We’re still using journaling as a weight loss tool, only now, we’re going to address the second half of it.  Not journaling food intake this time, but actually spending a few minutes every day on you.

Journaling on Your Road to Health In Spokane

Here is the next step in journaling as a weight loss tool, writing down your thoughts and feelings each day.  Though you may balk at this step, it is an integral part of your success.

This doesn’t mean you need to write a novel every day.  It can be as simple as taking a couple of minutes and jotting down a few sentences about your day.  No dings for spelling or grammar, after all this is your journal and it isn’t necessary for anyone to see it but you.

Still not convinced?  These are just some of the benefits:

• Writing your feelings down is a release, it helps you work through them
• Holding onto, or “stuffing” down your feelings can actually keep weight on your body. (Negative feelings can literally be toxic to your body)
• It is a record of your journey that you can go back and review (this can become very encouraging if you’re having an off day, it helps you see how far you’ve come)
• You can learn where certain situations lead to cravings and learn how to deal with them in a healthier way

These are only some of the benefits!  Imagine, losing some of that weight can be as easy as getting your feelings off your chest!  Isn’t that an amazing concept?

Here’s one more.

Gratefulness

This is a suggestion made by Oprah a few years ago, that has always made sense to me.  It is something you can incorporate into your journaling Spokane weight loss tool along with your daily notes.

Every night before bed, write down three things you are grateful for. As unusual as this may sound, it is a good way to not only reflect on your day, but to think about the things you are blessed with in your life.

Even if you had a rough day and can’t think of anything more than, “I’m grateful I’m breathing”, it is still something worth being grateful over.  That way, as you are drifting off to sleep you are thinking about positive things instead of dwelling on the negative aspects of your day.

Personally, today, I am grateful for my Personal Trainer. That may sound strange to you, but Zach, at Physzique in Spokane, is a wonderful attribute to anyone trying to lose weight or get healthy.  As tough as it is for me to get through the work outs sometimes (I am significantly overweight right now) he is always positive, always encouraging and wants the best for me, just like he would for anyone who comes to him for help.

I know what you’re thinking. journaling as a Spokane weight loss tool? That doesn’t even make sense! Actually though, it makes perfect sense, and here’s why.

Journal Your Food Intake

Let’s start with journaling your food intake.  Believe it or not, people are always amazed when they start this process.  Most are under the impression that they eat properly, that they balance their nutrition and that it isn’t necessary to pay attention to the calories they consume every day.  Here’s what using journaling as a weight loss tool can accomplish:

• Make you aware of what you are actually eating (those little tidbits add up fast)

• Hold you accountable to yourself

• Help you make better, conscious food choices (instead of grabbing whatever’s convenient out of the office vending machine)

• Track your water intake (as silly as this sounds, it’s extremely important)

• Help you plan meals and snacks in advance

• Keep you on track toward your personal goals (whether that’s losing weight, or just choosing to live a healthier lifestyle)

Did you know that the average woman only needs about 1200-1600 calories a day?  Men, on the other hand need about 1800-2200 per day, as do teenagers.  However, the average American consumes many more calories than their body actually needs, and they don’t pay attention to the kinds of calories they ingest.

Here are both a warning, and a challenge.  A lot of people come to the conclusion, that if eating 1200 calories a day will help them lose weight; wouldn’t eating fewer calories make you lose weight faster?  The answer to that, is no.

Eating fewer than 1000 calories a day will actually produce the opposite results.  When you eat less than 1000 calories per day, your body actually goes into “starvation mode” causing a few things to happen.

First, your body will start holding onto every bit of nutrition it receives, storing extra as fat and adding to your weight issue.  Secondly, feeling it isn’t getting enough fuel, your body will start consuming its own lean muscle tissue, a process called catabolism, in order to feed it.  This causes more problems because you not only lose your important lean muscle tissue which burns fat faster, you can also damage important organs in your body that consist of lean muscle.

Here’s The Challenge

Journal your food and beverage intake for one week, without changing any of your normal habits.  At the end the week, add up your total calorie and water consumption for each day and compare it to what the average person should be consuming.  Also take this time to pay attention to the kinds of foods you chose and when during the day you tended to have the least amount of control over what you ate.  This will be eye-opening to say the least.

A Tool, Not a Weapon

What I mean by that is, don’t beat yourself up over your intake for the last week. Instead think of it as your personal weight loss tool to give you insight into what kinds of habits you have now, and what you can do to change them for the better.  Journaling for weight loss is a very effective tool that can make a huge difference in your health. Take baby steps to make new changes, and before you know it, you will be well on the road to health.

Another Spokane weight loss tool you can put to good use, is starting a good exercise program. I don’t know anyone better suited to helping you with that, than Zach at Physzique in Spokane, Washington.  Zach can not only help jumpstart your new journey to health, but help you figure out the right eating plan for you.

Happy journaling!