Habit 1 - Keeping a Journal

The first and maybe most important habit to establish is keeping a journal. This is place to record what you eat, how much you eat, even how you feel before and after you eat. You can also keep track of  how much you exercise and your goals or anything else you want to add.

There are online journals that you can use or you can purchase a journal but I encourage you to make your own. You can personalize it to fit your needs and tuck it in your purse to carry with you.

How I Made My Journal

I started my journal with a 5 X 7 spiral notebook that I bought for $1. I figured even if I messed it up it wouldn't be a great loss. I picked something with a fun cover.

• First page - I got a little creative with the colored pencils and did some decorating. I know it's a little childish but it's my journal and I can do what I want! Have fun with your journal and make it your own. 

• Next I put in writing my reasons for wanting to lose weight, my goals and how I intend to accomplish those goals. 

• The next two pages were the not so fun pages! I listed the starting date, weight, BMI, bust, waist and hip measurements and YIKES! I even included a before picture.

This has gotta go!!!!

• Journaling pages -This is where you can customize the pages to suit your needs. I was on my third week of journaling before I finally found what worked for me. 

At the beginning of the week I write down my goals for the coming week. I try to have specific goals in each of three sections: Exercise, Eating and Personal. (We'll talk more about setting goals in a later post.) I also like to write down how I'm going to achieve my goals for the week. 

Next I use a two page spread for each day. On the left page I date it and write down everything I eat and the points (I use Weight Watchers Points Plus) At the bottom I note how much water I drank and the number of fruits and veggies I ate. On top of  the right page I jot down a reminder so I don't forget my goals for the week. There is a section to list my mood during the day or anything that is going on that might effect my eating. At the bottom I list what type of physical activity I did that day. 

I leave a couple of blank pages so I can write up an assessment of how my week is going. This helps me to stay on top of my eating and activity level. I also journal at the end of the week before the next weigh in.

The very back page on the book is where I list my weight and any loss or gain. 

I didn't lose any weight over Christmas but I'm pretty happy that  I didn't gain any either!

I taped an envelope on the inside of the back cover. This is to hold stickers. You know the kind that teachers give their students. WOW! WAY TO GO! GREAT! SUPER! Those little shout outs of affirmation that we all need and crave. I give  myself one when I do something I'm proud of like when I pass up the second helping of mashed potatoes or when I take that 10 minute walk when I really want to sit and read. You get the idea. There are times when you have to pat yourself on the back.

That's a brief synopsis of how I made my journal and what I put in it. Of course a journal is only effective if you use it. That's why our first habit we're working on is keeping a food and activity journal.

So get your colored pencils and stickers out and get to journaling!

Patti