This month on Sweat Unfiltered, I’m coaching the group through a month long challenge revolving around journaling. The exercise is ultimately done to help people see that while diet books, food magazines, and meal plans may all have their place in lifestyle change, it’s all meaningless if you aren’t really aware of WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE TRYING TO FIX!!
Long ago, way before Sweat was even a seed in my brain, I started logging and journaling both food and workouts. I had no set agenda. I was simply new to the fitness game and wanted to organize my thoughts.
Hell, even today…take a look at my table right now…how many notebooks does it take…right???
Little did I know then that all that playful logging and writing had a real purpose in formulating how I made changes in my food and routine. As I felt more “expert” in what I was doing, I logged and wrote less but still return to this practice if I feel out of sorts or am starting something new.
It has been no secret that journaling is what helped me realize two years ago that the reason I was not seeing the results I wanted in my workouts was b/c emotional binge eating had entered my weekly routine several times a week. There I was trying to figure out macros and calories and the reality was it wasn’t really the type of foods I was eating. I was honing in on the wrong problem.
Journaling helped me reflect. Journaling helped me see a pattern. Journaling is what helped me find a solution.
Hence the November Challenge at Sweat.
I know…many of you were hoping for a NO CANDY! or NO ALCOHOL CHALLENGE. Something truly #hardcore that you could totally IG and FB about and people would be like Wow, check this out… Deprivation is awesome!
Not my style. No what I promote anymore. Plus, I want to help you get TO THE ROOT of the problem. I want to give you great workouts that build muscle and rev up your metabolism but I also want to be present in your kitchen and in your grocery stores. I want you to understand the INTENTIONS BEHIND YOUR ACTIONS.
So here is a sneak peek at my Gratitude/Food Journal for the November Challenge so you see
- I practice what I preach
- You are never so “expert” at your journey you can’t stop learning
- It’s easy. It’s brief. It’s effective.
All you have to do is write 3 things about how you FEEL about your food choices. You can get more detailed if you want, but if you are like me, I don’t need “bonus” work to keep me busy while I do homework. Give me the meat and potatoes and if I can do more I will.
After you jot down your food thoughts, take the time to write down 3 things you are grateful for. Food is stressful and emotional and we judge ourselves like crazy when it’s around. I want you to end your day, your thought process, giving THANKS b/c no matter how crappy you feel about your food choices, there is a BIGGER PICTURE in your life. There is family, there is kindness, there are simple things in this world that brought life and love into our lives that we should recall and remember.
And, btw, it’s the gratitude part of the journal that will keep you writing. The food part of the journal is where the self discovery takes place.
Join the Sweat Unfiltered email list if you want to interact w/ me throughout the challenge or get more direct coaching. http://bit.ly/1NrQD6
