You might think I’m being a bit harsh on myself in these journal entries, but I get all of my frustrations out right then and there. I usually stop being upset with myself after a few paragraphs, and then I write some positive goals for the upcoming week on important to focus on what has been negatively and positively affecting.
Keeping a journal of your thoughts and reflections concerning your diet each day is also helpful. No topic that pertains to diets is off-limits. Sample topics might include: Have you been drinking eight glasses of water each day? Did you blow it big time last night at dinner? Have you had a revelation or breakthrough in your diet strategy?
It is important to focus
On what has been negatively and positively affecting your progress each week. Its helpful to review the past weeks journal entries over the weekend or on whatever day you choose. This serves as input to your diet planning process. Throw out what doesn’t work, and welcome whatever does work for you. As you reread your journal, you may be surprised at what you have written. Was that really you who wrote that paragraph three weeks ago? Did you really eat all that in one day? Or My God, Im so paranoid. Youll be amazed at how many states of mind you find yourself in.
Within your own journal
You can do more than write. I like to draw pictures of the restaurants that are safe to visit, and I like to draw pictures of and make lists of the foods that I can and cannot eat, separated by a big thick impenetrable line that I drew and did not dare cross. I even tried to draw an apple fritter at one time, but it didnt look appetizing. It looked more like a poorly groomed, ugly hairpiece, but thats not the point. I knew it was an apple fritter and I knew I couldnt eat it. That type of stuff works for me; you must find out what will work for you.
Remember
However, that the journal wont do the hard work for you. The journal can help you see trends in your eating behavior, but you are going to have to reverse the bad trends on your own. So please learn these lessons well, and if you need to start your diet over, like I have done many times, start over with conviction.
