Scientists at four clinical research centers recruited 1,685 overweight or obese adults who weighed an average 212 pounds.

The participants were offered 20 weekly group sessions led by nutritionists and behavior counselors and encouraged to try to lose
at least 9 pounds in six months. They were told to consume about 500 fewer calories a day, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, do
about 180 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, and keep daily food and exercise records.

Dieters who kept their food diary six or more days a week lost an average of about 18 pounds in six months, compared with about 9 pounds for those who didn’t keep food diaries.

I encourage you to keep a log of exactly what you are eating on a daily basis for the first couple of weeks after starting a fat loss
program. It truly is eye opening for many people! However, it can become distracting after a while, especially when you are
on-the-go. Once you have a consistent menu mapped out, it is not as critical to continue to log everything. But if you find that it
makes you more accountable, then by all means, keep writing it down!

For a fat loss diet that includes an easy-to-use diary to track your food intake, check out my plan The Burrito Diet!