Maintaining a healthy weight is vital to our overall mental and physical health. Not only can it boost your self-confidence and help you feel more energized, but it can reduce your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and some cancers, too. In fact, reducing your body weight by only 5 to 10 percent over a six-month period will lower your risk for heart disease and other conditions.Despite the associated risks, 42.4 percent of American adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But fortunately, for many people, adopting healthy habits—and using the proper tools to reinforce those habits—can boost weight loss and helpyou keep it off.

We all know following an exercise regimen and eating a well-balanced diet made up of lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats (like avocado and olive oil, in moderation) and lots of fruits and veggies are the foundational blocks of weight loss. But setting specific and realistic weight loss goals and monitoring your progress can be just as important. How tracking boosts weight lossOne study conducted by Cornell University and published in the Journal of Obesity found that frequent self-weighing at home—and tracking results—helped study participants lose weight and keep it off. Why? Seeing a data-backed link between tracking weight loss andhealthy behaviors helped reinforce those behaviors.

What’s more, another study conducted by Kaiser Permanente and funded by the National Institutes of Health found that keeping a detailed food diary helped double participants’ weight loss efforts. In addition to keeping food diaries, the nearly 1,700 study participants adopted a DASH diet, attended weekly support group sessions and exercised at moderate intensity for 30 minutes per day.