Tips for Keeping a Food and Exercise Journal

Food Journaling is one of the most important daily habits you must keep to help you lose weight and change your eating habits. It helps keep you accountable for what you eat. A cookie here, a piece of chocolate there, add up fast. When you have to write it all down, you may decide you don't want to waste extra points, and you may opt for a healthy low point snack instead. If you are REALLY serious about weight loss, you need to start journaling. And you must be honest and write everything down.


If you journal everything you eat everyday, you will start to see where you are making mistakes, where you can cut down on points, and how you can alter your meals. After the first week it becomes very easy because we often have a routine, so most meals, you will have the points memorized. I like to keep my old journals so I can go back and reference the points if I am eating the same meal.

It is recommended that you drink 6 cups of water a day. Writing it down also helps you to remember to drink, which many of us often forget to do. Each time I drink a cup, I cross it off my list.

Another great idea is to write down your hunger level before and after you eat. This way you can realize when you are eating because you are hungry or eating out of boredom.

I have attached a sample of the journal I made for myself. I keep mine by my computer at work all day. I try to keep my points low all day so I can have a nice dinner. I also go to the gym, so I keep that into account in my journal. If I know I am going to eat more than my daily points allow, I will be more determined to work out and burn those points without feeling guilty for eating. Feel free to copy this food journal I have created and print several copies and start using it today. Click on the image to enlarge and print.