I want to introduce you to one of the most powerful weight loss tools you'll ever discover. It only takes up five minutes of your day, but once you start using it, you'll find that your pounds and inches begin to melt away. This is something you can use anywhere: You don't need to be near a gym and you don't need any expensive exercise equipment, either. But it will help you reach your weight loss goals faster than any treadmill or elliptical ever can. Ready to find out what it is? I bet you won't expect it, but believe me, it works.
I use it with clients all the time and it gets them to start losing weight when everything else has failed.
Read more ¿Qué más?: Get a flat, sexy tummy by doing this EVERY night
Recently, I was with a client named Julia. She was frustrated because she was "doing everything right," but still not seeing the results she wanted. She went to the gym regularly and made sure to get her exercise in. She ate healthy most of the time, yet the weight refused to come off.
Those same frustrations she's feeling now, I felt years ago. I'd exercise and eat healthy, but the scale refused to budge. But then my personal trainer at the time told me about this secret method. He promised that if I just gave it a try, it would make a huge difference in my results.
So I did. And it did!
Suddenly, the weight started melting off. My clothes started getting looser. The scale started moving in the right direction. And I wasn't working any harder in the gym to get these results. The only difference is: I started using a food journal!
It's a notepad you use to record everything you eat and drink. It doesn't matter if it's a three-course meal or a handful of Doritos, if it goes in your mouth, you write it down. It may seem silly, but it works.
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine has proven it. In one of the largest weight loss studies ever conducted, they found that people who use food journals lose double the amount of fat! And there are several reasons that make it so effective:
First, it helps you pinpoint all the extra calories you're taking in without even realizing it. Like the sodas you drink "once in a while." Or that candy bar you "earned" after the gym. If you think you're eating right but still not losing weight, using a food journal will help you find out why.
Second, it holds you accountable. Besides recording food, you also use the food journal as a source of motivation. Write your goals in it every day. Whether you want to lose twenty pounds or fit back into a certain dress, whatever it is that motivates you, write it down. That way when you go about your day, you'll always have it on your mind.
Finally, it lets you know how food makes you feel. If you wake up feeling bloated, just check the food journal and see what you ate the night before. Then if this happens again the next time you eat that food, you'll know to cut it out of your diet.
A food journal is one of the most powerful fat loss tools on the planet. It doubles your fat loss and only takes five minutes per day, so there's no excuse not to use it! Give it a shot. Try it for a week. And let me know how much of a difference it makes for you.
This post was originally published on July 8, 2013.
Image via Thinkstock
