Food and Activity Journal

One of the best ways to lose weight is by recording your daily food intake and activities. No matter how many great weight loss programs are out there, the Food and Activity Journal is one of the key tools to successful weight control. Seventy-three percent of the individuals who kept their weight off used a journal or some form of record keeping.

You would be surprised by what you discover about your habits. It s easy to overlook a handful of Parmesan cheese tossed on your pasta or the amount of salad dressing you use. In addition, you will discover patterns of eating, such as boredom, anger, sadness, happiness, or 12 noon. By becoming aware of habits, you can start to make changes.

A Journal is a record of your life in progress. Use the journal to record your daily foods, activities, thoughts, and goals. You will lose weight and keep it off. And if you have the chance to read it ten years from now, you will have fond memories and a documented journey of your adventure and success.

The Food and Activity Journal was designed to be used by any weight control program. So whether you counting calories, carbohydrates, fat, proteins, points, or food groups, you can easily use the Food and Activity journal.

How to Use the Journal

• Motivation and Inspiration. Start your day off on a positive note. If you start to slide, remember the positive thought for the day.
  
          Positive Thinking. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. - Goethe

• Record the foods and the amounts of everything you eat and drink, even one grape. Don t forget to weigh or measure your food. In time, you will be able to guess the size, but for now make sure you have a kitchen scale, measuring cups, and measuring spoons. See the portion control section for suggested measuring tools.

• Be honest. Do not write down a carrot when you just ate a hot fudge sundae.
   

• In the tracking column, note the number of calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, points or food groups you have consumed. The food plan you are on will determine what you will track. Obtaining nutrition information on food products is easy today. Check the internet, the nutrition label, or a book on food and nutrients. See the free list of sites that contain nutrition information.
   

• Record foods right after eating; otherwise, you may forget.
   

• At the end of the day, total up your numbers and place them in the summary box. How did you do?
   

• There is also a place for you to monitor your activities or exercise, thoughts, and goals.
   

• At the end of each 7 days, there is a week in the review section. Look at what you have accomplished and set new goals. Practice positive thinking and complete the weekly self-awareness assignment.

Click on the link below to take you to a practice sheet. I have filled in the first two columns. The journal is designed to be used by any weight control program. Try it and see how well you do. (In the example, I used calories, food groups, and points.)

Practice Journal (If the pdf files do not open in your browser, click the following link. Practice)