Write THIS down!

If you don't understand why you struggle to lose weight, keep a food journal. Several studies demonstrate the benefits of writing down specifics. In fact, Kaiser Permanente found this was the BEST indicator of whether someone would lose weight.

It can help identify:

- how often you're eating. (Did you know that skipping meals lowers metabolism?)

- how much you're eating. (Even pros can underestimate quantity!)

- what you're eating. (Did you know each mindless nibble is about 25 calories?)

- patterns. (For example, making slight adjustments to meal times could curb excess snacking or prevent overeating. Or, identifying stress or boredom eating may break your weight gain or maintenance rut.)

For more info, check out:

- WebMD's Food Journal: Write It Down, Shed More Pounds

- Good Housekeeping's Keep a Food Diary to Lose Weight (You can close the ads as soon as they start... The article's points were too good to pass by!)

Interested in journaling? Check out:

- Handwritten or Off-line

* Livestrong's How to Make a Printable Food Diary

* Cleveland Clinic Food Diary

- Free Online Tracking (registration required)

* Choose My Plate's SuperTracker

* WebMD's Food & Fitness Planner

* SparkPeople's Tools

There's also many smart phone apps (some free) dedicated to this purpose.