Captain’s log, star date 54342.1: today I ate salad

Keeping a food diary could be the trick to losing weight and keeping it off. ‘Hilarious’ Captain Kirk impression optional.

A recent US study found that logging a detailed account of what you eat and drink – and the calorific values – contributes to dieting success.

The study followed 1,685 middle-aged men and women for six months, while they aimed to eat a diet with less fat and more fruit, veg and wholegrains. Scientists found that those keeping a diet diary lost around twice as much weight as those who didn’t.

Food diaries are a staple part of most dieting clubs, but it’s just as easy to keep your own journal. The most important thing is being honest.

Victor Stevens of Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research in Portland told Yahoo! News:

“For those who are working on weight loss, just writing down everything you eat is a pretty powerful technique.

“It helps the participants see where the extra calories are coming from, and then develop more specific plans to deal with those situations.”

It also helps to keep dieters feeling accountable for their own consumption.