4 Tips For Using a Journal to Lose Weight and Get Fit

Starting a weight loss journey can be difficult. You have to figure out what methods may work for you, try them, develop a routine, and work on ways to attain your goals. In addition to these basic beginner steps, you will also have some emotional issues that arise as well. If you are worried about how you are going to deal with the emotional ups and downs of weight loss journeys, you may have looked at journaling. Here are some tips for using a journal to get through your weight loss journey, lose weight, and get fit. 

Stick to a Routine

The key to making weight loss journaling work for your health goals is to stick to a routine. Make sure that journaling is part of your workout routine, by writing after your workout. Your ideas are fresh, your viewpoints of the workout are fresh, and what you did is fresh. You do not run the risk of forgetting when you worked out or for how long. You also ensure that you are journaling regularly to note your accomplishments as well as where changes should be made. 

Look for a Pattern

Look for a pattern in your journaling. Go back through your posts about once a week and look for patterns regarding overeating, going off your diet plan, not working out, or depression and stress related posts. See if you notice these things happening on certain days or at certain times. These are the things that can cause you to derail or to have a decrease in meeting your weight loss goals, dropping the pounds, and getting fit. Once you narrow it down, you can remove the negativity and form new and more positive patterns. 

Make Changes and Note Differences

Do not be afraid to make changes in your plan to lose weight. Do not be afraid to try new things on your diet and workout routine. When you do make these changes, note them in your journal. Use the journal to keep track with why you made the change, what change you made, and how the change worked out. You can also use the journal to note any differences in the original and change option. Journaling helps because sometimes you cannot remember what you did, and you do not want to keep repeating mistakes. 

Create Rewards and Record Them

Make sure you are creating a reward system for certain goals or even for making it through another week. The trick to this is to journal the reward you want, why you want it, and what it would mean to you. Work toward those goals and note when you achieve them. Take a picture of the reward, you enjoying the reward, or the receipt from the reward. It will show you, on tough days when you look back because you feel like you are failing at dropping weight, that you did and can still do this. 

By putting these tips into practice, you can increase your weight loss journey towards your goal. You will also see an increase in positive aspects of the journey as well as on your overall lifestyle. 

