I am a firm believer that writing stuff down – thoughts, goals, to-do items, meal plans, birthdays – not only helps reinforce them in your brain, but also makes them more likely to happen. I like to spend 10 minutes on Sundays and write down stuff that I know has to happen during the week and schedule it in, and then spend about 30 minutes or so planning out each one of my meals and snacks, what we babes trying to lose weight like to call “meal planning.”

Meal planning sounds scary and daunting, but honestly, it makes the rest of the week so much easier for me. You know when you get home from work and your hubby or kids ask the dreaded question: “What’s for dinner?” Instead of staring at each other and saying “I don’t know” back and forth a million times… now you can know! I love looking over at my bulletin board or pulling up my plan on my phone and knowing exactly what I will be cooking and about how long it will take, and since I made my plan on Sunday and then turned into it a grocery list, I have all the items at the house already!

The next hurdle is actually sticking to that plan, which can be easier said than done. It is SO EASY to walk by that cookie jar and grab just one each time, or convince yourself that that extra serving of mashed potatoes will be ok, but ladies, those calories add up! Now I keep a journal with me pretty much at all times and as soon as that food goes in my mouth I write it down. It helps me actually SEE and REMEMBER what I have eaten, but also makes me realize how badly I don’t want to write “3 cookies” down in my journal.

Wanna see what I eat in a typical day?

Here is my journal from today:

M1: cafe latte shakeology + 1/2 frozen banana + 1 tbsp pb2

M2: grilled chicken on a salad + green peppers, red onions, cucumbers + drizzle all natural creamy ranch dressing

M3: 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt + 1 tsp honey + 1/2 diced apple + sprinkle of cinnamon

M4: chia seed pudding + 1 tbsp chopped pecans + 1 tbsp sliced almonds + 1 tsp cacao nibs

M5: baked chicken parmesan + sweey & spicy cauliflower

(Forgot a picture!!! 😢)

I try to eat 5 smaller meals spread evenly throughout the day with a balance of fruits, vegetables, protein, healthy fats, healthy carbs, and seeds/dressings. This keeps me feeling full all day and really prevents my late-night binging as well as fuels my body with the nutrients it needs!

 

I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse inside of my daily food journal and why I believe putting pen to paper is key to success! If you want to know more about the daily journal I use for food/water tracking, as well as scheduling, to-do lists, and exercise/sleep tracking, leave me a comment and I can do a little review on that as well!