Photographic vs. Written Food Diaries

By Jamie Yu

Most people who engage in weight loss programs generally keep food diaries as a way of observing what they eat and monitoring the amount of calories they consume. They create reminders of what was eaten and also provide motivation and a give you a better idea of your progress, or in some cases, regression.

However, recently researchers have found that photographing your food before you eat could have a much bigger impact on your weight loss goals.

A study that was set up that asked 43 volunteers to record what they ate in a week with photos and with words. At the conclusion of the study, the volunteers were quizzed on their opinions of both written and photographed entries. It was discovered that photographs were far more effective overall as opposed to the written entries in a diary. It would appear that the photos provided a much more effective visual impact on any snack binges that occurred and also triggered a much clearer critical evaluation at the right time, which was before the food was eaten. The volunteers also reported that the photographs served as a great way to encourage them, to select healthy alternatives to the food they normally ate.

Many of the written food diaries were completed long after the meal(s) were consumed, so they did not have the same mental impact on that person, and in some cases was not accurate enough when recording quantity and quality of the food eaten. The volunteers in the study also stated that writing the diary was boring and laborious.

So to conclude, taking photographs of your meals may be considered to some as a bit on the extreme side however as a motivational tool and, more importantly, a great way to visually assess your eating habits and establish portion control. It could be worth trying as a way to help in your own weight loss goals.

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