Using Old-Fashioned Paper Tracking in a Planner to Lose Weight

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Every year, I write about losing weight. Every year, I fail.

Why'd you keep reading if you know a failure is about to give you advice? I bet it's because I am not alone, right? ;)

I've tried it all.

Tracking all calories in my planner and eating whole foods only.

Failed. Ate an Oreo two hours later. Then, since the bag was open, well...{clears throat and changes subject}.

Spent 3 hours entering foods and recipes into a calorie-counter app. 3 hours, y'all! On the sofa, not moving. 

My Fitbit stats were LOW that day.

We shall never speak of The Great Cheese Fry Incident of 2013. Never.

So I did what I do. I looked at what worked and what failed. Using that information, I noted what had worked at least for a time.

WRITING IS A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REMINDER TO MAKE WISE CHOICES

I always failed with electronic tracking of calories and exercise, no matter how good the app happened to be. I wasn't getting the physical and mental burst that happens when I write something down.

Writing down calories and exercise worked. It always worked, time after time.

I had failed, but the failures correlated with either tracking calories on-line or with writing down so much detail that I couldn't keep up.

KEEPING RECORDS AVAILABLE AND SIMPLE SUPPORTS GOOD CHOICES

Even after realizing that writing (physically, with a pen and paper) helps, the recordkeeping needed to take minimal time or I wouldn't make time to do the writing that was pushing me towards success.

Keeping a simple calorie, exercise, and weight tracking chart on graph paper in my planner means that I can stay constantly aware of my actions.

I made my chart using AT-A-GLANCE Planning Note Cards, but any graph paper would do. I like how the note cards have slightly heavier paper, really small graph squares, and an edge for where I hole punch them. They fit in my FranklinCovey Compact perfectly, but would also fit a Filofax Personal with a little trimming.

As you can see in the photo (above), I am tracking calories (see red arrow), exercise (see green arrow), and weight (see brown arrow) right in my planner, so it is always with me.

SUCCESS SHOULD BE VISUAL TO GIVE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

I use simple Xs to mark the calories.

X = 100 calories

/ = 50 calories

I add up each meal. I round up or down as needed, so a meal of 435 calories is XXXX/, a meal of 455 calories is XXXXX, and a snack of 15 calories is free. Of course, if I have several 15 calories snacks, I add them together.

TIP: Put a single dot in the square to show a quick snack of less than 50 calories. Add them up when they hit 50 or more.

The visual sight of days when I struggle and days when I succeed is created by the Xs. That obvious view of my progress helps me want to succeed.

Each little line (see the red arrow) indicates 500 calories. I try to stay between 1,500 and 2,000, but you might have a different goal.

This works for other things, too.

Write an X for every 100 words (or 500 words) of your novel that you put onto paper.

Write an X for every 5 minutes of working out.

Write an X for every 10 minutes of housework. 

This is the year, y'all. Now go share this post and, for the love of all that is good, HIDE those Oreos!

Etcetera.

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Partied at: A Little R and R, Wordless Wednesday, Work It Wednesday, Healthy Living, Friday Favorites, Weekend Blog Hop, Grace at Home, Fitness Friday