TRACKING EFFORTS without the craziness

Those who have known me for a long while, know that I've been a proponent of occasionally writing down what you eat for a few days to keep yourself on top of your nutritional game. Personal accountability means being aware of your choices throughout the day.  BUT... over the years I've learned that while this method is good for some, it's not the best fit for everyone.

Some like to know the numbers. They journal their workouts, their WOD times and want to make sure they are getting what their body needs.

But some just want to navigate their crazy life without the added pressure of notating their meals and snacks and would have greater success if they could "grade" their day as a whole rather than each item that passes their lips.  Recently I read about a journaling method that makes good sense; it's called R-K-O.  Here is how it works...

At the end of the day you take a minute to reflect on the choices of the day. Did you eat your breakfast? Drink your water? Get in a workout?  If you did all the "right" things you write an "R" on your calendar. This means that you did a solid job working toward RESETTING your metabolism as you work toward change.

If at the end of the day you look back and note that you either missed your water, ate BBQ for lunch or skipped your fitness... then you get a "K".  This means you are KEEPING things pretty much as they are. This is not a horrible thing, and is sometimes unavoidable.

Then there are days when you give yourself an "O" which means OFF. You ate birthday cake at 10am for a co-worker's birthday, out for Mexican food over lunch, and happy hour kept you from your fitness.  These days will happen and no one will die but they should be tagged as being OFF your game.

At the end of the week/month you can look back and see if your efforts match your goal. At a quick glance if you see more R's – then you're on the right path!  Too many O's and you're just not allowed to complain about not seeing changes.

This method should help with the potential insanity that ensues after an indulgence. We've all done it... a bad run or WOD can somehow be the result of a cupcake you ingested 48 hours prior.  Eliminating the hyper-focus on each and every bite may help some stay on track and not beat themselves up. But more importantly, it's an opportunity for complete honesty that provides a compelling snap shot of your effort------ again, at a glance you can see if your efforts match your goal.