You hate tracking your meals, right? It’s a hassle. You don’t want to carry a food scale around with you. You eat out frequently. You make your meals from scratch. Those are all excuses or reasons for not tracking your food. But if you want to see change, using a food journal for weight loss or gain, is the one easy thing that you must do. And yes, it really is easier than you think.

Why it matters

We've all heard the adage, “What gets measured gets done”. Often, we blindly consume foods and especially drinks without noticing the cumulative effect they have on our daily intake. Most people underestimate how much they eat and overestimate how many of those foods are healthy choices.

When you begin tracking your food, you start to notice immediately that your rate of consumption doesn't match what you had in your head. It also acts as a checkpoint. Often, you'll think twice about eating something that doesn't serve you if you know that you have to write it down in a log. Things like grabbing a latte because you happen to be walking by a coffee shop, add up quickly and you’re much less likely to do it when you’re actively tracking your food.

Does food tracking help lose weight?

In a recent food diary weight loss study, just over 200 overweight and obese primary care patients in the Los Angeles area were randomly assigned by their doctors to either use the MyFitnessPal app or get regular care. Six months later, the researchers checked back in to see what progress was made.

They found that there was no difference between the two groups when it came to changes in weight and blood pressure levels. They did find that those who used the app more frequently, tended to lose more weight, but they weren’t sure if it was because of the app or simply because they were more motivated individuals.

Another study was done on February 28, 2019, at Duke University, tracked 3 groups of people.

• Group 1 – Tracked just their daily food
• Group 2 – Tracked their food and weight
• Group 3 – Tracked both food and weight, and were also given advice and coaching.

In the end, those who were most diligent in tracking each day lost the most weight in all groups. Past studies have shown people to have great intentions of tracking their meals, but they don’t follow through with the tracking long-term.

What gets measured, really does get done

Whether it’s because you’re more conscious of what you consume, or you are focused on making good choices, tracking your consumption daily really does lead to positive changes in your body composition. 

It's not enough to do it for a little while just to get the hang of it and then stick to what you believe is the same plan but without the tracking. You’ll steadily creep away from your desired plan without really noticing. If you are focused on success and aiming for the top of your game, it's something that needs to become part of your daily routine. Much like we write in our calendars or on a to-do list, your food diary requires daily entries.

There are plenty of apps and methods catered to your style. Most do similar things. The best one to use is the one that you will use!

Get in the habit of tracking every day. Do it for 66 days straight and it will become automatic and easy. This is one of the biggest indicators for success for my clients and something I love to coach them through. If you’re struggling with it, please schedule a coaching call with me and I’ll show you how easy it can be!