Weight loss is a multi-dollar industry that affects millions of people. These people range from the individuals who work in this industry to the individuals who use the services of the weight loss industry. At all levels of the weight loss industry, there are tools that are available to help the individual as they travel down this long or usually long road to their “desired” weight. One such tool is a Food and Exercise Journal.
A Food and Exercise Journal is where the individual who is participating in Weight loss programs keeps up with what they eat and how much they exercise on a daily basis. This weight-loss tool is handy when counting calories, fats, and carbohydrates because it has the totals right there in black and white all the individual has to do, look. Food and Exercise Journals are available in paperback and online. Each individual will have to decide which method they wish to use. Both have their pros and cons and when it really gets right down to it, each is an individual preference.
The online Food and Exercise Journal that I use is found at www.fitday.com. This website offers much more than the weight loss journal, but that is what drew me to it. This Food and Exercise Journal is free, all the individual has to do is register for the site. Not a difficult task to accomplish. After registering, click on the profile button if the site does not direct you to that page. Here the individual will enter their height and other particulars. The next stop should be the weight goal button, where the individual will enter the starting weight, starting date, weight goal, and weight goal date. Then they will click on the button that says Update My Weight Goal. Now the individual can click on the weight button at the top of the page, here they will find a box to enter today’s weight. After entering the weight then click on save changes then there will be a box on the bottom of the page that shows the BMI for the individual and explanation for BMI as well as making statements related to that number, such as whether the individual is obese or not and the amount they should weigh. There is also a weight graph and a weight goal graph with this box.
Back at the top of the page, there is a box titled foods, this is where the individual will enter what they have eaten for the day, and then the numbers will be crunched so that the individual will know how they are doing for that particular day. This can be programmed to keep up with the individual’s intake of many things such as calories, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and many other things and will keep a running total for the day. Under the box that has the daily running total of food consumption is another box. This box has charts for different reasons, such as calorie intact, nutrition, and calories are eaten versus calories burned.
The activities button at the top of the page will lead the individual to the area where their exercise is to be entered. Here they can list the activity, the amount of time at that activity, or the distance, and the program will calculate how many calories have been burned from that activity. And once again, there are graphs at the bottom of the page that will show the progress of the individual’s weight loss. Individuals who are involved in a weight loss program must keep in mind that physical activity is important to healthy weight loss.
Losing weight is usually not an easy task, but with the right weight loss tools, it can be more tolerable. A food and activity journal is definitely one of these tools.