Researchers studied a group of 45 female undergraduates who had an average body mass index (BMI) of 23 – 18.5 to 24.9 is considered “normal weight.” They asked half of the women to write about their most important values; they asked the other women to write about why one of their least important values might be important to another person. The women in the first group, who wrote about their most important values, lost an average of 3.4 pounds over the course of a few months. The women in the second group gained an average of 2.8 pounds.
An article in The Atlantic discusses the results of the study:
The researchers think the weight loss was due to increased self-affirmation or self-esteem. Writing about their values made the women see themselves as better people and feel better about themselves. It may also serve to strengthen resolve. Often, heavy eaters eat in an attempt to elevate their mood…
The researchers speculate that writing about one's values can kick off a chain reaction. It starts when writing about an important value makes you feel better about yourself. Maybe when you go home that night you skip the brownie or cookies you've been using as an emotional crutch.
Do you think this personal journaling exercise would help you stay focused on making good decisions and maintaining healthy habits? Let’s give it a try!
Share Your Top Values With Your Personal Journal
1. Open your journal, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Make a list of the values you rank most important in your life (try to keep it to fewer than 10). Rank them by importance, on a numbered scale from most important to least important. For example:
1. Family
2. Friendships
3. Meaningful work
2. Write about your most important value. Why did you rank this as number one? Why is it meaningful in your life? What do you think this value says about you as a person?
3. Stop writing when the timer goes off. Repeat this activity for 15 minutes every day, and pay attention to any improvements you see in your health or lifestyle.
What did you think of this personal journaling activity? Ya think there's some kind of connection between our thoughts and feelings and our body mass index? Please share your experiences in the Comments section.
More stories of personal journaling stories write here.