Self-Monitoring Can Be Key for Better Weight Control

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Weight loss studies suggest the frequency of self-monitoring is a crucial factor when trying to achieve successful long-term weight loss results. For the most part, daily attention to details seems to encourage better decisions for eating and exercising. It is important to be aware of all the available options for self-monitoring and to keep track of results regularly to achieve long-term success with your menu plan.

Traditional tracking involved paper diaries to record what you consumed each day but more recently electronic-based tracking devices are being used to self-monitor weight loss with regular self-weighing and the recording of daily physical activities. Researchers used numerous methods to compare study participant’s weight loss results from traditional paper diaries to tracking with electronic devices but found no significant difference between the two groups.

How Tracking Produces Better Results

Self-monitoring your dietary intake and accurately reporting your physical activities can help you make timely adjustments to your overall plans for living healthy. Listed below are four benefits of tracking your food, weight and daily exercise:

1) Holds You Accountable for Decisions – Self-monitoring of your dietary intake and exercise regimen has been shown to produce greater adherence to your program with less decline during weight management.

2) Helps You Balance Energy Intake – Focusing on consuming a healthy diet and getting regular physical activity consistently can help you balance your energy intake to lose weight and maintain muscle mass.

3) Measures Actionable Goals – Self-monitoring your weight loss plan can help you identify eating patterns, create a healthier dietary baseline, and measure your progress for needed behavioral changes.

4) Gives You Better Options – Using a checklist for self-monitoring your weight loss plan can help you stay focused on the tasks at hand and provide you with healthy options for staying on track.

Celebrate Your Milestones with Metabolic Research Center

When reviewing data for dietary intake, it is important to recognize that accuracy is easily influenced by a multitude of factors, including the type and portion size of the food and beverages you consumed. When selecting the self-monitoring technology to measure your daily physical activity, one of the most important factors to consider is the type of exercise that you intend to track. Mostly, you will need to provide additional input as instructed. Although the importance of accuracy and completeness in obtaining information about your dietary intake and physical activity cannot be over-emphasized, researchers say partial self-monitoring produces better outcomes than none at all.

Establishing the right attitude and staying motivated are two areas where Metabolic Research Center's weight loss program can help. Nothing beats a cheering section to help you stay on track as well as to celebrate your milestones.