The Daily Plan & Reflections Printable gives you a way to jump into the Core Four method immediately. You can keep track of all the ways you Handle Your Hunger. You have spots to Plan & Reflect on your eating. You even have places to track as you Drink Water and Sleep More. Although it should be simple enough to follow, I have some tips for making the most of your plan!
Your daily plan is a SPECIFIC action plan for the day. Complete it the evening before or first thing in the morning. I personally prefer to complete my plans the night before as I’m packing lunches etc.
Keep your plan simple and realistic. Don’t write down what you think you SHOULD eat. Write down what you will actually eat. Sticking to a realistic plan builds momentum. Failing to follow a strict plan leads to disappointment.
MAKING THE PLAN:
- Fill in the day or date (or both) on the line at the top of the page.
This ensures that you are using the right plan and makes it easier to refer back to prior days for reflection. - Write down what you plan to eat for the entire day. There are sections provided for each meal and for snacks.
- Will you have a splurge today?
If so, be specific about what and how much you will eat or drink.
If you don’t plan to splurge today, consider writing down when you do plan to splurge. It is easier to resist temptation if you are looking forward to something you really want. - Do you have activity planned today?
Even if you aren’t doing formal exercise, think about what you could do to move more and reduce your sitting time.
USING THE PLAN:
- Once you eat, note what time you ate. This is valuable data as you start to Handle Your Hunger. If you ate something that wasn’t on your plan, write down what you actually ate. You may also want to write down why you went off plan in the Handle Your Hunger section or the Daily Reflections section.
- In the Handle Your Hunger section, assess your hunger cues before, during, and after you eat. Answer the questions listed and be honest. Note times that you wanted to eat but didn’t and why. How were you feeling? You can also refer to the Core Four Hunger Scale for guidance.
- Mark off a glass for every 8 ounces of water you drink. The goal is 8 servings or 64 ounces per day.
- Write down how many hours of sleep you had last night. The goal is a minimum of 7 hours.
Think about how you could get more sleep going forward, even if it’s just 15 minutes more.
DAILY REFLECTIONS:
Reflection is key to lasting behavior change. It is important to process your day, so don’t skip this step! Answer the questions honestly and without judgement. Always write down something positive about your day, no matter how small it may seem. Think about what you could have done better and learn from it without putting yourself down. Look forward to tomorrow and think about something you could do differently.
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
If you enjoy using this printable, you will LOVE the Core Four Meal Planner and Progress not Perfection Journal. They go deeper into each area and help you focus your energy on developing the Core Four habits.