Journal your weight away

January 5, 2012

Could dropping some extra weight be as simple as putting pen to paper?

Yes, a writing exercise that takes just 15 minutes may help you shed those extra lbs, says a new study published in Psychological Science. Jotting down your thoughts about values important to you may help you lose more weight than if you don’t take the time to do so.

The study involved a group of 45 women with a BMI of 23 or higher who were asked to  rank the importance of a set of values (including everything from relationships to creativity), and half the group was asked to write about a value close to their heart, while the other half were asked to write about a value less key to them. Four months later, those who wrote about an important value had lost some weight whereas the others had put on some weight.

The thinking is that by writing about values important to you helps you feel better, and so you may not be as apt to eat that unnecessary snack, for example.

Something to consider if “losing weight” made it onto your list of resolutions for 2012.

(Journal, Christian Lacroix Papier)

Filed under: Diet,Fitness Swellness,Healthy Swellness

Tags: calories, diary, emotions, journal, lose weight, paper, self esteem, stationery, values, weight loss, writing