Are you always at work? Do you feel like your work is keeping you from the healthy lifestyle you want? There are countless ways that your time spent working can sabotage your plans for a healthy lifestyle. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. A little bit of effort can go a long way if you are taking the time to incorporate a fitness journal into your work routine.

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One way to use a fitness journal is to use it to record your activity and exercise. You may think that you don’t exercise much at work. However, unless you record your activity you can’t know this for sure and you might just be surprised! Consider wearing a pedometer and tracking how much you are actually walking in a day. Worried about what your co-workers will think? Pedometers can be very small and subtle. Tuck one on to your belt loop and it is a safe bet that it will go unnoticed. At the end of the day record your pedometer reading in your fitness journal to see how much walking you really are doing at work.

If you do discover that you are less active at work than you would like to be, there are some easy things you can do. Simple steps like parking at the far end of the parking lot and opting for the stairs instead of the elevator can boost your activity level. If you find yourself at a desk most of the day, consider adding walking to your break time. Rather than staying seated for small breaks take a walk around the office. This will not only increase your activity level but will help you resist having a snack. Don’t forget to record your activity in your fitness journal.

Another thing to consider is exercising during your lunch break. Have a light lunch and then walk some laps in the parking lot. If your office doesn’t have a large parking lot, head to a nearby park or even to a shopping mall. Is your gym nearby? You might have the time to get in a quick workout before heading back to the office. Record your new lunchtime exercise routine in your fitness journal everyday. At the end of the work week, take some time and look back over your entries for the week. You will be surprised at how quickly your exercise has added up!

If it seems impossible to get in any exercise during work, perhaps you can do it when you get off work. That way you won’t have to be self-conscious if you work hard and sweat during your workout because you won’t have to return to work and you can head home to the shower.

If you are lucky enough to work at a company that has a gym in the facility, make use of it, and get in your exercise each day. Then when you go home, you will have the feeling of accomplishment and will most likely have more energy to complete your household tasks, too.

Exercise is beneficial for the health of your heart and other organs but it is also great for increasing your flexibility. Muscles that are flexible help to protect our joints and bones from injury. Keeping your body loose and active through exercise means you’ll be less likely to get hurt. Be sure to bring your fitness journal to the gym if you go, so you can notate all of the exercises that you do.

But exercise isn’t the only thing that you can record in your fitness journal when you are at work. You’ll need to keep track of what you eat while at work too. If you ran by the break room and stuffed a pastry in your mouth, you need to go back to the journal and jot that down. You should write down everything that you eat and drink every single day. If you do miss a day, don’t despair just get right back into it the following day.

You might think this sounds like too much work, but it only takes a few minutes each day and the benefits are astounding. You see, when you write down everything you eat, everything you drink and all of the exercise that you do, you become accountable for your entire fitness program. You claim a serious stake in the outcome of your weight loss endeavor.

When coworkers see you writing in your journal, they may ask you what it’s all about. You don’t have to let them read your journal just explain the benefits that you get from it. Some may laugh and make fun of your attempts, but don’t let them sabotage your efforts. They probably won’t be laughing when they see your wonderful new body.

Nope, most likely they will be asking how you did it. And have you ever noticed that when one person loses weight at work that others jump on the bandwagon and start to lose weight or go on diets or head to the gym. It’s contagious and is the cause of much envy. Those that laughed may be seen carrying their own journals before too long.

Using a fitness journal at work is a wonderful complement to a healthy lifestyle. We are all busy and workdays seem to be especially challenging. By taking a little time and looking for opportunities to exercise, eat healthy and use a fitness journal at work you can work toward a healthy lifestyle.

Dismiss excuses, make a plan and get started. Fitness4Her makes it all easy with a complete diet and fitness program designed for women. A diet that consists of 5 meals a day, an exercise plan to help you get in shape in as little as 30 minutes a day, and a journal to record your results. My journal has helped me come a long way, I believe a fitness journal will help you too. Believe it and achieve it!

Share your journaling at work tips below:

Taking the time to log those workouts in a fitness journal or diary? If not, you may be missing out on an indispensable tool that can keep you on track for ultimate goal achievement.

At the very least, a fitness journal is a systematic organization of the work you’re putting in on yourself. It’s a written record of reps and sets that you do. It keeps track of how much weight you are adding. It can even be a log of your miles, route and time. It can also be a record of the duration and type of any workout, along with the days and frequency of each routine.
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Taking a few extra minutes to jot down workout details can help you focus on your true results. If you use it correctly, a fitness journal can provide the organization and focus that you need to get each workout right, everyday.

Need more motivation? A fitness journal can help you get stronger, longer, leaner and more toned by bringing these and other benefits:

• It can help evaluate each workout and allow you to make adjustments, if needed, you can easily see what’s working and what’s not.
• It can identify symptoms of overworking your muscles—you can write down the activity that you did and the record the effect it had on how you felt and your results.
• It eliminates relying on what can be sometimes-foggy memory. It’s not always easy to completely remember every number of reps with every poundage or the time you spent on each exercise. With the fitness journal, you write it down as soon as you finish the exercise, including the amount of time and intensity of the exercise.
• It helps to give you a great perspective of  how you’re moving toward your goals—what you may need to improve on or change to kick it up a notch for the next workout.

It may seem like too much work to keep a fitness journal, just like it seems like too much work to stretch before and after exercising. Well, both stretching and journaling are the understated champions of a successful fitness program.

Stretching gets your body ready for the physical impact of exercising, just as journaling prepares your mind to form healthy habits and to abstain from bad ones. It is that mind body connection that is paramount to the success of any fitness program.

Successful weight loss depends on this mind body connection. Your mind has to be convinced that it is ready to throw away old unhealthy practices and adapt new ways of eating and exercising. If you can’t convince your mind to go along with your plan, it will be harder for you to achieve your goals. That’s why journaling is so important.

The act of writing is so powerful that it opens your brain to new possibilities. The writing helps to set your brain up to accept new rules and new challenges. Reading your goals, and then making plans to bring them to reality also forms a path for your mind to follow. This is how you help it to accept new habits and that’s what journaling is all about.

Dismissing old ways of eating and welcoming new and exciting ways to stay healthy and get your body in optimum shape, that’s the glory of the fitness journal. I truly advocate keeping a fitness journal, especially if you are trying to lose weight. If you don’t believe me, try it for 90 days and see if it works for you.

I ask you to give it 90 days, because many times, after the first 30 or 60 days of exercising you may lose faith that you are making any headway. This is usually the time that many ladies give up because they don’t think the exercise is helping them in any way. Exercise does help, but you need to change it up every now and then.

Alternate between cardio exercises and strength training, and mix up your activities so you don’t get bored. For proven exercise routines that you can do in 30 minutes, check out the Members Exercise Section for routines from my 30 Minutes To A New You Exercise Program.

Begin each day with positive affirmations and write down your goals for that day. Remember to record everything you eat and drink and all of the activities that you do. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to read over what you ate. You might be surprised at the amount. By paying close attention to your diet, you can make changes before your weight begins to escalate and work harder to take the pounds off,

I recommend journaling as a part of your diet and exercise program. After years of working out, I still keep a fitness journal and encourage all of the ladies that I train to keep one too. It always seems that the ladies who give up before the first 90 days, are those who were not faithful in keeping a fitness journal. I’m telling you that journal will go a long way to encourage you to succeed and all without ever saying a word.

Your fitness journal, a silent witness to your struggles, your achievements, your slip ups and your success. I can’t say it enough, the fitness journal will be you ally, your own personal story of success. What will your story reveal? I guarantee you it will be entertaining and will provide important information that will help catapult you to your goals.

Journalists: Share your journaling ideas in the comment space below:

Have you come to the point that you are ready to get in shape by exercising and eating healthy? Do you desire a healthier lifestyle but feel trapped by bad habits and old behaviors? It’s time to break free of that unhealthy lifestyle and embrace a more active lifestyle and there is no better time than now to get started.
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Too many diseases are related to poor lifestyle, but you can change that by becoming more active. That’s not saying that exercising is going to cure cancer, but it is going to help you fight off other problems that are caused an inactive lifestyle.

A fitness journal can make it all simpler for you to get moving and get healthy. You might be wondering how a journal can make anything easy. Well, it is the secret glue that sticks the diet and exercise together to help you attain successful weight loss and fitness.

First get your self a fitness journal. You can purchase a fancy one or just use a composition notebook. Just have a book that is used for nothing other than recording your fitness. Section off an area to record your goals and begin journaling. Write down your weight, measurements and dress size.

After that, dedicate time to write in your journal every day. Record everything you eat and drink and all of your exercise. Use your journal to challenge yourself to reach higher goals.

So what happens when you get your weight under control to a manageable level? Keeping your weight within the healthy limits will lower your risk of sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart problems, and almost any other disease that is directly related to obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

You are more at risk for a heart attack or stroke when you are sedentary, the chance of one happening is far more likely among sedentary people than those who are moderately active.

Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. Activities such as brisk walking or slow jogging will release more endorphins than a slow pace, but any walking is better than none.

As you lose weight and become more active, you will begin to feel better and more confident. Remember that the body is a machine that consists of mental, spiritual, and physical parts. When you improve one part, you see improvements all over.

But don’t let that be reason to slow down or stop keeping your journal. Nope, you need to be even more vigilant about sticking to your goals. Oh, you can reward yourself for your achievements but get back on track and keep recording everything in your journal.

You can set challenges for yourself with a fitness journal. Set goals for added weights, more advancement on exercises, working with a medicine ball or exercising longer at a higher intensity.

If you aren’t exercising then you’re probably heavier than you want to be. If you’re heavy, then you’re overweight and are more likely to succumb to a weight-related disease like Type 2 diabetes. I want you to get up and get moving.

Keep your fitness journal handy so you can be accurate with all of your entries. It’s easy to get confused about what all you have eaten even after a few hours. Since I eat five meals instead of just three, I need to keep my journal even closer. It seems I’m always writing something in there.

Another important thing to keep track of is the amount of sleep that you are getting every night. You know experts believe there is a direct connection to the amount of sleep we get and our weight. Sleep deprivation can cause weight problems. Women especially, need between seven to nine hours of sleep each night and when they don’t get it, they can put themselves at risk for serious health problems.

If you will be faithful in keeping your journal, you are almost guaranteed weight loss results. But it’s up to you. No one but you can make the commitment to implement change in your life. You have to want to get healthy and you have to be dedicated to your goal in order to succeed.

The best thing is, you don’t have to go it alone. Find a fitness buddy to work out with, get some coworkers to join you on a nice long walk, go for a bike ride with your son or daughter, the important thing is that you get moving.

Learn to play tennis and join a team. There’s a nice chance for socializing with games like tennis and golf and always lots of people looking for someone to play with. But there are many other activities that don’t require a partner. You can go skating, swimming or go for a bike ride by yourself.

Fitness4Her believes in alternating aerobic activities and strength training exercises every other day, six days a week. This schedule will give you the best results for the female figure. My 30 Minutes To A New You Exercise Program will get you in shape in just 30 minutes a day. For some sample routines, check out the Members Exercise Section. Each routine can be performed in 30 minutes.

I’m so glad you’ve come to visit my site. I hope that physical fitness and healthy eating will become part of your lifestyle. I am passionate about helping other women achieve their fitness goals.

Tell us and our readers about your journaling efforts by leaving a comment below:

Contrary to what some may believe, becoming healthy is not a one-person job. There are many ways of reaching out to others for help, such as hiring a fitness coach or joining a group of people to help keep you on track. There’s no denying that having a supporter or someone to whom you’re accountable can be truly helpful in keeping you on the road to success.  There’s no reason, then, that you can’t apply this same principal to your fitness journal.
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What would this support system look like in your fitness journal? Imagine that you’re a reporter, and you’re looking for the scoop on successful weight loss. Look around you; is anyone in the process of becoming fit? Is there, perhaps, someone who has recently completed this journey? If you know people who fit these standards go to them and ask their advice. What are their tips? Do they have any secrets? All these bits of information can be logged in your fitness journal for later reference.

In order to avoid information overload, here are some main topics to seek advice on. First, goal making. Going to someone who has been successful in becoming fit and asking them how they set their goals can be a great way of discovering if you’re being realistic in your own goal making. Unrealistic goals can make your journey to fitness just about impossible, so be sure to talk to your mentor about what a realistic goal is. Also remember to write your achievable goals in your fitness journal; having things set in stone can make your goal seem all the more real.

A second topic of concern is exercising. Not all workouts are created equal, and it’s important to figure out what kind of fitness you’re reaching for. Do you want to build muscle or just slim down? Talking to a person who has experience in exercising can help you define what a good work out would be for you. You can ask a friend or, if you’re a gym member, see if there isn’t someone there who can guide you towards the best routine for you.  Ask them to list a few different options for you, and then write those down in your fitness journal so as to not forget.

A final important question to discuss with a fitness mentor is what a realistic workout would be for you. Vowing to jog for an hour before work is probably not a good idea for someone who isn’t good about getting up in the morning. Have an honest conversation with someone who has been where you are, such as a successful friend, family member, or co-worker, can help you to better understand your personal fitness trek. By taking the time to talk to people who can relate to you and offer you sound advice, and by writing that advice in your fitness journal, you are setting yourself up for a more successful journey.

Fitness journals provide that extra boost of confidence that you need when you are working so hard towards your fitness goals. Not only can you read over the advice you’ve recorded from others, it can give you a place to write all of your thoughts down too. Not only your goals, but also all of the struggles and victories that you feel along the way. The journal is a record of your journey to fitness.

And what an exciting journey that is. Exercise and healthy eating improves your life tremendously and the journal will be your proof as you gain confidence and move with ease. Becoming not only stronger, but also slimmer, trimmer and feeling great.

Even if you don’t use a trainer or fitness mentor, your fitness journal can help to keep you on track. By recording everything you eat and drink and all of the exercise that you do, you have an accurate record to determine what foods and exercise work for you and note any changes that need to be made.

A fitness journal also goes a long way to keep your weight from getting out of hand. If you find that you’ve gained weight, you can examine the circumstances, any new foods or exercise, an increase in stress, or even schedule changes can be the culprit. Careful monitoring of your activities will help to get you quickly back on track.

There are so many benefits to keeping a fitness journal and you’ll probably find when you ask others who have been successful at losing weight and getting in shape, that a fitness journal is an ideal tool. We use tools everyday to make our jobs easier to do, why not use a tool that has proven success like a fitness journal.

You wouldn’t blindfold yourself if you were aiming at a target, so why approach your fitness endeavors blindly? Crack open a fitness journal and get busy. Record your current weight, measurements and dress size. Then set realistic goals for getting in shape.

You can have long term goals and short term goals, weekly goals and daily goals. Don’t be discouraged if it takes you some time to see them come to reality. Be happy with what you have achieved. Reward yourself by acknowledging each milestone along the way. This will keep you positive and will help to ensure your success.

If you do hire a fitness coach or mentor, you might want to share some of the things in your journal. They may help you plan some of your goals and give you tips on ways to achieve them. Sometimes just discussing your fitness goals with someone else will get you revved up and ready to go.
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Once you’ve set your mind to losing weight and getting in shape by eating healthy and exercising, you’ll become more curious about physical fitness. Conversations you have with others, things you read and observe will likely reveal a real interest in fitness because it becomes such a way of life for you.  Your fitness journal can help to advice you every step of the way.

Please share your journaling ideas in the comment space below:

Pregnancy is a very special time. It is a time of excitement, anticipation and joy. It is also a time during which your body experiences dramatic changes. These changes can be overwhelming and some women feel they have lost control of their body. During this time, it is important to remember that this is a normal, natural part of pregnancy. Additionally, your health has never been more important. A useful tool during pregnancy to help maintain a healthy lifestyle is a fitness journal.
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Obviously pregnancy is not the time to be considering a diet to lose weight. It is however a great time to be aware of your health and to monitor it. This can easily be done by using a fitness journal. Even if you have never used a fitness journal before you can benefit from one during your pregnancy. It is a valuable tool that can help you monitor what you are eating, how much you are exercising, and even the changes to your body.

A fitness journal can help you monitor your diet carefully. By simply recording what you are eating in your journal daily you can be more aware of what you are eating and when. This is valuable information for anyone, but especially for a pregnant woman. You will need more calories than ever before in your life. This can make it challenging to eat well. By keeping track of what you are eating you can ensure that you are making wise choices and eating nutritious food.

It is also important to record your activity levels in your fitness journal. Swimming is a wonderful exercise when you are pregnant because you are weightless. The complete body workout that it gives you is very beneficial. Of course, check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.

Although the amount of activity you engage in is very likely to fluctuate throughout your pregnancy it is still important to monitor it. Knowing how active you are and how your activity level is changing is priceless information during pregnancy. It can not only help you make day to day decisions but can also be of great use to your health care providers.

Each pregnancy is different, so keeping a fitness journal during your pregnancy is a wonderful idea. You may want to consider having a special fitness journal for just your pregnancy. Be sure to include notes, thoughts and other information in this journal. Decorate it, add pictures and celebrate your changing physique. If you become pregnant again, you can compare your notes.

This part of your life is very important and will become a memory before you know it. Keeping a fitness journal will be a great memento to treasure for years to come. It will be all about you and baby, before baby was born.

After the baby is born, your body will need a period of rest to heal and rejuvenate. Before you resume your normal fitness routine, consult your physician. If you are given the go ahead for exercising, you can record your meals and activities in your fitness journal. Use this journal to plan your fitness goals too. Be sure to measure yourself before pregnancy, during pregnancy and after pregnancy as well as weighing your self too.

For some women, resuming a regular diet is difficult after the birth of the baby. Having gotten accustomed to additional calories every day, we sometimes find it hard to cut back. Use your pregnancy fitness journal to continue recording your meals and physical activity. By being mindful of what you are eating, you can make food changes so that you eat fewer calories but are not left hungry. The fitness journal can help you monitor your weight loss or gain after a pregnancy too. It’s a great way to stay on top of your health.

Remember to take some time to devote to yourself after the baby comes. Your hormones may be off balance and you may feel anxious or overwhelmed at times. All of these things are normal and will usually pass. Use your journal to unload your mind of these thoughts and feelings and begin making goals for yourself, too.

You’ll want to stay healthy after the baby is born and your diet can help keep you that way. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables everyday, as well as getting enough calcium and protein. Try to avoid processed foods that are high in sugar and sodium. You can keep track of all of this in your fitness journal.

Trying to eat around a baby’s schedule can be challenging. Try eating five small meals instead of three. You won’t get so hungry between meals and if you have to delay eating to tend to the baby you won’t feel like you are starving.

This part of your life is very important and will become a memory before you know it. Keeping a fitness journal will be a great memento to treasure for years to come. It will be all about you and baby, before baby was born.

Clearly there are many benefits to keeping a fitness journal during your pregnancy and after. Not only will it allow you to better monitor your health, but it will also help you to feel in more control of the many changes that come with pregnancy.

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