That is the question...
I've been reading a lot lately about the power of journaling. In life, and specifically for weight loss. The journaling could be as detailed as a daily diary, recording not only food and exercise, but thoughts, emotions and the day's activities. Or it could be as simple as a notebook with the day's calorie intake and expenditure jotted down. But there seems to be a strong connection between weight loss success and the act of journaling.
For me personally, I see a direct connection between my success and whether or not I journal.
If I record my food, I tend to think harder about what I eat. I record my food intake, and the calories and fat, as well as what exercise I did. I know there's no point in lying to myself, so I'm brutally honest about that bag of M&M's that I knew I shouldn't have had, but gobbled up anyway. And at the end of the week when I check my weight, its crystal clear why I did or didn't lose anything that week. I can see what I ate, whether I exercised, and how much water I drank.
I also keep track of what happened that day - not in 'dear diary' detail, but just making note of anything specific that had a major impact. Whether I went out to lunch with the girls, had good news or had a stressful appointment. It helps me see, too, how my emotions and life are impacting my success and weight journey.
What about you? Do you journal, or have you in the past? Did you see a direct connection to your success when you did?
