Good Lifestyle

Even if you think you're eating clean, exercising regularly, and limiting your cheat days, a plan may slip if the number on the scale does not move. Chalk up the old adage, mind over matter - meaning, in order to reap the results, we must become more in tune with our thoughts, choices and habits.

Fortunately, there is an easy, backed by science to do exactly that: a food diary.

In a study ofAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine, Researchers found that among 1,700 people, those who wrote in their daily journal lost twice the weight as those who did not. In addition, a 2012 study in theJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that of 439 women who scribbled in their journals have lost about 13 percent of their body weight from while non-journalers lost only 8 percent.

If logging on the reg seems daunting, do not write off immediately! Sarah-Jane Bedwell, RD, LDN, a nutritionist and author ofSkinny Me Time, A few tips to help you crush the entries. "Keep a food diary for a few days without changing your eating habits and start trying to eat clean and keep a diary doing that for a few days," she advises. "Instead of focusing on the number of calories on those days, just write down what you eat and notes on how you feel each day. You may notice a big difference in things like the energy level and mood when you start eating clean. »

In fact, dieters who keep journals are more aware of what influences their food choices, how much they are actually eating, and how they feel after meals. Not to mention, after reviewing your choices each day can help keep you accountable to add cheese to the burger at lunch or grab a Snickers bar between meals. Need motivation to rid the block of the writer and start? Check these50 Inspirational Quotes success that Energize your day.