“Losing weight is 80% what you put in your mouth and 20% what you do in the gym.”
Think about that for a moment. 80% of what you do in terms of reshaping your body is the food choices you make. So, what would be my #1 tip for controlling 80% of your fat loss battle? JOURNALING!
There is absolutely no excuse for not journaling. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch. We live in an age where you can do everything from jotting your food down in a tiny spiral notebook to recording every macronutrient into a fancy spreadsheet and then seeing a pretty pie chart spit out.
Journaling is one thing I bust my clients rumps on left and right. In fact, when they quit journaling I know it because they simultaneously quit emailing me and then they start gaining weight. It’s amazing how weight gain and non-journaling go hand-in-hand.
My usual stance is tough love. If you are trying to lose fat and aren’t going to journal, you aren’t going to commit to the program, and if you aren’t going to commit to the program, then let’s part ways so the next person who wants to commit can do it. Sounds tough, but it’s my way of sending the signal that it’s time to dig deep and start using the tools I’ve given you. People need encouragement AND they need to know when you smell bull crap on their breath.
Are you in this boat right now? Have you lost your motivation, your fat loss mojo, or your enthusiasm for the long road ahead of you? It’s so hard to pull yourself out of those cycles but your first steps have to include journaling. Here are my tips for keeping a good journal that will focus you and get you moving in the right direction:
1. Make it as simple or as technical as you want but make it a version you are willing to do. I’m a mix of both. I keep my journal here on the blog, but to me it’s like virtual paper.
2. Commit to three weeks of solid journaling no matter what you eat. Even if you aren’t ready to change the foods at least be willing to face the music. You’ll be amazed at how just knowing and seeing what you are eating will straighten your rump up.
3. At the top of every page of your journal write your goal statement. Your goal statement should be short and sweet but clearly define what you want. My current goal statement is simple: Eat to fuel and nothing else and you’ll have the body of your dreams. This reminds me that I am eating to satisfy my nutrient needs and not to satisfy my hormones, my friends, my co-workers, my family, or my emotions. It also reminds me that I want a rocking hard body and Ben and Jerry’s isn’t the path to quadzilla legs and sculpted shoulders.
Easy enough, right? After you do this you can start thinking about planning your meals in advance and such. That’s my personal mini-goal for the next month: plan my weekly meals in advance so that I take the thinking right out of eating. Pure, simple, and successful.