From Start to Fitness: Lifestyle log reveals good, bad choices
Q: My friend recently met with a personal trainer after joining a new fitness center, and she was asked to begin keeping a daily lifestyle log. The log is supposed to keep track of her nutrition and other activities throughout the day. After a week she is supposed to turn in the log so she can discuss it with her trainer. Would keeping a lifestyle log benefit me? I’m trying to become healthy and lose a little weight.
A: Maintaining a journal or lifestyle log is a very effective way to stay committed to your fitness goals and to have a written account tracking the process. Although not a new concept, the traditional food log can be modified to include exercise, activities and other components necessary to a healthy lifestyle.
Many fitness professionals are asking clients to keep logs so they can to get a snapshot of what is happening with their clients when they’re not meeting with them, and to better help them develop realistic goals.
Developing or maintaining a healthy lifestyle includes factors not often realized. The traditional nutrition logs/journals include monitoring eating habits by keeping track of calories, portion sizes and fluid intake. Lifestyle logs also include daily exercise completed, hours of sleep per day, activities outside of organized exercise — such as playing with your children or walking the dog — and levels of perceived stress.
Noting on a scale of 1 to 10 how well you feel with each lifestyle component is also helpful. For example, if you only got five hours of sleep, you would note whether you felt well-rested, fatigued or tired throughout the day.
After keeping a log for a few days of normal activity, the results can be used to help make changes to your current nutritional and lifestyle routines to help you reach your goals. You might be amazed at how just a few tweaks can make a major difference. You can also keep past logs as a guideline for you to see what worked and what did not work for you.
Withholding information is only going to keep you from reaching your goals – it is most important to be honest. Lifestyle logs can also be used to hold yourself accountable. Knowing you will have to write down a poor lifestyle choice might make you think twice before doing it.
Whether you are meeting with a fitness professional or managing your own fitness program, keeping a lifestyle log can be an extremely useful tool, and might be the missing link in developing a healthy lifestyle.
Always consult a physician before beginning an exercise program. Andrea Renee Wyatt, M.S.S., C.S.C.S., is a certified personal trainer with an extensive background in strength and conditioning as well as therapeutic recreation.