Recent research results have revealed some important information about weight loss and how to maintain it. It has now been shown that people who are working to lose weight, such as medical weight loss patients, who keep a weight loss food diary are the most successful with weight loss overall.

The studies showed that the more detailed records that were kept, the better the results for the weight loss patients were. This study was of particular note because nearly half the participants (44 percent) were composed of a group with a pre-destination towards heart disease and diabetes, both common potential causes of excess weight.

While food journals alone cannot make a patients lose weight, they can do something that is essential to weight loss: make patients aware. Many people are simply not aware of the actual amount of food they eat each day, and many have no idea of the real reasons they are gaining weight rather than losing it. A food journal makes it very simple to see where a medical weight loss patient, or any person trying to lose weight, may be going wrong.

Keeping a food diary can work extremely well for weight loss, especially when it is combined with a strong support system from a doctor, medical weight loss center, and a patient commitment to lose those extra pounds in a healthy and smart way.