Grading your lifestyle journal is very simple and yet it gives you
tremendous feedback, both for the coached and the self-directed program.
One of the great things about the Healthy for Life Program is the fact
that you do not need to be perfect - just honest. Honest with yourself
and honest with your coach. When you are dealing with lifestyle changes,
it does take a certain amount of commitment and desire on your part.
Education, motivation, and accountability are all important aspects of
the Healthy for Life Program. Even your coach can encourage you, direct
you, and try to hold you accountable; however, it all boils down to your
own personal commitment when it comes to establishing these new, healthy
lifestyles. It is exciting when you begin to realize that this program
does not depend on will power. If you are hungry, you just need to eat
another low-glycemic meal or snack. Your cravings, emotional eating,
and overeating just settle down as you begin to reverse this glycemic
stress and carbohydrate addiction. You feel great, actually have more
energy, and are able to concentrate on the task at hand much better.
Your lifestyle journal simply gives you the opportunity to take these
unconscious lifestyle habits and make them conscious, so you can deal
with them. I have learned over the years that it takes at least 15
months to firmly establish these lifestyle habits so that they simply
become a part of your life. Then these new, healthier lifestyle habits
will become unconscious, and you really don't even think about them. The
automatic grading of your lifestyle journal just enhances the coaching
program and gives instant feedback to both the self-directed program.
The self-grading lifestyle journal is divided into three parts:
- Supplements as noted by "S"
- Diet as noted by "D"
- Activity as noted by "A"
Each area is given a green light if it is greater than 80%, a yellow
light if it is between 60 to 80%, and a red light if it is below 60%. A
green light means that you are doing a good job and you are giving yourself
the absolute best chance of seeing results. A yellow light means that you
need to improve and that results will be marginal. A red light means that
you are essentially not doing the program and that you will only see minimal
results. On our home page, you can see how you are doing this week, how you
did last week, and how you did last month. You will see a ratio for each
category, telling you how frequently you have filled out your journal. It
will appear like 25/31 for the month. This means that you filled out your
journal 25 days for the entire month. Now there is no way we can grade your
journal if it is not filled out. However, we all get busy and you simply
need to be as consistent as possible in order to receive the best advantage
of the program. You will receive a total score for the entire program, which
will also be available to the physician staff as they complete your follow-up
health risk assessment. Obviously, the better you stay with the program, the
better your results will be.
Grading Your Journal
Supplements "S" - You are given the option of taking your supplements
three times a day or with each meal or twice daily, usually AM and PM with food.
All you need to do is to fill in the boxes that are appropriate to what you are
trying to do. Just ignore the other boxes, and the program will automatically
figure out the consistency of how you are taking your supplements.
Diet "D" - You will fill out your meals in the appropriate areas.
If you had a nutritional drink or a nutritional bar for that particular
meal or snack, simply click on the drop down box to the right of the area where
you are recording this particular meal or snack. The words nutritional bar or
nutritional drink will automatically be recorded in the appropriate area. If
you have had a regular low-glycemic meal or snack, just record what you have
eaten for that meal or snack in the appropriate area.
You will be asked to grade your meal or snack, and you need to determine
if that meal or snack has spiked your blood sugar or not. If it hasn't, you don't
have to check anything because it is already checked as if you have not spiked
your blood sugar. However, if you have spiked your blood sugar, you will have
to click on the small circle stating "yes" you did spike your blood sugar.
This is really not difficult to determine, and you will become better at this
as you learn more and more about the glycemic index, glycemic load, and about
mixed meals. However, I would simply have you refer to the recommended food
list. If you have eaten something from the desirable and moderately desirable
list, you have not spiked your blood sugar. If you have eaten something from the
least desirable list, you need to check "yes" you did spike your blood sugar.
I would encourage everyone to review this list and actually print this list off
for easy reference.
Activity "A" - In this area you simply need to record whether or not
you exercised that day. Now when you are starting, it is not critical to determine
how hard you exercised. It is more important that you actually did exercise, even
if it was for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also record the number of steps you took
that day if you are wearing a pedometer. Therefore, if you did exercise that day
you don't have to do anything except record what you did. If you did not exercise
that day, you need to just click "no" in the area just below the activity area of
your lifestyle journal.
You also have the option to look at what is referred to as a calendar view of
your lifestyle journal by going to the link that states "Lifestyle Journal." This
is either listed or found in the drop down list found under "My Home Page."
Hopefully, this will allow you to get started filling out your lifestyle journal
and reaping the health benefits of the Healthy for Life Program.
