Dear diary

Keeping a journal to focus on specific goals can give you the edge when it comes to getting what you want in life. Here’s how to get started

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WRITING down how you feel, what you’re doing and even what’s for dinner can help boost your happiness and well being. But to get the best results you should tailor what you write to the goals you’re trying to achieve. Here are five ideas to try.

WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNAL

Recording in a diary what and how much you eat and drink – and checking kilojoules and nutrients accordingly – can help to keep you on track. In one study participants who kept a journal lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t. To make it really work you should:

Fill in before you eat Writing down what you’re about to eat can help you make a better choice (if you need to) before damage is done.

A food diary forces you to evaluate every choice you make, so you can use it to change your eating behaviour.

Record who you’re with It can help you to become aware of patterns – sometimes our eating habits change around certain people. You might have a friend who tells you to cheat “just this once” every time you see them.

If you notice patterns like these, you can plan strategies to combat them, such as meeting that friend at a place where there’s no temptation.

Add pictures of yourself Including images in a weight-loss plan increases motivation, Spanish scientists have found. “It’s very gratifying to literally see yourself get slimmer over time,” Mercedes Rizo Baeza of the University of Alicante says.

Note what you’ve done that day One recent study found people often treat themselves more on gym days because they feel they deserve it.