Hold yourself accountable: In a 13-week study, dieters who kept a food record for 3 weeks or longer lost 3.5 pounds more than those who didn’t, say researchers at the University of Arkansas. And over the long term, this strategy may be even more important for enhancing your results. “Keeping a detailed account of what you eat, even for a short period of time, helps you learn how to accurately estimate portion sizes,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., the Men’s Health Weight-Loss Coach.