Food diaries are nothing new. You eat meals and write down in a little notebook everything you ate and all the calories and carbs and morsels of saturated fat you consumed. And while those have been proven to be effective, a new study at UW-Madison has shown an even more promising way of food journaling: pictures.

The study of 43 dieters asked each to take a snapshot of their meal before they ate to be posted in their food journal. While writing takes times, pictures are instant and it shows dieters the sheer volume of food they're consuming, often guilting them into sticking with the diet. At the end of the study it was shown that those who kept a photo record of their food intake were way more likely to adhere to their diet.

Could this work for other vices? Drink too much? Take a picture of that Jack Bottle before you start the night. Gambling problem? Open up your wallet for a snapshot before heading to the casino. Sex addiction? Well, actually that might not be such a good idea.