Should You Keep a Weight Loss Diary?

YES!

I've been keeping a weight loss diary -- mostly on paper, but also on this blog.  On paper, I simply weigh myself every morning Monday-Friday and record the weight.  That's it.  I have a weight chart going back to 2010 when I first began training for a half marathon. 

I also often post my weight here on this blog.  Today's weight, for example, is 175.  That's 1/2 pound less than the same day last year. 

I started out above 180 (really, around 183) and have in the last two years, hit 173 at the peak of my training for a half marathon in April.  So, I figure I've lost about 9-10 pounds and kept it off.  I'd like to hit 172 or even 170.  I don't want (or need) to be much smaller than that. 

I feel great. 

But, one key for me has been keeping a diary of how much I weigh every day.  It lets me know if I'm getting off track or doing well.  It helps me track the behaviors and foods that cause me to go up or down in weight. 

And over the last year, it has shown that discipline, exercise, and some very small diet shifts are making a big difference in how much I weigh and how I feel. 

Having the diary means my weight is not just speculation.  It's real.  I can see it written down.  So, I know that what I'm doing is working.  I don't just FEEL thinner, I AM actually smaller than I was in 2010 and the five years pior to that.  Really, from 2003 to 2010, I weighed around or just above 180.  And I thought that was ok.  Until I got down below 175 and stayed there.  And felt a relief in the pain I had in my left knee.  And felt like I looked good in my clothes.  And didn't feel sick or bloated or gross.

So, YES, keep a weight loss diary.