When you are trying to lose weight, you should keep a written record of your achievements. A printable weight loss journal is an excellent medium to keep you motivated. Too many people set themselves up for failure when they embark on a diet.
First, simply by saying you are on a diet you can begin to feel hungry. I know the days I crave chocolate the most are the same ones that I start my diet on. Secondly, most of us would like to lose some weight. It would make a lot more sense if we actually wrote down exactly how much we would like to weigh on a specific future date. By setting a definite goal, we can measure our progress via our printable weight loss journal.
So what information should this journal contain? You should write in your goal weight and your goal date at the top. Then have an entry for each day and note down everything related to your weight loss journey. So you will want to keep track of what you ate and how much and type of exercise you took. I believe it is useful to also make a comment on your mood. This will help you to pinpoint any “danger” time’s i.e. if you always fall off the diet wagon after work on a Thursday as you head out for drinks, then perhaps you could arrange to meet a friend at the cinema instead.
I don’t believe it is helpful to keep a daily record of how much weight you are losing or gaining. Why? Your weight will fluctuate. At certain times of the month, you are genetically predisposed to retaining water so why depress yourself by recording weight gain. Also weighing yourself every day can lead to an obsession, we want to avoid that.
Gradual weight loss is the key to maintaining your new figure. Slowly increasing the amount of exercise you do is also a good idea. We have all been on diets where we promised to do twenty sit ups a day or ride a bike for an hour etc. We set impossible goals and then lose motivation when we don’t achieve them.
Start with five sit-ups five times a week and gradually increase it to twenty a day. Instead of picking an exercise designed to lose weight, pick something you enjoy doing. All exercise is good and if you enjoy it, you are more likely to carry it out. Try and vary your routine as boredom is the reason why most people quit.
You may find that you occasionally slip off the diet wagon. Don’t despair and don’t give up. A slice of chocolate cake is not the end of the world. Don’t be tempted to cut breakfast or another main meal to make up for the extra calories. This will only result in you feeling hungry and leave you more likely to binge eat again. Keep using your printable weight loss journal and you will soon reach your goal.