Have you ever started a program or a new diet only to give up because you didn’t think you were getting results? Have you ever found yourself looking at the mirror, wondering why you aren’t seeing changes yet? The truth is that whenever you try to change your life, you are usually the last person to see those changes. Starting your paleo journey is no different. Your friends and family are likely to start commenting on how well you look long before you actually see those changes in yourself. Yes, you might feel better, maybe you are even sleeping better and finding that you have more energy. But none of that seems to help when you aren’t seeing the physical changes that you desire. This is why it is important to track your progress because if you aren’t able to see the changes that you are experiencing, it is easy for you to give up even though others might see those changes.
One easy way to track your progress is to take pictures of yourself the day you start your new journey. These don’t have to be shared with anyone, they are just for you to have a personal record of your progress. Take both a full front picture and a side picture. Don’t judge yourself, just take your pictures and move on with your day. In two weeks, take the same set of pictures again and compare them. Do the same thing in another two weeks. Tracking your progress this way will let you see the changes that you may not see day to day.
Apps are another great way to track your progress. Using an app doesn’t just help you to track your food, it can also help you to track your weight, your measurements, your workouts, and even how much water you have each day. Some apps will even let you go back and see your activity on different days. For example, if you found yourself sleeping poorly one week you could go back and see what you were eating that week compared to the week before.
Journaling is another important way to keep track of your progress. Keep a record of what you are eating and how you are feeling before and after you eat. Over time you will be able to see a pattern of which foods help you the most. Remember, we are all unique and different foods affect each of us in different ways, it might be surprising to see which foods agree with you the most.
Tracking your progress is important for your paleo success. Using these simple steps to track your progress will not only give you a clear picture of how far you have come but will also get you into the habit of being accountable for your eating success.
