Diet Tips: Don't Be A Lady Who Lunches

Women looking to drop a couple of pounds, science has your back.

A study of diet-related behaviors published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics came up with a list of behaviors that could help women lose weight, and it actually seems pretty easy. Researchers suggests that women (especially those older than 50 years old) looking to lose weight should keep food journals to track their eating habits, eat regular meals without skipping, and stop eating out for lunch (or in general).

Researchers found that women who wrote down what they ate lost about 6 pounds more on average, while women who kept regular meals lost 8 more pounds than those who skipped meals.

"The mechanism is not completely clear, but we think that skipping meals or fasting might cause you to respond more favorably to high-calorie foods and therefore take in more calories overall," Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D, said. Research in the past suggests that the hungrier you are, the more likely you will reach for starches and protein instead of vegetables.

Meanwhile, subjects who ate out more (especially for lunch) kept on about 5 more pounds on average. "Eating in restaurants usually means less individual control over ingredients and cooking methods, as well as larger portion sizes," study authors wrote. Cooking at home also allows control over fat and salt portions, so maybe skip out on those social luncheons next week.

Jessica Chou is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @jesschou.