Printable Weight Loss Journal

A printable weight loss journal is a valuable tool for those who find it difficult to stay on a diet. It can help keep track of what you eat, drink or how often you exercise. It doesn't seem like it should be that difficult to know what you've eaten, but as the hours press on throughout the day it becomes easy to forget about the snack you ate at 2:00 when you're feeling hungry at 5:00.

Setting Goals

If you've struggled with losing weight, or keeping the pounds off, a weight loss journal might just be the key to help you get on track and stay there with your weight loss goals. Notice that little word goals. That's part of the plan that makes using a journal help you get fit.

Dieting, change in eating habits, lifestyle change—whatever you call it, we all know it takes discipline to see long-term results. However, to get to the long-term results we need to set some short-term goals. A short term goal may be something like staying with 1200-1500 calories today, and a longer term goal might be to lose 5 pounds this month.

Some of you reading this may be thinking, "I don't want to lose 5 pounds; I need to lose more like 50 pounds." Let me ask you this. Which one seems more achievable? That's right. Five pounds. When you break weight loss goals into tiny achievable pieces that are attainable, you'll stay motivated.

Keeping a Weight Loss Journal

Writing down your daily progress in a printable weight loss journal helps make you aware of what you're eating calorie or carb wise and how often you are actually exercising. In some cases, you can even chart how many calories you're burning, too. This accountability factor provides a way for you to step off the dieting merry-go-round.

Free Printable Journals

• Food Diary
• Microsoft Home Magazine: Personal Food Diary - Template
• My Deluxe Calorie Diary
• The Column Food Diary
• Food Journal
• Printable Weight Loss Journal

Get Started Using a Printable Weight Loss Journal

Don't make keeping your journal a burden. Choose one of the printable journals available in this article and set up a journal that works for you. Be sure to set your short-term and long-term goals. Write down your goals, and set up your journal to help you track them. For example, if one of your goals is to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, make that easy to track in your journal. You can do the same with tracking the water you drink, how many times you exercise, or whatever it is that will help you stay on the straight and narrow to reach that thinner, healthier you.

Work with your journal. It will give you an overview of your fitness plan and help you to see how to tweak your goals. Take a look at the patterns. Writing things down will help you see what needs to change as it shines the spotlight on the little reasons you don't lose weight. Sometimes making small changes can make a big difference, like "no tasting while you're cooking," or "no eating what is left on the kids' plates so it doesn't go to waste." Or you may be surprised to learn you're not eating enough calories which slows your metabolism and stops you from losing the weight. Either way, keeping a weight loss journal can help you spot the problems, set goals and reach the weight loss success you're looking for.

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