10 Amazing Benefits of Having a Weight Loss Journal

Have you always thought about starting a weight loss journal? These are the top 10 amazing benefits of having a weight loss journal and why you need to start one as soon as possible.

This post is all about weight loss journals.

Weight loss journals have been a staple piece in the health and fitness industry since the beginning of time. If you anything like me and are trying to lead as healthy of a lifestyle as possible, you are researching the habits of other very healthy and fit people to find out what they are doing to potentially implement some of their strategies in their own routine. As a busy girl, I love to be as time efficient as possible getting the most useful information in the shortest amount of time. To make your search easier, I have compiled a list of the top benefits of having a weight loss journal to share with you that has been proven to be instrumental in improving people’s health, including my own.

You are going to become the expert on all of the incredible benefits that having a weight loss journal can bring, including weight loss journal ideas, weight loss journal template, online weight loss journal and more.

Once you’ve learned all of the life-changing benefits a weight loss journal will provide, you are no longer going to be wondering why so many of the top health and fitness professionals swear by and use them religiously.

Weight loss journal benefits:

1. Reduces Stress – Studies have shown that the act of writing down your thoughts and feelings can provide stress relief immediately. Journaling is a coping mechanism commonly used in therapy to help people work through their emotions and release some of the pent up stress, anger or anxiety that has built up over time. As mentioned in previous posts, higher amounts of stress can be detrimental to your health because it increases the level of cortisol in your body. Plateaus in weight loss oftentimes come from having an increase in stress and cortisol. Getting into the habit of taking a small amount of time daily to practice stress-reducing habits like journaling can significantly help break through any plateaus brought on by stress.
2. Promotes Goal Setting – One of the other topics discussed frequently on Thoughts of a Blonde is how important it is to not only set goals, but to make sure they are SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Setting realistic goals is one of the most important parts of any weight loss journey, because if your goals are not achievable, you are not only setting yourself up for failure but you are also setting yourself up for a lot of disappointment and negative self-thinking.
3. Processes Feelings – If you are anything like me, you may find that sometimes you may not want to talk to or confide in a close friend or family member about some of the struggles you are facing. However, keeping these thoughts and feelings inside can build up over time and lead to increased tension and stress, which is not something anyone wants. Having a weight loss journal gives you the space to write down and process everything you may be feeling during your weight loss journey. Giving your mind the ability to release some of those thoughts will provide the chance for you to work through your struggles.
4. Builds Intentionality – If you’re wondering, “what does intentionality mean?” By definition, to create intentionality is the act of being deliberate or purposive. By writing down your goals, you are taking something that is imagined and turning it into something tangible, essentially enforcing the law of attraction. By writing down your thoughts, you are bringing your wants and ideas from the creative world into the real world. This is the first step in making your dreams become a reality. Consistently writing down and voicing your intentions, your mind is actively thinking about and working towards the changes you are wanting to see and make in your own life.
5. Reduces Feelings of Loneliness – While this may seem unexpected, sometimes writing out your feelings can feel like you are talking to the best friend you can ever imagine having: yourself. No one will ever be kinder to you than you can be to yourself, and no one can give you the level of happiness and support than you have the ability to give yourself. Taking the time to talk to yourself and work to bring out the friend in you that loves you and wants you to succeed more than anything will continuously reinforce the habit of positive self-talk.
6. Increases Awareness and Accountability – Regardless of where you are at in your fitness journey, awareness and accountability are two things people struggle with the most. Why? As humans, we are designed to move towards things that make us feel comfortable and at ease. Losing weight and seeing progress with health and fitness goals causes unease, uncertainty and is not comfortable. However, progress begins at the end of your comfort zone and this is where you will need to continuously push yourself to be in order to see progress: outside of your comfort zone. When our bodies naturally want to revert to a state of comfort, it’s imperative to have measures in place that will not only keep us aware of our daily thoughts and actions but also keep us accountable at the end of every day in terms of how much progress we are actually making. If we are not continuously writing down and working towards our goals, it can be very easy to push into the backs of our minds.
7. Can Help Solve Problems – If you ever notice that you are starting to plateau with your progress, this is where the weight loss journal will shine. The journal is a fantastic way to see exactly what meals, workouts, sleep, water and even stress patterns have happened over the course of several weeks. You will be able to look back and see when was the time you saw the most progress and when you saw the least amount of progress. You may be surprised when you find that something as small as not drinking as much water over the last few days was the reason for your plateau.
8. Monitors and Tracks Progress – pretty self explanatory, the main reason for journaling! Tracking progress is a fantastic way to make sure you are staying on top of your goals and staying on track with your progress. Just the thought of knowing you will have to sit down and write out your progress at the end of every day will help you subconsciously stay on track with your meals and workouts throughout the day.
9. Captures Journey – one of the most important parts of the process is the act of documenting and keeping track of your journey. When you are consistent with your weight loss journal, it is easy to see the level of progress that you’ve accomplished over time.
10. Act of Self-Care – When you think of self-care, it is usually recommended in times where we are in need of comfort. On days when we are feeling down or unmotivated, taking the time to express those thoughts and feelings in a very safe space, free from judgement, and taking the time to really acknowledge how your inner self is feeling, you are practicing one of the best habits of self-care.

This post was all about the best benefits of having a weight loss journal.

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