Does blogging help you Lose Weight?

In short, yes, it can.

In a recent study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, people who kept a food blog lost twice as much weight over 6 months compared to those who didn’t write down their food consumption.

“The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost,” said Dr. Jack Hollis, the lead researcher on the study.

“It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories,” explained Hollis.

Not only did the participants keep track of their food, but they also kept track of their exercise.

And the more each participant exercised, the more weight they lost.

One reason Iowa Avenue was created to provide a safe place and non-judgmental community where people are able to share their experiences with one and another, without fear of being judged.

We provide all members the ability to have a public profile page, but also included is the choice to have your blog settings made private.

What does private mean?

Via the “My settings” button, you have the ability to select a privacy option that’s comfortable for you.

You’re given three options to choose from:

Everybody can see your blog
Only your Friends can have access to your blog, or
I am the only one that can see my blog.

Depending on your degree of comfort, you have the options for all three. In addition, these settings can be changed for each individual blog entry. For example, if you write a blog that you’d like to share with everyone, you can do that. But, if you write a food blog that’s just for you, you can do that, too.

It’s totally up to you.

Since so many people have access to the Internet at work and home, Iowa Avenue is the perfect place to write down what you eat and your exercise routine/s.

I know that you’re interested in the possibility of losing weight twice as much weight.

Who wouldn’t?

So feel free to start your Iowa Avenue food blog today, because

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!

Photo courtesy of robertnelson

Tags: Iowa_Avenue, blogging, calories, diary, exercise, food, journal, privacy, profile, weight_loss, More…writing

Comment by myfitlife on July 11, 2008 at 7:15am: Hi Lisa,
For more than 21 years I have been working with women on a day to day basis helping them lose weight and keep it off.
I have found that women who keep a journal of the food they eat as well as the exercise they do, will lose weight compared to those that don't. Also, women who journal their food stand a much better chance of keeping their weight off once they have reached their goal weight. Reason being, they have a much better understanding of their behaviors towards food and exercise and are able to make beneficial adjustments along the way.
Iowa Avenue is a wonderful resource for doing this electronically. It's convenient and it's easy to do.
Also, the support here on Iowa Avenue is terrific. There are many people at various stages of weight loss and fitness who are willing to support each other on their journeys toward vibrant health. This is a wonderful community.

Comment by Mark Salinas on July 11, 2008 at 7:23am: I am not so sure....information and motivation are probably the results of blogging. Other resources could also provide similar.....not sure what? A solid, reputable resource suah as Iowa Ave. are definitely powerful tools towards a healthy lifestyle! Nice post!

Comment by Metroknow on July 11, 2008 at 7:46am: I definitely agree that blogging helps - I think the food journaling aspect alone increases your awareness of what you're eating and promotes thinking about food choices, but adding the public accountability aspect really increases it's effectiveness. It also gives you a sense of commonality with others who share your challenges - at least I know it does in my case, and for folks like Andrew at AndrewIsGettingFit (great blog, btw).

Comment by QuickToFit on July 11, 2008 at 8:27am: For me I don't do the food journaling on my blog as much as I do the exercise journaling. I thank that does keep me accountable for sure- ever time I think of not exercising i think - well what am I going to blog about? What will people think if I don't?

Comment by Julie on July 11, 2008 at 10:20am: Yes, I do believe that blogging about what you eat is an excellent way to improve your health. It gives you "ownership" of what you've eaten. I think sometimes we have the mindset that "if no one knows about this donut, it won't count," ya know? Learning to be honest about what you are doing, putting it out there for others to see in a blog and being able to look back to see your progress is a gift to yourself!

Comment by Chuck Bartok on July 11, 2008 at 6:10pm: A life worht living is a life worth recording. Bloging has encouraged more people to be more intropsective, which is what we all should concentrate on. We can't produce with out Energy.
We can't think great thoughts if we are slothful.
Learn to put yourslef in Condition and wil folow You.
The law of Attraction is Absolute

Comment by Susanna on July 12, 2008 at 2:12pm: I have really enjoyed the blogging and the blogging community.
*Accountability is a critical factor that many people tend to forget when trying to lose weight.
*Sharing ideas helps with awareness and education.
*Communicating with like minded friends helps with motivation.

Comment by Jonathan on July 12, 2008 at 5:26pm: I blog about my life, for selfish reasons, but I figure as long as no one is being forced to read it, then it's all good! I wouldn't ever bore anyone with the tedious details of my food journal, but I do share a lot about challenges (oh yeah, and victories).

I had a great WWer buddy who used to help me with accountability. I always told him what I weighed every week. I knew he didn't care about the number, but it was tremendously helpful to me, anyway. I would also text him in "dangerous" situations (parties, weak moments at the market, etc.) which was a huge help. His reply texts were always supportive and often very helpful. ("Breathe" ... "Step away from the counter" ... etc).

Unfortunately since he died this Spring, I haven't found another resource like that. So my blog is definitely a useful surrogate.

Comment by TeasasTips on July 13, 2008 at 7:53am: I think because I blog about my walking efforts and the fact that I am beginning training for a 13 mile walk a thon, it helps to have an audience that supports me. And as a result, I find myself telling them everything I do as it relates to weight loss and fitness...my life in a bubble...