The Importance of a Meal Plan and Keeping a Food Journal

If you ever come to my house, take a ride in my car, or rummage through my purse you will find yellow sticky notes and “To-Do” lists everywhere! I love my lists and I have been a list maker since I was a teenager. Most of us juggle many responsibilities and for me, I find it effective to make lists in order to help me stay organized. What many people don’t realize is how important this tool can be in reaching their fitness goals, not just their daily tasks. One of my coaches in high school told me, “ if you fail to plan, you plan to fail ” and this has stuck with me ever since.

When I am trying to reach a particular fitness goal, I will take a few minutes for myself in the evening and plan my workout and meals for the next day. I find this helps me to stay focused when I get really busy and by having a plan, I don’t have to put much thought into what I am supposed to eat at a particular time. I simply refer to my food log and follow the plan. Have you ever noticed when you are busy how easy it is to skip a meal and find yourself ravenously hungry hours later, only to blow your diet by indulging something that is not a part of your diet plan? This is where making a plan for your meals prior to starting your day can be very helpful. By making a decision about what you will eat the day before, there will be no question about what you are to eat, helping you to reach your goals. How can you possibly expect to get rock hard abs or a tight booty if you aren’t following a plan? !

Food journaling can also be very helpful if you find that you are not making any progress towards your particular goal. By referring to your food log, you can identify any areas that you can improve such as late night snacking, skipping meals or having snacks in the early part of the day.

I have included the exact food log I use as I think it may be a handy little tool for those of you interested in starting a food journal. This food log has two columns and to use it, simply print it out, write down your planned meals for the next day, and write down what you actually eat that day. There is even a section to help you track your water consumption, and we know how important that is for fitness! I have a spreadsheet similar to this that I make copies of and keep in a three ring binder. I told you I was organized!

Good luck in achieving all your fitness goals and dreams! I love getting your feedback and questions! You can get in touch with me at: Gillian.Risebury@1stphormcom!

Gillian

Click Here to Download Gillian’s Food Journal Log (PDF)

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