If you’ve spent any amount of time browsing through our blog, then perhaps you already know that the hCG Diet Plan is not always easy. This is especially true for individuals who are looking to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time … in some cases up to a whole pound in a day.

But there is one neat trick that most people have not heard of that can help you overcome your plateau, increase your weight loss, and make you feel more confident about staying on the diet.

As it turns out, the simple act of pulling out the pen and paper and writing a few things down can significantly increase your chances of success. Here’s how:

How Value-Journaling Can Reinforce Your Efforts

A recent study in Psychological Science explored the effect that thoughtful writing exercises can have on weight loss success. In the study, a group of female undergraduate students were split into two groups immediately prior to starting a low-calorie diet. Half of the group was asked to complete a writing exercise about personal values that they considered to be important. The second group did no such exercise.

After four months had passes, researchers found that the group which had participated in the writing exercise had lost more weight on average, while the other group ended up even heavier than before.

The idea here is that you take 15, 20, or even 30 minutes to sit down and write about yourself. Write about your weight loss goals. Your motivations. Your fears. By setting some expectations,you will remain more internally motivated over the course of your diet.

“Effective Journaling” as a Stress Reducer & Diet Keeper

There is no way around it: living on a calorie restricted diet like the one required by the hCG Diet Plan is not always a walk in the park. (And it most certainly is never a cake-walk). If you’ve ever been “hangry” then you know what restricted calories can do to one’s personality.

The writing exercise that we described above is effective for establish goals, but it is also possible to bring the same concept into daily practice can have some dramatic positive effects on your mental well-being. And when it comes to dieting, we can take all the mental well-being we can get.

Here are some of the most notable benefits of daily journaling:

• Improved mood & optimism
• Enhanced sense of overall well-being
• Reduced symptoms of depression
• Improved post-trauma recovery

More Tips on Writing and Journaling for Weight Loss

Putting pen to paper might not have the power to make you feel less hungry, but it can certainly make the hunger easier to deal with. This will allow you to stick with your diet plan even on those hard days when things just don’t seem worth it.

Here are a few more tips for therapeutic journaling that you can use to stay focused on the hCG diet plan:

1. Remember that no one is going to read it unless you want them to. Its just an exercise!
2. Write about what is happening with you. Begin with “I feel”, “I think”, “I want”, etc.
3. Let your thoughts wander. There is no real need to stay on topic. Go where the pen takes you.
4. Try to write for at least 10 minutes without stopping. Set an alarm if needed