Journaling

You're very welcome. Good luck !! I know you can do it !

Alison

Alison,

Thanks for the reply. I think I will start doing just that, making brief statements as to the status of my day or whatever. I hope the self-consciousness passes quickly! I'll have to drag out my copy of The Journal (which is an excellent program) and get to work on it. Now, to get over the procrastination problem...

LOL

Gina

gshillitani,

I also have to appologize to you as well for not getting back sooner to you, for the same reasons as I posted below to our other member.

Welcome to the team ! I'm really glad that you're here.

Yes it has happened to me on occasion and still does flare up once in a while. I just leave the computer for a few min or an hour and then go back and write down in the journal how I was feeling about journaling and if I found out why and if not that I had not yet.

Anything you want to write down in your journal is great whether it's just to vent, that you had a great day and why, that you stuck to your plan for the day, that you hadn't stuck to your plan and why, that someones made you mad and why you reacted the way you did, there are so many different things that you can journal and because each thing that happens in our lives affects our lives they also affect our journeys.

It's so important to journal, to get to know yourself, where you were, where you are now, what you've overcome, etc.

It's awesome to look back after even a month and see that you've made some small changes or have grown some or have just been going down hill and then discovering why you've been in this spiral. Nothing is off limits in your journaling, it's yours, it belongs to you and it's for your eyes only no one else has permission to see it or read it is only for you to watch your growth.

You can do this. Even if you just type, Had a bad day. Or had a great day. If that's all you write, great, at least your writing something and then after a while you just start typing away forgetting that you once felt self-conscious about it. It's a wonderful tool and it's all yours.

Good luck ! Take care !

Alison

DKemp,

I appologize for not responding earlier but never received an email that anyone had replied to this subject.

I just took sometime for myself one day made a cup of coffee, sat down at my computer and asked myself how do I feel today ? how's my day been so far ? and then the words just started pouring out. I typed so fast I almost brought my speed up to where it used to be lol.

So yes I just sat down and started asking myself questions and started typing away. I make sure that if I've had a bad or good day that I write that down and why I had that type of day. Sometimes I've had a rather tough day so I need to take a breather and then sit down and write about it, get all my frustrations out. It's very theraputic and very helpful of course.

I've been looking back on past entries and found I'm making progress in not only getting rid of weight, and working out but also in my attitude towards myself and others around me. It helps in so many different areas of my life.

I hope this helps you to start journaling and again I do appologize for not getting back to you sooner, I'll just have to pop in every day or two and check for myself. Thank you for posting !

Alison

I'm new here, and this topic caught my eye as I've always wanted to journal but never quite "got it". I feel very self-conscious when I write, even on my own laptop in a password protected journaling program! Does this/has this happened to anyone else, and if so, how do you get past it?

Gina

Journaling is one thing that I have always struggled doing. I guess I just need to make the time to do it. Any advice on getting started?

I journal, but not on a regular basis. I do look back over events to try and understand what my "triggers" are. Also I want to look at how my relation to others affects me and my health. I have to say that I am surprised at some of the things that have been uncovered.

What I do is this, even though I know there's no way my dh or my adult son would read it, it would bore them to tears lol, I did save it with a password on it so that anytime I want to get into it I can and if someone else wants to they can't ! LOL

This way I can write whatever I want to whenever I want to and nobody but me will see it or read it or erase it or do whatever I want to it.

Just an idea I thought I'd pass along to you. Hope it helps in your future journal writing. Take care.

Alison

I start to journal a lot and then it tapers off, never been able to write in it consistently since I was in college. Maybe it is time to try that again since motivation and energy seem to be a problem these days.

I have to say I am so worried by the thought of someone else finding my journal that I don't have one....i don't even write in my bible study guides sometimes.
I do however enjoy blogging here esp with the anonymity it provides, though I do wish at times I could post one just for me and make it private.
I've read where some people write how they are feeling when they're eating and it makes me giggle b/c if I'm eating I sure don't want to interrupt it with writing LOL
I am encouraged to hear that journaling is helping in your weight loss journey.
Thanks again

Edited by: MORETHANWEIGHT at: 5/5/2010 (16:04)

I am so encouraged by all of you and glad to know that you journal too as well as blog, it's so important. Keep it up ! It's a great healthy thing to do. Take care.

Alison

My main hobby is writing, so I keep several blogs, including the one on my SparkPage. Each serves a different purpose. Some are public, some are private and one is "for my eyes only." When I go back and read my former entries, I can see how much my life, and my thinking about food and health, has changed. It's a good thing.

That's what it does for me also. I'm so glad that you've decided to try it again. It's been so very helpful to me and I hope it will be for you as well. Take care.
Alison

I have never kept a journal except for a short time about 15 years ago, which for a private reason was a good idea at the time. I've decided to try it again. I thought originally that that is what a blog was for but I guess I was wrong. Will try to pick up a notebook tomorrow and start writing in it, hoping that it will help get me back on track and keep me there.

You all have such great imput, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us. I do think it's important, especially for me, to keep a journal, I too type my journal up on my computer I can type 85 wpm, due to arthritis I can't type 110 wpm anymore but I do pretty good, lol.

Keeping a journal really keeps me going, it tells me where I'm at, where I've been, and helps me to analyze certain issues in my life and then when able to go ahead and fix those or learn to fix them but especially to deal with them one on one.

I never used to think it was helpful, until I started rereading past journals and I found that it sure helped me get through the bad times and sail through the good times of my life. I find that not only am I doing all that but I'm also getting to know myself as well and I'm really liking where I'm at in my life right now.

It's an empowering tool, journaling. I'm so glad that so many of you journal too ! Keep it up ! And most of all, Enjoy !

Alison
Co-Leader

Edited by: RAVEN2FEATHERS at: 4/23/2010 (19:37)

I think it is very inportant to keep a journal.. and bloging is my way of doing it also the tracker is such a great tool.. not saying you have to blog every day.. but it really helps if you do it at least 5 or 6 times a week. just like anything eles set about 10 mins of alone time just you and the pen or you and the key board for me it is the key board. I can type 60wpm so my fingers and thought fly..hahaha
good luck.. keep up the good work

I am inconsistent at journaling but think it is a good process. I try to use my blog for that kind of sharing. I have also been taking photos for an album.

I have journaled ever since I was nine (a long time ago). I love journalling. It's been a wonderful tool and has been a really good supportive tool actually. I bought a special one for my Spark Journey and have filled it with a before picture, and pictures of my hubby and fur babies, as they are part of my support system. I also put my motivational collages in too. I keep it on hand and write in it when the urge strikes me. Oh yes, I also like to add some of the motivational quotes/emails I get from Sparks.

Now that I've blabbed on enough.....guess you can figure I'm a fan!!

Cheers.
Bev

Thats a very good idea ! Thanks ! I was hoping to find somethings I had missed, and I know as time goes by that I will find many many more ! Keep it coming everyone ! And keep journaling !

Alison

I have kept a journal for over 20 years and encourage my students to do so as well. Imagine the surprising patterns and situations I have discovered being able to go back that far!

I also have a visual journal that I started about 10 years ago when I was in a women's group. All you have to do is go through magazines, books, etc, and when something "speaks" to you or stands out, cut it out and paste it in the journal. You will see all the things that are calling to you and help you set goals!

I have journaled off and on ever since I was a teenager, or when significant things were going on in my life, but I'm not doing it right now. Might be a good idea to start again! I'd say this is a significant time in my life!

I haven't made a collage yet, but I have been finding photos of myself at various stages of weight gain and loss, and am keeping them in a folder on my computer so that I can eventually make a collage.

I have been working on a vision journal though, which has been fun. I took a blank journal book and started cutting out things from magazines, printing out quotes, Spark Goodies and notes, tracking my weight loss with dates, tracking goals met, etc. It's been fun. I keep meaning to take a picture of a couple of my favorite pages to share on my spark page!
~Carrie

i journal..have been for years!! it IS an eye opener. great post Alison!!!

I still need to get the book! I don't journal but it seems like a good idea I will have start. I have thought about making a collage, I like looking at the difference it keeps me motivated so a collage would be great.

I have recently read The Spark and have been following it but a few weeks ago I decided something else. I started keeping a journal. Does anyone else here keep one ? I'm finding it very helpful as weeks go by. After a cpl of weeks I go back and re-read those days and I find that they have become quite an eye opener for me.

I never thought that would happen and it's a very positive thing for me. I've also found the pic of me at my highest weight and am doing the collage as well to help me focus. Has anyone started doing this ?

I'm finding that all these tools in the book are really tools to use for life especially on this our journey together. Let me know if you've been keeping a journal and how it has helped or not helped you ? I'd love to get a group discussion started on this if anyone's interested ?

Take care !

Alison
Co-Leader