Workout Log And A Food Diary

To succeed in dieting, keep a workout log and a food diary.

When you have made a commitment to yourself to lose weight, you will need to equip yourself with every tool and technique so you will be successful. This is particularly true if you are trying to lose a substantial amount of weight. You'll have to follow through in order to achieve your goals. It is very disheartening if you fall off the wagon while your trying to diet. Sometimes it just feels like it's too long of a road to haul. There are two vital tools that will make the difference between your success or failure. These are the workout log and a food diary.

Not following your exercise program and Cheating on your diet plan are at the root causes of all unsuccessful weight loss plans. You will need a workout log and food diary to keep you focused and honest. Keep you logs simple. All you'll need is a pocket sized spiral notepad, that you can carry around in your pocket or purse.

It's a good idea to start your food diary before you begin your diet. Most successful dieters have stated that keeping a food diary was instrumental in their weight loss success. The weight you are trying to lose today grew on you over time, one bite at a time. A bag of potato chips, a can of soda, or a candy bar are too easy to forget. You get it, eat it, and don't think about it anymore. However,those three innocent snacks you ate without giving a second thought, will easily add up to 800 calories or more!

So, get that food diary ready and write down everything that goes in your mouth for a week before you begin your diet. When you have a strong craving for a candy bar, but resist, write this down with an asterisk (*). This way you'll know that you wanted it but didn't eat it. At the end of every day, add up both the calories you did and did not eat. This will give you a benchmark for your diet program and provides you with valuable information on where you went wrong.

Your workout log, which is as important as the food diary, will keep you focused on your exercise program. Let's say you have decided to follow one of the 8 minute exercise programs, with four sessions each day. Without a workout log, in the middle of your busy day, it is very easy to lose track of just how well you followed the program. Try using just one page in your workout notebook for each day and write in those four sessions at the beginning of the day and continue to mark them off as you complete each one. Don't cheat or forget. Your mission is accomplished. You'll also recieve a psychological boost, because by sticking with your exercise plan, you'll feel a sense of pride and achievement .

The workout log will also give you a chance to write down any other forms of exercise that you are able to complete each day, which you might have otherwise over looked or not done. Did you walk up three flights of stairs today? Vacuum your whole house, which took two hours? Walk to the corner store? Every one of these activities burns calories! Right next to each log entry, write down the calories burned. You'll be surprised at how fast it all adds up, similar to the calories you ate in all those little snacks. The difference is, calories burned is weight you have lost, not weight gained.

Similar to the gold stars on a kid's report card, these extra activities might encourage you to become more active. You'll begin to see your exercises as a bonus rather than a chore you have to do.

How can you calculate how many calories you burn in all of these daily activities? There are a variety of charts available online which provide estimates for almost anything you can possibly think of, from time of vacuuming to running distance. Fill out a comprehensive list, print it and then attach it to your workout log.

Armed with commitment, determination, a food diary and a workout log, you will become a success story!