If you have been spending a significant amount of money on weight-loss techniques that somehow don’t seem to work, it may be time to consider something more simple: keep a food diary.

Nutritionists and doctors have advised dieters to do this for years, because it seems to work. A recent study has just confirmed that the technique does work.

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (August issue), researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that those who maintained food diaries (or journals or records) lost nearly two times more weight than those who did not keep a record.

The study involved researchers working in 4 clinical centers and 1,685 adults whose 212 pounds average weight made them technically overweight or obese.

The participants were given the chance to attend group meetings, once weekly for 20 weeks, and a target of losing 9 pounds or more over a six-month period. Nutritionists and behavior counselors helped participants prepare plans for reducing food consumption by 500 calories a day, eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising about 180 minutes per week, and keeping a record of daily food consumption and physical activity.

Some of the findings included:

* Persons who maintained their food records at least 6 days per week were able to shed 18 pounds on the average over the 6-month study period, whereas those who did not keep any diary lost only 9 pounds.

* Those who attended more of the weekly sessions and performed more exercise lost more weight. On the average, the participants exercised for about 117 minutes per week, although some participants logged 300 minutes (50 minutes a day for 6 days) of exercise per week.

* 7 of 10 participants shed at least 9 pounds. This was enough to achieve positive impact on blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and joint pains.

The technique appears to be quite powerful, and some of the reasons for that may be:

* Simplicity. Dieters only need pen and paper, though some may keep a digital record. The key thing is to write down every single calorie-containing item you eat or drink.

* Verifiability. You see a written record of things you consume, and the awareness may be enough to push you to reduce weight. You can use the record to adjust calorie consumption for each day and to estimate the amount of exercise needed to achieve a calorie-count target.

* Accountability. The technique works more effectively when you have your food record examined by a nutritionist, doctor, or someone you trust. This can make you avoid the temptation to eat more. The thought that you will see your excesses in the food diary may induce you to avoid eating the excess. In addition, clinicians who review the record can identify problem areas and suggest ways to work around them. When you know you are accountable for your food-consuming behavior, you tend to change behavior.

The study also found that those who kept detailed food diaries were able to continue keeping extra weight off. This illustrates the ultimate value of a food diary: it establishes a solid foundation for personal accountability.

Safety Tips:

* Get good references for calorie counts. It’s easy to count calories from labeled foods, but harder when you eat out. Take note of the serving sizes and check calories counts with online databases, e.g. CalorieKing.com.

* Join an organized program for weight-loss. You can also group with like-minded friends and resolve to help each other.