How to Keep a Fitness Diary

Jeannine Stein’s Ask the Trainers column routinely unearths useful information. In this short piece in the L. A. Timess, she collects tips from three personal trainers on how to keep a fitness diary.
From trainer number one: For someone who wants to lose weight, the best thing they can do is
write down what they eat every day. Even if you’re just concerned about
your energy levels throughout the day, a food diary can be a huge help
for that too. It becomes easy to assess why you’re getting a drop in
energy, since it relates to the calories you’re taking in and the
nutrition you’re getting.
From trainer number two: A log should include body fat, weight, how far you run — all the
little details. Even though those calorie counters on cardio machines
are inaccurate, put the number down anyway. You’ll still be able to see
that you’re burning more calories as you get in better shape.
And from trainer number three: All the calories consumed in a day should be factored in, because a lot
of people don’t realize that they’ll grab a handful of popcorn eight or
nine times a day.
For more advice from trainers about how to keep a fitness diary, read the L.A. Times.