Keeping an Inspiration Journal

If you aren’t familiar with my background, let me give you a quick recap.

I love food. LOVE. I have never been extremely overweight, but after I was married and had kids, my weight slowly crept up. I ate to calm stress, I ate to celebrate good news, I ate when I was sad, I ate when I was bored, I ate when I was lonely…you get the point. Whatever I was feeling, I tended to express in the kitchen (or the drive thru!).

I’ve known this habit needed to change. I started and stopped dozens of times. I’ve tried many of the gimmicks and plans out there and they work, for a short time. But then the real issue was always still there.

Last year, I decided to tackle the root of the problem, which wasn’t a physical issue at all. The bigger issue was a spiritual one- a heart issue. Once I realized that, something clicked inside of me and I determined that 2013 would be THE LAST year I would make the same resolution as all the years before ‘to get skinny’, and that instead I WOULD GET HEALTHY. And not for reasons like it had been in the past. No longer did I just want to look good in my clothes again or feel fit, but I knew that I needed to honor God through my health and wellness.

And so the journey began. You can read a bit more about what I learned by reading this post.

The changes I made were not easy. There were many days that I failed more than I succeeded. But with lots of prayer, a pantry and fridge loaded full of healthy options, and the support of friends on the same journey, I kept pushing forward. Several tools helped me along the way.

One easy one that you can implement TODAY is an inspiration journal. Some people make vision boards that serve the same purpose, but I wanted  a small journal where I could write down things to help me in my wellness adventure.

I started by going to Wal-Mart and picking up one that I thought was cute and a good size. (Do NOT get hung up on this part- ANY notebook will do!)

Next, I started the book by writing down my “WHY”. This list grew until eventually I had multiple reasons WHY I wanted and needed to get healthy.

I keep lots of things written in this book that help me to push forward when I’m off track or when I feel like quitting.

I include quotes that I find on pinterest that inspire me.

I include my weekly weigh-ins (although the scale is only one small piece of the overall picture).

I include my monthly measurements.

I include workouts that have been especially hard or were at new personal bests.

When I would get off track I would write out what had led to it, the foods I chose to indulge in, and then how I felt afterwards, especially the physical issues that arose when I chose to resort to old patterns of eating.

Anything that happened to me over the course of the year that served to inspire or motivate went into that little book. And now, I look back at it and it STILL motivates me.

I encourage each of you to start one. Write down your WHYs. Write down what healthy habit you are tackling and put down the date when you accomplish it. Write down your workouts or your food log. This book will serve as a visual reminder of the progress you are making.

Let me know if you have questions!