Motivation Monday: What I've Learned

For once, not my thoughts.  These are from a client who successfully completed 15 days straight of food journaling.  Right, only 15 days.  Why not take it slow at first to build success?  I've found that linking a number of days to journaling makes it more successful because there's 1) an ending and 2) small days linking all 15 together for the bigger goal.  It makes it less likely that you will skip journaling for a day because then it would throw the whole program off yet 15 days isn't a huge overwhelming number.

The note is from day 11 of her food journaling process.  She went on to complete the full 15 days and yup, you guessed it!  She lost weight.  3 pounds to be exact.   I tell you, food journaling works every single time.  Written below is her response to my question of what she has been learning as she's been journaling.  I thought her answers insightful and motivational.

Hi Mandy,

So, I've been thinking about what you asked me yesterday and what I've learned from this "journaling" experience.

#1 and probably the most important is...I CAN do it. It WON'T kill me. And the world keeps spinning when I go over the calorie number I am hoping for.

#2 I think it makes me more conscious of eating. I am somehow accountable to myself.

#3. I feel successful in my eating, like it is under control and I can still eat a LOT of food and maintain my calorie count.

#4. I don't have to be hungry to eat properly.

#5. I can do ANYTHING for 15 days. :)

#6. It makes me excited to exercise and see the calories that I burn versus the calories I consume.

I have found that food is really important to me. I love it. I don't want to starve myself. I have learned that I am really emotionally attached to food. Some of that is bad, but some is okay. I like food. I enjoy it. When I feel like I have to "diet" I get really sad because I hate the thought of being hungry and eating only salad and grilled chicken. I haven't done that. I have eaten pizza and burgers sometimes. I've had ice cream. I know I can't do it all the time, but I have found that I am able to have these things once in a while.

I have found that I am making better choices.

I guess it's been an enlightening few weeks for me. This program I am using is really helpful for me. Journaling in the past has just been a big self shaming mechanism for me, and somehow this makes it really impersonal and just information for me to use.


Anyway....those are my thoughts for now. I have a lot more, but this is what I felt like talkin' about today. :) Today is day 11. I'll send it to ya when I'm done! Four more to go, and tomorrow is my own personal weigh in.


Have a great one!