When it comes to developing strategies that will boost your weight loss efforts, keeping a journal may be one of the best. This is the finding of a yearlong study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which also found that eating in and not skipping meals were strong strategies for improving your health and losing weight.
Whether it is a document on your work computer, an app on your phone or a small book that you keep in your purse or pocket at all times, keeping a journal of what you’ve eaten, when you’ve snacked and how you are feeling can help you remain accountable and on track with your diet for medical weight loss in East Brunswick. This is why so many weight loss doctors in East Brunswick recommend the habit for those following a weight loss program.
Keeping a weight loss journal isn’t quite the same as the typical diary that teenagers write in, or even like the type of journals that so many people use to log their thoughts, troubles and triumphs day in and day out. Your weight loss journal is both simple and practical. Its purpose is to help you track what you eat. In doing this it can cause you to become more accountable to your goals, as you will become more likely to hesitate to go for a cookie in the cupboard knowing that you’ll have to make a note of it later.
Getting started with a weight loss journal is simple. Here are a few helpful tips:
- Make it convenient: The leather bound journal next to your bed may be begging for you to write in it, but it probably isn’t the best weight loss journal. For its purpose to work you need a journal that can stay with you all the time. For many people, this makes smartphone apps ideal. “Lose It” is a great diet journaling application that actually counts calories for you, while other word processor and journaling apps are simple and straightforward.
- Make it a habit: To get the most out of your weight loss journal you need to write in it every day, after every meal. Make a habit of writing in your journal as you finish your meal, or just before you are going to eat so that you stick with what is written down.
- Add all relevant information: In addition to what you’ve eaten, log your exercise for the day, any headaches or stomach aches you’ve experienced and all feelings of stress and anxiety. Tracking your emotions as well as your eating habits can help you reduce emotional eating and boost your weight loss efforts.
Do you keep a weight loss journal? Share your own tips for journaling during your weight loss program in the comments below.
