful for 2 reasons:
1) When you count kcals it takes the "food" out of the equation and focus on , well, the amount of calories.
In the eyes of a calorie counter 300 kcals of icecream is exactly the same as a plate of grilled salmon and veggies.
2) Counting kcals is the first step to an eating disorder.
@jenrose
As mentioned above counting kcals is a never good. Remember, in the eyes of a kcal counter 300 kcals of icecream is the same as 300 kcals of salmon and salad w/ avocado.
I would suggest avoiding kcal counting but rather measure/weight portion size.
Sounds like you are on a cookie cutter diet that takes no reguard for your somatotype or body composition levels. Expect minimal ( if any ) effective results.
@Mike
LOL sounds like it hasn't worked so well afterall.
I suggest you, otto and jenrose all read this article I wrote:
http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/diet_and_nutrition/food_addictions_the_last_stand
Sunday: Triple Greaseball Burger with extra bacon bits on the side
French Fries smothered in gravy and pickles
3 Banana Splits with five hershey bars melted on top
See? I logged my meal but Im still as big as a beached whale. What gives?
I keep a food journal in order to maintain my current weight, since I have a tendency to skip meals and/or not prepare balanced meals. I also have used a food journal to cut down on the amount of caffeine I was drinking. I strongly would recommend keeping a food journal for everyone.
Can the editors of CNN Health please provide us with the citation to the original study or links to it? or links to the websites referenced in the article? I know we can find the aforementioned by googling, but why do we all need to reinvent the wheel multiple times?
Otherwise great reporting. Keep up the good work.
What is this?! Demanding source material from CNN?! Why should they be accountable for what they say?
Seriously...I wish more people would take the time to dig deeper into some news stories. It shows a great amount of discipline and maturity, in my opinion.
I agree completely! I was looking for a list of websites myself.
Unfortunately, I have found that writing down what I eat creates an unhealthy attitude about eating in general. I feel as tho food controls me instead of the other way around. I find myself thinking of food all day. Eating should be an enjoyable and satiable experience, not one racked with guilt. I don't have the answers, but I know what doesn't work for me.
Teresa,
Look at it this way. Writing down everything you spend money on is a great way to cut expenses. A food log is pretty much the same thing, you write down what you eat as a means of controlling calories. It is a way to put you in charge of the calories you consume, not the other way around. Good luck!
Is there a computer program that helps one to keep track of calories and grams of fat inorder to lose weight ?
go to livestrong.com. They have a section of their website called "myplate". Its a pretty decent way to track calorie intake and exercise calorie usage. If you don't lie to yourself when you fill out the food/exercise logs you're virtually guaranteed to lose weight. They also have iPhone and Blacberry apps you can use to track things (not sure if they have an Android app yet).
sparkpeople.com is another source that not only tracks calories and fat, but also carbs, protein and 75 other nutrients...and it's FREE!
I usually log my food first thing in the morning, as I tend to plan my meals, especially during the week. It makes life a LOT more simple that way and it helps me stay disciplined.
I LOVE myfitnesspal.com. It's much better than livestrong or sparkpeople, and it's also totally free. Huge database of foods, plus they have a great iphone app that syncs with their site so you can log from anywhere. It's just really easy to use which is why I like it. If the site is hard to use, you won't stick with it, so making it easy to log is really important. Good luck to you!
If you are actually looking for a software program, Weight By Date Pro is pretty good. It has a lot of functionailty, but the advantage of online sites is that their food database stays more up to date.
They even have great apps for your iPhone that make logging even easier. I think keeping track is a great way of cutting out all the horrible things from your diet. It makes you feel quilty when you log them.
@Gerald Woolston – I'm currently using "myfitnesspal.com" for their free food & exercise diary. It sets your daily calorie goal based on the amount of weight your want to lose & your BMR (basal metabolic rate). I find it very helpful – even with my ultimate goal of losing 100 lbs, it turns out that I need to eat MORE, not less to get my metabolism going. 5 weeks in, I've lost 10lbs.
@WetWolf – some people write it down after to obtain a better understanding of what they actually consume in a day. Personally, I fill mine out the day before to help keep me on track.
@ C
True, but then again most, not some, people have failed when it comes to their eating pattern.
Like I said before, writing it down after the fact defeats the entire purpose.
I use the USDA's MyPyramid tracker (your tax dollars at work!). I've been using it for over a year. I credit it as one of the tools that helped me get down to my goal weight and lose 60 lbs in the process.
I am following Weight Watchers where this is the core focus. You have to be honest and accountable to yourself for this to work. Even if you ate that heavy desert. " Write it before you bite it"
You do not realize how much you are eating, and your nutritional choices. And keeps you from picking at foods between meals as you know you need to log it.
I found a great program for the iphone/ipod touch called lose it. Unfortunately for me stress and sugar trigger binge eating and going over my calorie budget stress me out... I find that I'm better off planning my food for the day and carrying it around with me if I need to. That way I'm never stuck in the middle of a blood sugar crash with a vending machine as my only options. I find that if I make my food decisions when I'm not hungry I do better. Also I never have to stress out about what I'm going to eat and when because I already know.
Inspiring story....I would log.....its just that the damn twinkie cream keeps smearing the keyboard
I use the food and exercise trackers on http://www.sparkpeople.com, and it's been a Godsend. Been able to stay on track a lot more and make sure I have the right balance of nutrients.
56 pounds gone so far, so I'm not going to complain!
I use SparkPeople too and love it! I found that it has all the information and tools I need to help me develop a healthier life style. I've used this site before and when I log what I eat, I lose weight. When I don't, I gain it back. It's worth the effort.
Love SparkPeople!
I love SparkPeople too! I have lost 30 lbs over the past year and have kept it off because of the amazing tools and support offered from this site. I love that it's not a "program" like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, but then I have to face the consequences of those choices when I go to log my food and find out that I doubled my allotted calories for the day. Eeek. Once you add a lot of the foods that you eat regularly into the "favorites" section, tracking becomes really quick. And you can even track the calories you burned from exercising and see an (estimated) chart of your total calorie differential for the week. It has been my saving grace and I have recommended it to all of my friends and family who are struggling to lose weight!
I definitely recommend HelloFood.
I am always running around and cannot be bother with carrying my notebook with me. Instead, I text HelloFood and it logs everything for me. I love. it.
Hell, the rare times that I exercise I log it as well.
After trying all online diaries possible, I used http://www.hellofood.com – and lost my last 10 after pregnancy pounds and 8 more! You can text to log your food and exercise diary and even ask for advice. I found that it was actually FUN to use (who would have thought?)
Logging will keep you in great shape, too, and it pays well. But it's a dangerous way to make a living.
I attend Overeaters Anonymous. I pick a sponsor and email the sponsor my food plan for the day...it keeps me honest...and I don't vary from it. I also gave up the idea that I can use food for enjoyment. It is my addiction, I don't use it as a reward or focus on food any longer. Food is only for fuel now. connect with http://www.oa.org to find help in your area...I can't recommend it too highly....btw, members pick their own food plan to follow....
I meant to write I can't recommend it highly enough 🙂
I DONT NEED TO LOG – OKAY! I ALREADY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FIGURE.
I just wright it down in a notebook. For the people saying "what good is it to know what you ate?", you will see that just doing a protien shake, yogurt, black coffee and a serving of juice will put you up to almost 500 calories by 10:00AM. That's 1/4 +/- of your daily intake just for breakfast.
I do 5-6 meals at around 250-300 calories per meal, which keeps me at 1800 cals or less per day. I have dropped 50lbs of fat, put on 20 lbs of muscle...and kept it off for 3 years. So it does work....
I have been using TheCarrot.com. At first I thought it didn't make any difference, but then I found that I was paying more attention to what I am actually eating in terms of my target calories and fiber per day. Strange thing is that when I think about what I eat now compared to a year ago I'm actually eating better and have lost 12 lbs in the process.
I have been using SparkPeople and it is a great help. You can track your good online, and also through an iPhone app. I have been struggling with losing weight for years, and this is the most helpful tool I have ever used. I have lost 13 lbs in about a month and a half.
Meant to say: you can track your food online!
If you consider the results of the study, it is very possible that it is not that accurate. For example, it is very possible that people who gain weight are less likely to log the results. For example, because of embarassment. If this was the case, it is very likely that logging the results have nothing to do with keeping it off.
When I was not tracking, I was gaining. When I track, I lose. It's just that simple.
I love livestrong.com it has a great tool called "the daily plate." I am much more aware of what I eat now because I have to log it every day.
I fully agree, there is so much enthuiasm among people trying to lose weight, the best part is that they find like minded people to share their thoughts and help you remain inspired. Personally I really like to hang out at http://www.webmd.com/diet/ and http://www.weightism.org/ forum. For me blogs are a great place to find inspiration to start the weight loss and forums provide a real interaction.
There are also some awesome weight loss trackers like medhelp.org where one it provides an interactive calendar and charts BMI and weight.
We have a free log available on our website that will help you track calories, exercise and some medical stats as well. Also included are free recipes. Visit http://www.fullbar.com/smallsteps
OR, the more you get away from the computer and busy EXERCISING, the more weight you keep off. Just a thought.
I also use SPARKPEOPLE.COM
It is the most comprehensive website for living a healthy lifestyle. It's FREE!!!!
I have lost 30 lbs as of May and maintained that loss for the past two months. I log my fitness and nutrition regularly (at least 5 days a week.....yeah, weekends are sometimes optional!) Based on your current weight, what you want to lose and in what time frame, it calculates a range of calories and all other nurtrients for you as a guideline. It is AWESOME!!!
did I mention...it's FREE!!!
oh yeah....SPARKPEOPLE also has iphone app, blackberry & android app – I use them regularly also!
and it also has a recipe website that will calculate recipe nutrition for you!
Check out http://www.anytimehealth.com
It has nutrition tracking, healthy recipes, activity tracking/calorie counting, exercise videos & workout planners, Q&A forums, support groups, etc. It is available to anyone, but the best part is if you are a member of an Anytime Fitness gym, it is included with your membership, so you get a great place to workout and all the support tools to help you, too! Plus, Anytime Fitness has over 1,300 locations, according to the website, with full access to all locations, and they are 24/7... I love my gym!
Agreed – Anytime Health rocks! The food tracker is almost addicting, and when you combine that with an activity tracker, plus all the social networking aspects, it works great for me. And they seem to be continually working to make it even better. Check it out!
i lost 25 pounds by, get this... eating less. yep thats it. didn't eat healthier, didn't exercise more. i ate the exact same junk i ate before.. just less of it. weight is a simple formula. intake vs. output.
all these mental "tricks" are just that. and there are so many flaws in the design of this "study" (and i use that term loosely) that it is useless.
yeah, yeah.... I have heard about this log what you eat and one day you wake up and the weight is gone. It doesn't make sense to me at, Also, lets say I am in a restaurant, how am I going to remember what I ate ore how much I drank when I get home? I think this is just not practical.
And no, I dont have iphone etc...
Hi Skeptic,
I log my foods and exercises with sms messages. I text right after I eat and forget about it. When I have some time I log into my account and see all the food (sometimes a sad image) and reports. its called hello food – you might find it a bit more practical.
SPARKPEOPLE.COM! It is free!
Sparkpeople.com being a weight loss and diet website where you can have your own personal page with pictures and blogs. It is wonderful!
SKINNYR.COM <– Free weight graph ftw. 😉
I was keeping a log trying to gain weight, didn't help much. It wasn't until I upped my calorie intake to 5000+ per day that I put on 10 lbs in 3 months. At 5'10" I'm now 150lbs, only 15 more until I will be happy 🙂
Want a competition weight loss aspect as well??? Visit: http://www.weightlosswars.com. It's the only competition weight loss website that does more than just help members log, it's a competition weight loss website just search for "weight loss wars" or "weight loss competition" and you'll see us at the top. It's an incredibly valuable site because you can create your own biggest loser competition and invite your friends/ family/ coworkers, or even strangers you meet on the site. You get to compete against them with graphs and leader boards, and support, accountability, smack talk or whatever you're looking for 🙂
You can also purchase a web scale like the bodytrace escale, and it logs your weight for you!
The article mentioned to seek a site that asks for: weight, exercise, and calories consumed. It's also important to add to this list a users activity level, since that will influence the number of calories required for that person to maintain or lose weight. There are many mobile applications available to track calories. However, tracking calories is not the end game. It is important to understand the value of a calorie. 200 calories worth of a fried chicken is not equivalent to 200 calories of a grilled chicken breast. It's not just how much you eat (quantity), but what you eat (quality)...as well. Check out http://www.intelli-Diet.com
my girlfriend loves to attend fitness gyms because she likes to stay in shape always~,;
i frequently visit fitness gyms because i always want to keep my muscles in top shape "
Great list, very interesting especially the one on the Manifesto which sparked something. Thanks for the good advices.jordan 4 military 2006