One of the reasons it’s important to record what you eat if you have an eating problem is that it’s easy to lose track of the impact of the exceptions.

Each of us have our own plan and our own personal goals. Mine is that I don’t eat between meals and I don’t take seconds. But it’s amazing how easy it is to pretend that a mid-morning snack is actually a necessary meal.

I found an interesting story at MSNBC, Daily Weigh-In Key to Keeping Pounds Off. It’s a discussion of a study recently reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (no link provided.)

Here’s a quote — I think from NEJM but I got it at MSNBC:

“If you want to keep lost pounds off, daily weighing is critical,” said Dr. Rena R. Wing in a statement accompanying the study appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine this week.

“But stepping on a scale isn’t enough. You have to use that information to change your behavior, whether than means eating less or walking more. Paying attention to weight — and taking quick action if it creeps up — seems to be the secret to success,” noted Wing, who is director of the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital and professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School in Providence.

It’s an interesting story. There was a control group that simply weighed in everyday and got a quarterly newsletter. Then there was another group that participated in an Internet Support group. And a third group that met in live sessions at regular intervals getting actual rewards (like gum) for doing well.

And they found that the weigh in was essential and did help. But that taking action as a result of that feedback was the really important part.

What does my scale say? How am I doing? I think I need to cut back a little (and maybe walk just a little more) because I’m not losing weight at the rate I should if I want to lose 10 pounds by New Years Eve. So (Just Today) I’m writing everything I eat in a paper journal (which seems to make more of a difference than the electronic one.)

What action can you take today after you weigh in?