Five Ways That Carrying a Notebook Can Help You Diet

When you’re on a diet, it’s the little things which make the difference between success and failure. Ditching a daily soda and a donut is enough to let you lose a pound every week … but similarly, an extra snack or a sneaky nibble here and there will stop you making progress (or even see you piling the weight back on).

When it comes to exercise, most of us neither want nor need to be marathon runners. A half-hour daily walk, and ten minute of stretches during the commercial breaks on TV, is enough to start getting fitter and healthier.

One simple tool that can help you take little steps towards big changes is a notebook. Here are five ways to use it:

1. Your Food Diary

I often emphasize the importance of keeping a food diary – not just because it worked for me, but also because research has shown that it’s a huge factor in many dieters’ success.

A food diary doesn’t need to be elaborate. A simple notebook is enough. You can rule the pages into grids for days of the week and meals, or you can just use one page for each day and jot down everything you eat. If this sounds like too much effort, make a promise to yourself that you’ll try it just for two weeks – and see what difference it makes.

2. Journal

As well as keeping a list of what you ate and when, you can use your notebook as a journal. Many dieters find it helpful to write down how they were feeling when they ate something: perhaps you were stressed so you ended up buying a candy bar, or you were feeling low and miserable and ate a huge helping of fries.

You can also turn to your journal when you want to work out a problem – whether it’s a practical or an emotional one. If you find yourself comfort-eating, try using journaling as a way to express your feelings and to figure out what you really need – it’s not food.

3. Shopping List

On a more prosaic note, you can also use a notebook to jot down a shopping list. If you often come home with foods that you never intended to buy – cookies or chips, perhaps – then making a list can help you stick to your good intentions.

A shopping list also encourages you to plan ahead. If you have all the ingredients for a week of healthy meals, you’ll be much less tempted to get take out on your way home from work.

4. Positive Quotes

Some dieters find that having motivational quotes or their own affirmations helps them to stay focused on their good intentions. How about jotting some of these into your notebook so that you can read them when your will-power is slipping?

• Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. (Jim Rohn)
• A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. (Anon)
• Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one. (Astrid Alauda)
• Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. (Michael Pollan)

You can also make up your own phrases which inspire you. These might be connected with your goal date (“Think of the wedding dress!” or “A new slim me by the New Year”) or they could be to do with your reasons for dieting (“I’ll have more energy for the kids” or “My health is important to me”).

5. Exercise Log

A notebook also makes a great exercise log. If you’re jotting down your exercise sessions in black and white, you’ll have a tool to keep you accountable. You don’t have to be going to the gym: a walk counts, and even housework can be good exercise.

If you’re following an exercise regime, use your notebook to track progress. You could, for instance, jot down how far you ran and how long it took (and watch as those figures improve week on week). If you’re lifting weights or using cardio machines at the gym, keep track of your level and the number of reps done or the amount of time spent.

I’m sure you can come up with even more diet-friendly uses for a simple notebook – let’s hear them in the comments!