Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D Responds:

Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, researcher, scientist, and author of the best-selling Strong Women book series, responds: Research shows that recording your efforts may help you achieve your weight-loss goals by keeping you motivated through ongoing accomplishments. And tracking your progress may help you maintain your weight loss long-term, too. 

Getting started can be the easiest part for many people. At the beginning, you're motivated by a new eating and exercise plan, and it's not uncommon to see some weight loss in those first weeks. However, as time passes, the amount of weight you're losing each week may decline, and it's really easy to feel discouraged. Keeping a log builds awareness of what you're eating and how many minutes each day you're exercising. This can help to remind you of the goals you've met and the ones you're still working toward. Also, even after you reach your weight goal, your log is a handy reminder of what you may need to do to maintain the loss.