Creativity and Weight Loss, Part II

[ 3 ] 11/14/2011 | colleen

My friend Lori has allowed me to share her fitness journal – this is a perfect example of how creativity can help you realize your goals. She did hers digitally, but there’s no reason you can’t do something similar with paper and glue. Check all of them out here: Lori’s layouts

Even if you’re not a talented digital scrapper like Lori, you can use her ideas as springboards for your own collages. I love how she’s taken some of her favorite quotes and included them in her journal, like Wayne Dyer’s “Be miserable, or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” A great way to start, if you’re not sure how, is to choose a few of your own favorite quotes, print it out in a cool font, and paste it to some cardstock, then decorate around it with images that you associate with healthy living, and include it in your journal.

If you at all familiar with digital scrapping, Cathy Zielske has put together a set of templates to help you chronicle your own “Eat Less, Move More” journey. Check it out in her shop at Designer Digitals: Cathy Zielske

All of the digital products can be printed out – I print mine out and put them in page protectors to keep in a binder. You can see how one woman used Cathy Zielske’s templates to use here (scroll down to the second picture): Invincible Summer

Many people prefer the feeling of paper and glue in their hands. You can use any heavy art paper or buy a spiral sketch pad. A good example of a hand-done art journal is here: My DS Journey

I love how she uses the pages not just for motivation, but to ask questions, such as how has being heavy shaped who she is today? What gifts has being heavy given her?

If you’ve been following along with me, you’ve done at least one page covering your reasons for adopting healthy habits. This week, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to document your favorite exercise routine, favorite class, or favorite route. Here’s a page I did of the hike I used to take with my youngest in the jogging stroller:

I haven’t driven out to Lake Chabot in a while. Now that I’ve reminded myself of how much I enjoyed walking there, I’m resolved to make it out there at least once this week. And this time, I can do it without the jogging stroller.

Tags: art, creativity, featured, journal, psychology

Category: MIND IT, Psychology of Weight-loss

About colleen: Colleen Arnold, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist and writer with a private practice in Northern California. She has over 20 years of experience providing psychotherapy to a wide range of clients. She is currently very interested in neuropsychology and motivation as it relates to weight loss and habit forming. She is married and the mom of 2 fabulous boys, 8 and 5 years old. She ran her first 5K in September, and is going for a 10K this year, if her knees hold out. She also recently acquired a Wii Fit + and is working toward disproving its negative assessment of her coordination and balance. View author profile.