JJ Virgin explains why tracking food matters for weight loss. A 12-month study found that people who logged meals almost daily lost an average of 10 pounds, while inconsistent trackers saw fluctuating results. Consistency is what makes the difference.
I just started working with a new client, and the first thing that I had this client do before anything else, I said, all I want you to do is track. I don't want you to do anything, no instructions, just start tracking. I know that just tracking changes the game. There was a fascinating study in the Diabetes Prevention Program that discovered this over a 12-month period. Participants were split into 3 groups based on how often they logged their food. There were the rare trackers, there were the inconsistent trackers, and then there were the consistent trackers. Now here's the deal. Only those who were consistently tracking their meals and doing so more so on like two-thirds of the day, which I'd say consistent to me is every day. But those are the only people that saw significant weight loss. They averaged 10 pounds consistently over the year versus the rare and the inconsistent trackers had this roller coaster experience. The big message here is for consistent and long-term weight loss, regular food tracking isn't just helpful, it's crucial.
