As a Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach others often assume, I always eat perfectly, exercise daily and have the mind body connection mastered. Well folks, I dare to say, I am not always aligned with my health and wellness goals. Life tends to get in the way of even those of us who live and breathe health. I am human and while I do follow a healthy lifestyle for the majority of time I also struggle at times.

When I am no match for the cookie monster whispering in my ear or the cupcakes sweet confectionary power, what do I do to get back on track? I have found that one of the most helpful tools is keeping a food journal. I don’t know about you but sometimes one poor choice can lead to another and another, soon I find myself 3 days later in a cluster of poor health decisions. I know I’m not alone in this web of donuts and distress. When this happens, it can be difficult to realign yourself and get back on track. Stay positive and know you have the ability to pull yourself out of the rut you are in and get back on that road to health and happiness. Learn from your setbacks. We actually learn more from our setbacks than we do our successes. How did you get here and what can you do differently next time? When are you eating and why? Are you hungry or is food filling the void for something else? I like using a food journal as a tool because it makes me accountable and observant. I look at the information gathered in a non-judgmental way. I was not “good” or “bad.” The key is to be honest with yourself, so you can move forward in a genuine way. I know for myself my less than optimal health choices often stem from being exhausted or stressed out. A piece of relatively healthy high cacao chocolate bar turns into a full bar, then maybe a craving for pretzels, followed by a night of less than healthy takeout and a cupcake for dessert. I am left feeling bloated, defeated and still exhausted. A journal helps us notice potential triggers for this downhill slide. It brings awareness about what we are feeling and thinking and makes it easier to see where your triggers are that lead to less than healthy choices. For me it’s missing my meditation. Some days there just isn’t time. So, I started to “mini meditate.” I may only have 2 or 3 minutes but whenever I can I take time to quiet my mind and eliminate the noise going on in my head. If I neglect taking the time to meditate, I lose the ability to stay calm and focused and become anxious and stressed. Which leads to finding myself holding a cupcake in one hand and a cookie in the other. The more setbacks I had the more I learned about myself. At this point, I know myself pretty well and can maintain a healthy lifestyle without much thought. With continued practice, making healthy choices becomes habit and you no longer think about what to eat and how to live because it becomes ingrained into your daily life like brushing your teeth. A food journal provides you with insights about yourself which have yet to come to light. You will learn more about who you are and why you make the choices you do. As many people discover we often find ourselves eating for reasons that have nothing to do with food. The biggest complaint clients have about the use of a food journal is taking the time to record.  I suggest using an app to make it easier. MyfitnessPal and LoseIt are both free and two of the most popular. While logging the information every day is most beneficial, it can also be done every other day or a few times a week if it’s too challenging to do every day. You will still gain valuable insights about yourself and your habits. The purpose of the food diary is to help you stay mindful and accountable. Every time you record information you are proving to yourself that your health is important, and you are committed to making healthy habits a part of your life. Be patient. Be kind. And be loving to yourself. It’s not a race and you are in competition with no one. I believe in you : )