Even Successful Weight Loss Programs Usually Forget This…
Call it what you want; trimming the fat, slimming down, dieting, taking off some pounds...whatever. One thing that all successful weight loss programs need to include is a journal. Unfortunately most of them gloss right over this step. If you can't easily find out where you are going wrong (or right) changing your habits is going to be very hard.
Basically, anything that can't be measured (and you need records to measure) can't be improved upon. The idea is that you have to know what is causing your weight gains before you can find the most successful weight loss programs to take it off.
Weight loss is a one-step-at-a-time process. To get healthy results that are fast and long lasting, we need to go back to the basics. In other words, we need to find out what we are doing wrong before we can change.
When attempting to lose weight, the first, smartest and easiest step you can take is to start keeping a daily food journal. A food journal is basically what it sounds like...a record of your daily food intake. Your journal can be as simple or complex as you wish. You can record lots of details or just keep it clean and basic. But either way, a journal is a terrific way to help yourself stick to your successful weight loss programs.
Your food journal can record a whole host of valuable information. First, how about listing your daily food intake? Just this simple and basic step can provide you with a lot of unexpected data. It will help you to actually see what you eat on any given day - and you'll start to notice patterns of unhealthy eating that you had never previously considered.
It's our habits and daily patterns that make us succeed (or fail) in any aspect of our lives. We habitually do things without even noticing. Your good as well as your bad habits and patterns will quickly emerge once you begin writing everything down in your food journal. After your habits have been exposed, it's a simple matter to find the successful weight loss programs to counteract them.
Many food journals include portion sizes, protein, fiber, fat, calories and other nutrients. It IS a lot of work but it's valuable information and definitely worth the time and extra effort. It won't be long before humongous mistakes start to appear. What, why, when and how much you eat will start to take on a whole new meaning.
You could move from the strictly factual journal into more of a diary format. You could write down triggers that make you eat even when it's not for hunger. You can record your cravings, how your weight loss program is affecting you on a daily basis and your inner feelings. There are many formats and things you can write. The key to keep in mind is that it's YOURS! Make it any way you want.
Your food journal isn't something you have to worry about anyone else reading. It's not like a traditional diary that you keep by the bed with a lock and key. Face it, reading a list of what you ate that day isn't exactly tabloid fodder. (Unless your life actually IS tabloid fodder. Then you should hide your journal.)
Save your money, you don't have to go out and buy some fancy leather bound journal. Use whatever tools work best for you when creating your food journal. A pad of paper and a pen work just fine. You could make an Excel type spreadsheet on your computer - or any other type of word processing program. Keep the icon on your desktop for easy access and so you don't forget where it is in your computer.
Your food journal could be kept in a laptop, palm pilot, voice recorder or even a simple little notebook you slip into your purse or pocket. Whatever your lifestyle demands. The point is to DO IT and keep it up daily.
Your journal is incredibly more valuable as a tool to lose weight than your scale would ever be. Finding your unwanted habits and patterns and tracking your progress is as simple as keeping your journal up to date and reviewing it once a week.
Reaching specific goals and milestones deserves a reward. Give yourself an "ATTABOY" or "ATTAGIRL". No, don't celebrate with a tub of ice cream. This may seem hokey, but go out and buy some of those gold star stickers that the first graders like so much. Whenever you deserve a reward, put one in your journal. Believe it or not, seeing all those gold stars can be pretty motivating and they'll become very important to you. They aren't fattening, either.
Don't beat yourself up over minor setbacks. We all have them. Just look through your journal, find out what went wrong and change it. Pretty soon, you'll be back on track for your daily gold star.
Take your journal with you when you go to the doctor. They can offer advice and double check to be sure that you are staying with a healthy and safe program. BTW - Never start an exercise or weight loss program without getting checked by a doctor.
True, it takes some effort, but for most people who keep one, a food journal works wonders. It is truly a major shortcut to losing weight. Start yours today.