Use a Bullet Journal to Improve Your Relationship with Food
Intuitive eating involves paying attention to qualitative information (the what, why, and how) instead of quantitative (i.e. numbers-based.)
Today I’m sharing a tool that keeps track of this qualitative data. So go delete your MyFitnessPal app, and get ready to learn about Bullet Journaling!
I stumbled upon Bullet Journaling a few months ago as I was browsing the shelves of the library. I was intrigued to find an entire book on the subject. All I knew of Bullet Journaling was based on a few photos from Pinterest - beautiful calligraphy and little checkboxes to track of habits like water drinking. But how could there be a whole book on this?
So I read it. And I wish I had known about it a long time ago.
I. Why Bullet Journal?
Bullet journaling solved many of the problems that I had with day planners because of its flexibility. My to-do list became gentler, more personal and more forgiving with BuJo. It allowed me opportunities to pause and reflect. It forced me to sit and intentionally think about my goals, instead of automatically saying yes to what the world around me does.
What does this have to do with intuitive eating? Well, read that last paragraph again.
Flexible.
Gentle.
Personal.
Forgiving.
Pause.
Reflect.
Intentional goals.
We need a gentle, reflective approach as we look at our relationship with food. So why not use a tool that promotes that?
“It’s part organization, part soul-searching, part dream-weaving.”
II. The Structure of a Bullet Journal
Bullet Journaling is a combination of the following:
A place to take notes
To-do list
Calendar
Qualitative record of past events
Journal
Mindfulness tool
A Bullet Journal is made up of the following sections or layouts:
The Index: You create the index as you go. Write the title of the page and the page number.
The Future Log: A place to plan for the months ahead.
The Current Month's Overview: This may include a to-do list for the month, calendar view, and anything specific you want to track or notice for the month.
Daily Log Pages: Brief bullet points about your current day. Plan the day ahead, check in with yourself throughout the day, and/or reflect at the end of the day. I personally prefer using this as a mid-day checkpoint and as an end-of-day log. I log completed tasks, my mood, realizations I’ve had from important conversations, activities that brought me joy, or something that’s bothering me.
Collections: Custom lists or notes specific to you.
Here are some examples -
Index Page of My Personal Bullet Journal
BuJo Monthly Layout, Spread 1 - details have been blurred for privacy
BuJo Monthly Layout, Spread 2
III. How To Include Intuitive Eating in Your Bullet Journal
First, read my previous blog post that explains what you can track about your eating, then come back here.
In summary, you can track:
Snacks or meals that were really satisfying
Food cravings - your thoughts and feelings during them
Moments you feel “at home” in your body
Moments when you felt particularly guilty about eating
Hunger/Fullness levels
Glimmers of progress
Use BuJo for Everything
Include your observations about eating along with other unrelated life stuff. Here’s why:
It’s nice to have everything in one place.
You’ll use the journal more if it’s multifunctional. It’s ok if you don’t log about food everyday.
You may notice how life events and moods affect your eating and body image.
With that being said, I have a work-related notebook that is separate from my personal BuJo. So experiment. Do what works for you.
How To Use the Monthly Layout for Intuitive Eating
Typically, the monthly spread contains a calendar view (keep track of your dietitian appointments there!) and a list of tasks (AKA the “brain dump”). That’s where you can list concrete steps like the following:
Read chapter 7 of Intuitive Eating
Find 2 new recipes for dinner
Track hunger/fullness for 5 days this month
Turn the bullet point into an “X” when it’s complete. If you don’t complete it, copy it over to the next month’s layout (or don’t do it!).
Other options to add to the monthly view:
Habit tracker: Add to the side of your calendar view. For example, I write a “W” next to the days that I walk. Use this to gain awareness of your monthly movement without the sometimes triggering/compulsive details of a fitness watch.
Gratitude list
What I’m Noticing: Keep track of themes, or write down which Intuitive Eating Principle to focus on this month
Dinner meal plan: A list of dinner ideas you hope to make
How to Use Daily Log for Intuitive Eating
Write notes related to your food journey in your daily log like the example below. You can also keep food logs for a limited number of days along with hunger/fullness ratings. The purpose of food logs is to gain insight, not to judge your choices or restrict.
How to Use Collection Pages for Intuitive Eating
The creator of Bullet Journaling, Ryder Carroll, recommends that you get accustomed to the daily log and monthly pages before diving into Collections. It’s easy to get carried away with writing lists that won’t serve you. Think about the function of a Collection before you start it.
Favorite meals
Grocery staples
Notes about hunger
My binge triggers
Body Image Affirmations
IV. Bullet Journal Tips
Be Concise:
Leave white space on the page.
Be as brief as possible with your note-taking, but specific enough that it has meaning.
You want to be able to flip back to get a summary of your life and pick up on themes from the past weeks.
You Choose What Works:
Because you start with a blank notebook, the system is flexible. Layouts can be detailed and artistic, or efficient and minimalistic. You can include whatever is important to you and leave out the rest. If something isn’t working with your journal, then don’t do it. Try something else. It’s a process!
Resist the Urge to Make it Perfect:
Your BuJo is there to serve you, not the other way around. Don’t waste your time making it look perfect. First, focus on functionality. Over time and with practice, you can start to make adjustments so it’s more visually appealing (if you want). Don’t make it into a big thing that is so much work you don’t do it. If you skip logging for a few days, oh well! You simply pick up where you left off.
“Cultivating this self-awareness is a lifelong process, but it starts by simply checking in with yourself.”
Conclusion
This is meant to be a simple introduction to Bullet Journaling. As I mentioned, there is an entire book about this! So for more information, read The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by Ryder Carroll.
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