Are You Willing to Own Up?

The Art of Journaling 

A while back I mentioned keeping a fitness / weight loss journal.  Today I wanted to dive a little deeper into the art of journaling and how it can help you on your journey to a fitter, more fab you.

What do we journal? Anything your heart desires, really. Your workouts, your emotions, your food, drink, and your sleep (aka rest).

If you are looking to take down your body fat % or make a change in your weight,  a well kept, brutally honest journal will help decipher what changes you need to make to meet your goals.  Without your journal, we are left with no idea of what needs to change. Are you willing to own up? Are you willing to jot it ALL down?

You eat healthy right? You work out 3 to 5 times a week. But you still find you are stuck in this place you don't want to be.  Insert your journal here.  Turning back page by page in your journal you may find you are working out too hard, not getting enough carbs and protein, and really not getting enough rest or sleep.  Hmmmmm....

Journals allow you to see just what you are up to, the little things we tend to forget about tomorrow. Journals don't forget! You write lists for the grocery store, so why not jot down your workouts and meals? Are you having a light bulb moment yet? 

We can start.  That is what our homework a week ago was....journal everything. Tracking honestly may be the only thing you need to change.  Some find if they have to write down everything they put into their mouth, they get serious and the weight starts to drop. Yeah!! Or some of us may find we track and we see 80% effort, by missing workouts, or eating stuff  "off" the plan. (More on the plan to come in a future post.) The journal shows us what we simply don't remember happening. Tip: As you enter brutally honest posts into your journal, simply put a big X by the items that are "off" plan.  This offers a great visual to easily see at a quick glance when you have missed.  The fewer X's in your journal, the tighter you are to the "plan".

My story:
Back in late 2008 I took a long hard look at myself.  What I saw was an athlete who got lazy. Motherhood hit and family obligations prohibited maintenance of my fit physique, one I'd had since childhood.  For two weeks I went to Everyday Health online and entered everything I ate.  What I learned quickly was that my diet was lacking good fuel and I was taking in processed junk.  I learned I didn't eat a lot of calories and that I didn't eat often enough. I worked out 3 to 5 times a week on the elliptical, working my way up to 60 minutes straight.  I was the endurance queen but I still fought softness all down my backside and legs. My upper arm circumference was growing and not in a good way, flabby and soft. The arm skin flaps that wave back at you when you wave to your friends. I used to joke about them.  I picked up a book on weight training for women and got off the elliptical. I started lifting weights and eating clean.  My metabolism skyrocketed again, with my growing muscle base and the good fuel I fed my body every 3 hours.  I hired trainers to help, and whaa-la! Here I am, stronger than I think I ever have been, and wearing skinny jeans in sizes I never dreamed I'd get into. 
I have since joined forces with Jodi at Modelper4mance to help me fine tune my physique with proper nutrient timing and workouts designed to build my muscle mass.  I continue to journal everyday, my workouts, my meals, my rest, my weight, my emotions.  I have learned to plan ahead a week with my meals and my cheat snacks, so those too don't take me off course. Staying on track also means giving a little. I allow myself one "fun" meal a week of my choice. As Jodi puts it, what I want right now! One other little rule I now follow is: If I have a bad day, or one of those days meant to celebrate, a special occasion, etc. That's OK, but never two days in a row. Or in other words, do not take the whole weekend off from your "plan".

If you struggle to get the results you want, journal. If you are short on time, journal.  If you are working hard but not seeing results, journal. Journal to see all that you are forgetting.

Be Well