Have you considered Blogging your weight loss journey?

What the heck is a blog? 

Well, according to the folks over at Google, "A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world. Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules. 

In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

Why should I have one? 

In his book, Fire Your Therapist, Joe Siegler, MD talks about how helpful it is for coaching clients to start a blog. I think he makes a great point. You can use your blog as a journal to track your progress toward goals and the evolution of your thoughts as you progress through the coaching process. It is an awesome way to keep aware of issues that you want to work on. It will help you keep focused on your goals and help you to track your progress. 

Importance of writing stuff down. 

In a 1953 study conducted at Yale University it was discovered that only 3% of Yale graduates had taken the time to write down their goals. 10 years later, those "goal writers" became far wealthier than the other 97% of the class combined. 

In his book, "What they don't teach you at Harvard Business School" Mark McCormack, talks about survey given to the 1979 graduating class the Harvard Business School's MBA program when they graduated and then again 10 years later. On the initial survey, when asked: "Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?" Only three percent of these graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and 84 percent had no specific goals at all. These are HARVARD GRADUATES!! 

The findings of the follow-up survey were shockingly predictable. Ten years later, the members of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the ones who had no goals at all. The minority of students that actually wrote down their goals blew their classmates away by earning, an average of ten times as much as the remainder of the class put together. Hmm. I wonder if people that write down their weight loss goals lose 10 times the amount of weight as those who don't? I write my goals down. I have notebooks I refer to daily. I design myself goal forms, send myself emails and stick post-it notes all over the house and, yes, I have a blog. I have not only lost 100% of my excess body weight, but I am successfully maintaining it. I wonder if there is a connection?

The good news is that it is NEVER too late to start. If you really want to accomplish something write it down. If it is worth doing, it is worth making the contract. If you are not ready to write the contract, you are not ready to accomplish the goal. 

Why not write in a book, on piece of paper, on post-it note or on the bathroom mirror? 

While it really does not matter where you write your goals, aspirations, thoughts, affirmations and accomplishments, your blog is marvel of technology. Blogging is about more than just putting your thoughts on the web. It's about connecting with and hearing from anyone who cares about you. With a blog, you control who can read and write to your blog — let just a few friends, your coach or the entire world see what how you are approaching Betterness!

It is not only a tool to write down your goals, track your progress it can even help you to be accountable to your coach. When you set up your blog, you decide who can read and who can write to your blog. I use a group blog with multiple authors as a communication tool for my group coaching. If you want to keep it private, you can create a private blog as your online space for collecting news, links, and ideas, to keep to yourself or share with as many readers as you want.

As for accountability, you can set it up so that every time you post an entry, your coach gets an email, or not. You can even set it so other people in your support network know when you are writing, or not. You get to decide how you set it up. No matter what though, you will never have to worry about forgetting your goal sheet or journal when you and your coach meet. If your coach has access to the internet (and you give him or her permission) they will be able to see your blog. 


Of course, Facebook is an awesome tool for this kind of accountability as well. For some people, this is the best way to communicate with their world. The problem is that Facebook may be a little too public. You can set up your blog so that it is between just you and your best supporters. 

Ok, how do I get one of these "blog" things? 

Although there are many options for getting a blog, I use a Google service known as blogger. While you certainly can get your blog from any provider, this video will help you get started with Blogger.



Another great tool for staying accountable is an app called http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
It allows you to share your fitness and food logging successes with other users and friends.
According to their website,
With a 100% FREE membership you get:

• The easiest to use food diary on the web -

   
  Track what you eat with just a few clicks from anywhere with an internet connection - at home or at work

• A searchable food database of over 1,865,000 items -

   
  and it's growing everyday!

• Your own personal food database -

   
  add your own foods and recipes at any time and access them from anywhere with an internet connection

• Free mobile apps for iPhone and Android -

   
  so you can log your meals and exercise even when you are on the go

• Support and motivation 

  from people just like you - Our discussion forums let you learn from others, share your own tips, receive and give encouragement, and make friends.

• A personalized diet profile

   
  - customized to your unique weight loss goals.

• Flexibility

   
  - our system can support any eating lifestyle you choose.

Thanks -