Writing down your fitness goals can go a long way towards helping you get fit and maintaining weight loss. You can use a simple spiral notebook, or buy a special fitness log to track your progress. An exercise journal is useful as part of any weight loss program because:

• You’ll stay motivated. Reading what you did last week can help give you the boost you need to exercise this week, even if you are feeling tired or stressed.
• You’ll get in tune with your body. Record how you felt during and after your exercise. If you feel winded or sore the day after a slightly longer or hillier walk, go for a shorter walk the next day, and then note how you feel when you increase the intensity again.
• You can catch injuries early. There’s a healthy feeling of tiredness, and there’s getting injured. If you note that your knee has hurt when you walked up a hill every day for a week, your weight loss physician or primary care doctor can make suggestions to relieve your pain and avoid a more serious injury.