As odd as it sounds – you shouldn’t trust your gut when sticking to a meal plan. No matter how strict you may think you’re being, nothing keeps you as honest as sticking to a nutrition journal. A daily account of not only what you plan to take in, but what you actually did take in is one of the best ways to stay on track. Not only will you have the ability to plan your meals ahead of time, it is an easier way for you to track calories, proteins and carbs in advance. Just like keeping a journal of training, with a solid record of your diet you can retrace your steps to see where you went right and where you went wrong. Then from there you can make the necessary tweaks to take your progress even further.

Don’t want to carry a big fat notebook around with you? No problem, now there are no excuses when your cell phone or your PDA both have calendar functions that can be synched to your online schedule. Plan out your six meals a day in advance and you’ll have access to them at any time. You can even set alarms to keep you on track during busy times at work. The key to success is to be honest with yourself; if you know that you need a snack after every workout, write it down. It’s tougher to cheat if everything is accounted. It will make it easier for you to be disciplined and it will make your shopping list that much more accurate.

Got a few tips about sticking to the meal plan? I’d like to hear them. Just post them up in the comments section.