Week 4-52 Small changes to Happiness by Brett Blumenthal small change to add this year is keeping a food journal.

Keeping a food diary may be a key to losing extra weight, a new study shows it has a sense of accountability-and also a proven method of increased weight loss.

• Write as you go. Don’t wait until the end of the day to record what you ate and drank. “We recommend they write it down as soon as they can after they eat.”

• Focus on portion size. Practice at home with measuring cups, measuring spoons, or food scales. And be aware that people tend to underestimate how much food they’re served.

• Use whatever type of food diary works for you. It doesn’t matter whether you use scrap paper, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a notebook. What matters is that you use it.

• Don’t skip your indulgent days. “We encourage people to keep records especially on days when they’re tempted to eat,” says Stevens. “What gets measured tends to get changed.”

• Cook at home. You’ll have more control over what you consume, and you know what that food contains, and how much of it you’re eating. That makes for a more detailed entry in your food diary.

Also, remember that even modest weight loss — even if it doesn’t bring you down to your ideal weight — may have health benefits.

Please let me know how these small changes are affecting your life.