When it comes to weight loss, calories count. But don't get bogged down with record-keeping.

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Certain habits and behaviors predict success in the weight-loss arena. One of them is keeping a food diary. A new study from Kaiser Permanente shows that people who keep a food diary actually lose twice -- that's twice! -- as much weight as people who don't.

A successful food diary is about more than just writing down what you eat. I like to have people record not only what they eat, but how they feel. What's your energy like? How are you sleeping? Getting tired in the middle of the afternoon? All this helps make connections between the foods you eat and how you feel, so you can fine tune your diet for maximum oomph and energy.

One of the reasons for writing down what you eat is so you can estimate your calories. That means you've got to measure stuff -- at least for a while -- and then use the Internet or a calorie book to approximate how many calories you're taking in. This calorie-estimating was an important part of the success of the Kaiser program. (Note: It's not nearly as hard as you might think since most of us eat the same dozen foods over and over again.)

And forget all those online calorie formulas -- they're way too high. A good rule of thumb is this: Take your target weight and multiply by 10. That's a good number of calories to aim for while you're losing weight.

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Kids sometimes look as if they're glued to their cell phones. If they could only complete their homework as quickly as they can send text messages, they'd really be set. Even better: Maybe text messaging could also help them lose weight.

Researchers are actually questioning if text messaging could become a weight management tool. We already know that keeping a journal of weight loss or other health-related goals is a tried and true method. However, many people can't stick to journaling for the long-term because it can become tedious. A recent study followed three groups -- one that monitored health goals through text messaging, one that kept a paper journal, and one that didn't self-monitor progress at all. The study included children (ages 5-13) and their parents. The group reporting progress via text message had a lower attrition rate and had significantly greater adherence to self-monitoring.

I think keeping track of weight loss progress through text messaging is a great idea -- it's convenient and it could offer instant feedback. However, I question whether it's a good idea for children and teens. Weight loss is obviously the primary goal when a child or teen is obese, but another goal must be protecting/correcting the child's relationship with food and bolstering their self-esteem. Will reporting their progress through text messaging be motivating or demeaning? What do you think?

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Does blogging about your weight loss progress lighten the load? Or is it just dead weight? Blogger Jessica from Jezebel pondered this question in a recent post.

Blogging can be the ultimate weight loss journal. Recording your progress in a journal is a tried and true tactic to keep you on track. And when you put the information out there for anyone to see, well, that's just more reason to stay on course. In addition, there is a wide ring of weight-loss bloggers out there -- starting your own blog and following along with others can be a great source of camaraderie and support.

But I can also see how a weight-loss blog could become a burden. Particularly if it is a paid blogging position, as in the example on Jezebel. It is possible that the pressure of reporting your actions/progress on a blog may lead you to make decisions you otherwise wouldn't. Losing weight isn't a short-term game -- it's a long-term process. Healthy eating and exercising are habits that have to last a lifetime, but everyone has days where they eat birthday cake or skip an exercise session. Even weight-loss bloggers have to give themselves enough room to live a little.

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Can't get motivated to exercise? Don't blame your body -- it's always ready to work. It's that mind of yours holding you back.

Yep, the body wants to move. The mind? Not always. That's why it's key to cultivate mindfulness, says Director of Exercise Physiology at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Reba Schecter, M.S., P.T.

"Half of developing a strong exercise habit is noticing how good you feel once you've gotten going on your workout, and how great you feel afterwards," she says. "If you really pay attention to that enlivened, relaxed, good-tired feeling, it becomes much easier to get out the door next time and to your gym or yoga class."

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Journaling, or keeping a diary, has been shown to have amazing benefits. It can lower your stress level, help you let go of what's bothering you, raise self esteem, and assist you in clarifying your wants and needs in life. It's cheap, and it's easy, but a lot of people still have a really hard time with it.

It's not hard for me to sit down and write a couple pages on my thoughts of the day (or, even just a particular episode). But then again, I'm a writer -- that's what I do.

The thing that seems to throw the people I've talked to for a loop is trying to write something to and for themselves -- they're able to write letters to other people, and they can write a paper if you give them a topic, but they have a hard time just sitting down and writing whatever comes to mind, just for the heck of it. I've got some suggestions (some are courtesy of RedBook) that might make it a little easier to get started. Leave a comment if any of these, or something else, has worked for you!

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz! I'm 38 years old, and have been trying to lose about 40 pounds for what seems like 40 years! I watch what I eat and exercise a bunch, but can't seem to lose a pound. What am I doing wrong? Bill

A. Hello Mr. Bill, I'm so happy you wrote. You're not the only one out there who truly feels stuck at a weight you're not happy with. That feeling is both frustrating and rampant. Having said that, I believe I know what's preventing you from losing that weight. In my book, 80% of weight loss comes as a result of our consumption habits. You're probably just underestimating the amount of calories you're consuming.

With the Olympics coming up, the use of supplements to enhance performance is big business. I asked my pal Jose Antonio, PhD, Sports Nutrition expert what was hot and gave me this scoop. Besides safe and effective supplements like creatine, protein powders, and even fish oil, there's a new kid on the block. It's called beta-alanine!

Beta-alanine is basically an amino acid that has been shown to help fight off the fatigue-promoting effects of lactic acid. When muscle pH drops from intense exercise, beta-alanine helps buffer this increased acidity. Technically, it is muscle carnosine (which is made from beta-alanine) that does the buffering.

What could beta-alanine help as far as Olympic events? Sports like wrestling, the long sprints such as the 400 meter dash, boxing, and team sports in which there is a lot of sprinting can be helped. In fact, a recent study from the International Journal of Sports Medicine proved that beta-alanine significantly improved muscular endurance. So for those of you seeking that extra performance edge, look out for beta-alanine!

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I'm thinking back to the dinner I had last night. I'm visualizing it: Spinach lettuce, red grapes, shredded carrots, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, topped with salmon. No dressing. Just a bowl full of healthy stuff, all mixed together, simply scrumptious.

This visualization exercise is intended to cause me to eat fewer calories today. Not sure it's working. I think it's making me hungry instead.

According to the August issue of The Oprah Magazine, the findings of a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior (2008) reveal that women who wrote a detailed description of their last meal (it happened to be lunch for this study) ate fewer cookies than those who didn't. OK, so maybe I should have written down my dinner items. No. I don't think that would have worked any better. Obviously, for some, journaling past meals does work. Might want to try it and see if it works for you.

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Losing weight can be a tricky business. Despite all the fancy programs and diet claims, weight loss boils down to one thing: burning more calories than you consume. But if you're not careful, you may be consuming more calories than your realize.

Counting calories seems so hopelessly 1980's, though, doesn't it? And, let's face it, tracking every calorie is a bit of a pain. But a food diary doesn't have to be an obsessive tabulation of every little thing -- it's merely a way for you to ensure you're getting a balanced, nutritious diet in the range of calories you want to consume.

It's a habit that is well worth the effort. A Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research study found that participants who kept a food diary lost almost twice as much weight as those who didn't.

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If you love your significant other, but aren't exactly enamored with the idea of packing on pounds, it may be time you tactfully tell them to cut back on their poor diet choices.

A study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior suggests that what your better half eats often has a direct impact on your own dietary decisions. As such, if your hubby or wifey is looking a little wider these days, there's a good chance you are too. Thankfully, this works both ways; if your loved one is taking steps to eat more healthfully, odds are you'll do the same -- which, in turn, means fitter bods for the both of you.

Even if you exercise regularly, so much of how you look and feel has to do with diet. So, to get the maximum ROI for your fitness investment, perhaps it's time to suggest a new meal plan ... for the both of you.

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Do you have trouble sleeping sometimes? Yeah. Me too. Standard recommendations for getting a good night's rest include going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, exercising regularly, and avoiding daytime naps. It's also good to make your bedroom a restful environment -- not for working or other activities, just for sleeping. Also, avoid using the computer and watching TV just before bed.

But what works for one person, doesn't work for everyone. In my case, it's almost necessary to sleep with the TV on. The main reason I can't sleep at night is I just can't turn my brain off enough to rest. Leaving the TV set on some old re-runs allows me to distract myself enough from worrying but yet not pay too much attention. That way, I'm able to get to sleep. It's odd, and it's completely opposite of the typical suggestions, but it's what works for me.

BBC Health users submitted some tips for beating insomnia. The tips include playing Sudoku, counting backward from 300, and writing down everything that's on your mind. They certainly aren't the most common recommendations, but they must work for the people who sent in the idea. How about you? What are your tips for a better night's sleep?

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I just made summer journals for my boys. Well, I bought the journals and made them summery by decorating them for the season. I put a photograph of each boy on the front and labeled the books, "Danny's Summer Journal, 2008" and "Joey's Summer Journal 2008." My intention is to keep these books in the car so that wherever the summer takes us, we can plop down and write and draw about our journeys. The other day, we went to the library, collected a stack of books, and then got cozy outside amongst the grass and trees. Once settled, we read a book and then my guys drew a picture about the story they'd heard. Seven-year-old Joey drew a badger, a character in the book, and five- year-old Danny drew an alligator. There were no gators in our story but imaginations are always welcome during summer journaling.

I have high hopes for our summer journals. I envision them as instrumental in keeping my boys' minds sharp during non-school days, I love that we'll have a record of all that we accomplish over the next few months, and I can't wait to look back years from now at the scribbles that will fill the pages.

How about creating our own summer journal? Make it about diet and fitness and you can follow a similar path. You can keep your goals sharp, record all that you accomplish over the next few months, and look back years from now and chart your progress -- or your limitations. Grab a notebook, a stack of paper, or decorate a fancy book full of blank pages. The format doesn't matter -- the journaling does. Jot down what you eat and how much you exercise. Chart your calories, your weight, the miles you log and the weights you lift. Document your successes, your frustrations, your best intentions. Try it for the summer and see what happens. That's what I'm doing. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Want more on how to keep a food journal? Click here. And exercise journaling -- here.

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When it comes to feeling barely blue or downright depressed, women tend to ask for help more than men ask for help, say the experts at Ladies Home Journal. With WebMD reporting that nearly six million men will have at least one major episode with depression each year, it's clear a good bunch of men -- while they might not ask for it -- need a good dose of help. In order to draw these guys out and get them the assistance they need, let's be on the lookout for these eight signs of trouble.

• Withdrawing from others and spending more time alone, watching TV, playing video games, or pursuing other solo activities.

• Increased drinking or use of mood-altering drugs.

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