I’ve heard many people say that keeping a weight loss journal has helped them to succeed and meet their goals. At the most basic form, a weight loss journal is just a record of your weight each time you get on the scale. You can also include more information, depending on how much you want to track.

While I was losing weight, I kept a very basic weight-loss journal because that’s what I had time for.  Each day that I got on the scale, I’d write down my weight, and then I’d also include my body fat percentage because my scale gives that information. I can’t tell you how nice it was to see my progress every day which in turn motivated me to keep going!

A weight-loss journal can include more than just your weight. Here are a few suggestions of what you might want to include:

• Food – what did you eat each day?
• Exercise – did you exercise? How long and what exercises did you do?
• Calories – besides just listing the food you eat each day, keep track of the calories and fat count.
• Goals – Set attainable goals, and when you reach one, write out another.

My weight-loss journal was simply on a sheet of paper, nothing extravagant. You could use a notebook, keep a document on your computer, or use a free online service like FitDay.com. Include any of the information that you think will help you succeed. If it’s just your weight like I did, or everything listed above, do whatever works best for you because there’s no wrong or right way to do it! The purpose is to do whatever it takes to keep you on track so that you’re able to meet your goals.