By Ron Subs

Diets like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem offer a diet and fitness diary with their plan. Before you throw it away with the packaging, you might want to take it out and try using it for awhile. These journals are great tools for your weight loss success.

Another reason to record your food choices for the day is to keep track of how much you are eating. Without notes about the amounts of food you are taking in each day, you might tend to overeat or eat too little regularly. You might realize that you are doing it once in awhile, but the diet diary will show you if there is a pattern.

You will also want to know when you eat your foods. If you write down when you have your Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers meals and snacks every day, you will regulate your eating better. The diet plans work best if you eat small meals and snacks throughout the day. You might tend to eat most of your foods in the mornings or save up and eat all your foods late in the day. If you record the times, you will be more apt to stay on schedule.

2. Record your exercise. The healthy diet plans encourage people to get active if they are medically able to do so. You can benefit from using a diary to record your progress. One way is to keep you on track to meeting your goals. Every time you swim an extra lap, you can write down your total. You will know when it is time to add another lap.