How to keep track of your own health journal

As a Nutrition and Dietetics student it’s hard to NOT eat because you’re constantly thinking, talking and learning about food. Very interesting and all, but to prevent that I’ll gain weight I keep track of my own health journal.

What do I register in it?

1. Measurements

I’m not a big fan of the scale because your weight can change during the month, because of your menstrual cycle, for example. But every once a month, I step on the scale and I measure the circumference of my hips, waist and legs. Because I’ve done some modeling in the past, I’m very used to measuring my body, but after being so obsessed with it, I only measure my body once a month. It’s a great indicator if you’ve lost weight and where you’ve lost it. Don’t forget to write the date when you measure yourself!

2. Goals

As a fit girl, of course you’ve got some goals. Small goals are easier to reach so write them down. Once you’ve reached them you can cross them out (best feeling ever!) and give yourself a little present as a reward.

3. Workouts

I see a lot of amazing workouts on Instagram or YouTube, but once I’m at the gym I totally forget about them. So when I see great exercises, I write them immediately down in my journal and I’ll bring the journal with me to the gym. You can also register how many reps you did while performing a specific exercise. In that way, you can see the growth you make during your fitness journey.

4. Food diary

Of course, there are very handy apps like Myfitnesspal and Cronometer to register your food intake, but you can also write it down in your journal (the old school way). Here you can also write down recipes and a list of healthy foods you want to try out for example.

Check out the next page for a day out of my food diary!

This is an example of what my food diary looks like. I typed it out because I want you girls to be able to read what it says (my handwriting is terrible!).

As you can see in my food diary, I use hemp seed protein. I love hemp protein: it’s a great protein powder replacer for vegans! After every workout I add 2 tbsp. to my smoothie. For my Dutch fitgirls: the Body & Fitshop sells it for a great price!