Pick Up Your Pen and Lose Weight!

Although every dieter knows that keeping food records is a key to permanent weight loss, few understand the importance of also keeping an "emotional journal." In fact, one dieter lost 100 pounds, thanks in part to the insights gained through daily journaling.

Dieting for weight loss can be as simple as keeping that food diary, or (the more challenging) dipping into the dark waters of the psyche. For example, which emotions motivate, sabotage, side-track, or inspire? Which people are supportive, which ones undermine your focus with snide remarks or constant invitations to ice cream? All will be revealed inside your private journal.

Of all the journal exercises for gaining insight, a favorite is the "Letter to My Body." In this exercise, the dieter actually pens a letter to self, being as honest as possible. A sample might be "Dear Fat Body, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I hate your rolls of fat on me, I hate that my knees hurt, I hate that you'd rather have a Danish than let me feel good about myself. I hate that you've been good all day and I know that tonight you'll be a pig."

What does that type of letter accomplish? For many-instead of adding to an already huge portion of self-loathing-it provides a powerful way of recognizing and reversing trigger situations. In this example, when nighttime does come and the journaler heads for the pint of Ben and Jerry's, there's a good chance the letter will be remembered. And, an even better chance that instead of eating a pint, some or none will be chosen.

Journaling to lose weight also involves writing about how your food choices will make you feel tomorrow when you get on the scale, or when you sit down to journal again. And, as you write these letters to self, you'll quickly begin to connect the dots, and track the ways in which everyday life impacts your food choices.

Keeping a journal will also help with weight loss because it's almost impossible to get to know yourself on a deep, intimate level and then continue with self-destructive behavior. Fortunately, we're just not made that way.
So tonight, instead of settling in with a pizza and beer, take some time to write a letter to yourself and analyze what your hunger is really about. I guarantee you, it isn't food.

Patti Testerman is content manager at http://JournalGenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Want to discover self-defeating patterns, or find better ways to communicate in a relationship? Check out our site.

---

Diet Soda: New Study Shows Relationship Between Diet Soda and Weight Gain

A very interesting story was reported recently by WebMD.com. A... Read More

Advanced Body Acceptance: The Secret To Weight Loss Success

Self-acceptance and body love can be tough concepts to grasp... Read More

I Think I Have an Eating Disorder and Want to Stop

An eating disorder is a life threatening condition that often... Read More

Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson #12

Are you just exploding with the presence of light all... Read More

High Protein Diets Can Have a ?Bad? Impact on Your Career

With all the excitement regarding high protein diets, one area... Read More

To Lose Weight, Feed Your Brains

When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More

Spring Forage

Thankfully, winter does not last forever! In the spring there... Read More

Obesity, Whats The Big Deal Part 4

In this issue, I am going to focus more on... Read More

Do You Know These Tricks To Help Conquer Food Cravings?

Food cravings are crafty -- they appear from nowhere and... Read More

Conventional Dieting Wisdom That Works for WLS Patients

In many cases conventional dieting wisdom simply doesn't work for... Read More

South Beach Diets and Fast Food Franchises

Franchised Business Models and American Diets could be at odds.... Read More

The Three Simple Steps to Fat Loss

More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that... Read More

Five Tips for Easy Weight Loss!

Weight loss is a hot topic among people today, especially... Read More

Food Cravings: Use EFT to Learn Patience

Food Cravings: How to Practice PatienceDuring holidays and parties you... Read More

Fat Burners: The Biggest Rip-Off of the Weight Loss Industry?

Fat burners have become very popular in today's society, especially... Read More

The Secret of Weight Loss

In the medical community, "obesity" is generally said to be... Read More

Top 10 Points of Encouragement for Weight Loss

On the road to weight loss, fitness, and health,... Read More

NotOneOunce -- Junk at the Office

After the post-Halloween sugar surge, everyone coaches you to get... Read More

Weight Loss with Non Fat Foods? More is NOT Better!

Studies show that most Americans are fifteen percent fatter today... Read More

Staying Toned After Weight Loss

Staying Toned After Weight Loss Following significant weight loss,... Read More

Diet & Weight Loss Tips: How To Stop Eating Junk Food By Finding Your Craving Hour

Even if you're not overweight, you still could have a... Read More

The True Weight Loss Approach ? Five Step Common Sense Plan!

Some of you will not like what I have to... Read More

To Diet or not to Diet, That Should Be The Question!

Diet information is everywhere. In advertisements, on TV, in magazines;... Read More

How To Burn Fat Fast: Go For Speedy-Burn, Not Crash-Burn

How to burn fat fast is a question that burns... Read More

Get Started Exercising Now, But Take It Easy!

So you're overweight, "fat"--to be honest--and you want to start... Read More

Making the Food Pyramid Work After Weight Loss Surgery

A "normal-tummy" looks at the food pyramid from the bottom... Read More

Lose Weight - Find Hidden Calories

If it seems that you have been eating as usual... Read More

Mamma Said: Keep Your Fingers Out Of Your Mouth

Watching television exercises our eyes but nothing else. Unfortunately, it... Read More

Top 10 Diet Tips From Diet Winners

Use these tips to turbo charge your weight loss program.Take... Read More

Feeling Tired? Cant Lose Weight? Tap Into Protein Power!

You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More

Mediterranean Diet - Lose Weight Quickly, Easily & Safely

If you are looking for a way to lose fifty... Read More

Resistance Training First; Fat Burning Second for Weight Loss

Most men and women that I have trained over the... Read More

Want to Succeed on Your Diet, Find a Diet Buddy

If you're like most people who tried losing weight on... Read More