Lose Pounds with Pen and Ink

Bet you never knew that a pen could be your best weight loss tool.

It's true. In one of the largest and longest weight loss maintenance trials ever conducted, the more food records that dieters kept, the more weight they lost.

Scribble for Success
Simply jotting down what you eat seems like an easy price to pay for fewer pounds. The people in the study also followed the DASH diet, attended weekly group sessions, and exercised for at least 30 minutes a day. After 6 months, the people who had also kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who did not keep track -- probably because the food journals encouraged people to reflect on what -- and how much -- they'd eaten.

Crushing Your Urge to Splurge
In addition to keeping a food journal, give these other resist-temptation tricks a try:

• Balance your plate with lean protein, high-fiber carbs, and healthy fats. Here's how it helps you stay satisfied.
• Follow these four simple breakfast rules to curb late-day munchies.
• Try a quarter cup of this low-calorie, appetite-suppressing smoothie.
• Watch this video to find out how eating more can help you lose weight.

Check out more ways to rein in your appetite.

Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the weight-loss maintenance trial. Hollis, J. F. et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2008 Aug;35(2):118-126.