Journaling

Journaling is the single best predictor of whether a person will lose weight or not, and make Lifestyle Changes. People who journal, lose twice as much weight as those that don’t!! Most people have no idea how much food they eat on any given day. We grab and go, multitask, mindlessly eat while watching television and when asked what we ate, have virtually no remembrance. It is impossible to estimate how much we have eaten. That is why it is so difficult to lose weight.

Reasons to Journal:

There are many reasons to journal, but here are a few:

• Awareness of what you really eat. Everything you eat or drink counts. If you sneak 6 extra bites, licks, or tastes in per day, you can gain up to 15 pounds per year. You must be aware of what you are doing, before you can make lifestyle changes.


• To learn about calories. Americans underestimate what they eat daily by at least 25%. It is more difficult to estimate calories on larger amounts of food like restaurant servings and we underestimate even more. Overeating 100 extra calories per day, can add 10 pounds per year.


• Awareness of your habits. You will begin to notice habits fairly quickly and can devise strategies to change them. You can keep healthy snacks in your desk, rather than raiding the vending machine at 3pm each afternoon. You can bring a bagged lunch, rather than eating fast food or you may need to plan a new route home to avoid those fast food, or ice cream stores. Journaling helps you to develop healthy diet habits!


• You will discover where your diet is not balanced, and your weaknesses. Do you eat the proper amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains? Most people do not! Do you eat more sugar and processed foods than you thought? It is easy to spot your problem areas, when they are written out, rather than what you think. You can begin to add more healthy foods to your diet.


• Awareness of what triggers you to eat and your eating patterns. Are you a night eater? Do you eat when you are physically hungry or emotionally hungry? Do you eat in front of the television, while reading or multitasking? Are you an overeater, snacker, grazer, or do you binge? Your triggers and patterns of eating are quickly evident.


• Teaches you correct portion sizes. Most of us practice portion distortion, and have no ability to eyeball a correct portion.


• Helps you to make smarter food choices throughout the day. Wow, I am going out to lunch today, so I will only order an Americano today which is almost calorie free. Let’s you add in those foods you love without feeling guilty.


• If Journaling is the single best predictor of weight loss, and you would lose twice as much weight by journaling, why wouldn’t you journal? It is a no brainer! Journaling will help you to build those healthy diet habits that lead to your success.

Additional Info. on Journaling:

• Journal - Blank Journal to print and use


• Journal Evaluation Worksheet


• Sample Food Journal to Correct


• Eating Patterns Awareness


• Eating Patterns Evaluation