Weight loss journal

A safe deficit, worked out for two people

The most common rule of thumb is that a deficit of about 550 kcal a day produces a loss of around 0.5 kg a week. It is an estimate, not a measurement of any one person. Our calculators cap the deficit at 300 or 550 kcal a day and never set a target below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men, because crash plans are the opposite of what a journal is for.

For a 35 year old woman, 165 cm and 68 kg, with light activity, total daily energy is about 1,891 kcal, so keeping weight means about 1,900 kcal and a gentle loss means about 1,350 kcal, above her floor. For a 42 year old man, 180 cm and 90 kg, it is about 2,503 kcal to keep weight and 1,950 kcal for the same loss. The gap between the two shows why copying a friend's number is a poor plan.

Worked on 23 October 2026 with the formulas in our calculators (Mifflin St Jeor 1990, light activity). Estimates for healthy adults, not personal advice.

What to write each day, and what to leave out

A journal you keep beats a perfect one you drop. Five short lines a day is plenty: what you ate, what you did, how you slept, how the day felt and one thing that went well. The last one matters because progress is easy to miss when you only look at a number.

Weigh yourself no more often than you can bear. Weight moves from day to day for reasons that are not fat, so a weekly average says more than any single morning. If the scale spoils your mood, stop for a month and rely on how clothes fit and how you feel.

• Write what you actually ate, not what you meant to
• Note hunger and mood, not only quantities
• Count progress in sleep, energy and movement as well as kilos
• If you feel anxious about numbers, stop and talk to a doctor

A twelve week plan that does not rely on willpower

A rough structure you can bend. Every step is a habit, not a rule.

1. 1
   Weeks 1 and 2: just record

   Log food, exercise and drinks every day with no changes. You are learning your normal.

2. 2
   Weeks 3 and 4: find one pattern

   Read your days in Tracking. Pick the single easiest thing the record shows, such as a late snack or a skipped breakfast.

3. 3
   Weeks 5 to 8: change one thing at a time

   Use our calorie calculator for a gentle target, and move toward it slowly. Add a walk before you cut a meal.

4. 4
   Weeks 9 and 10: protect the habits

   Look at sleep and mood beside food. A short night often shows up as a hungry next day.

5. 5
   Weeks 11 and 12: review

   Read the whole record. Keep the changes that worked, drop the ones that did not, and decide the next twelve weeks. If progress has stalled, a doctor or dietitian can help.

What is in the app today, and what is not

The position on 23 October 2026.

What weight loss apps and journals cost

App prices were read on 20 October 2026 and paper prices on 21 October 2026. Ranges are a spread of monthly and yearly plans, or of listings, not one price.

We have not asked ChatGPT which weight loss journals people name, so there is no list of names here. Prices change, so check the app's own page before you pay.

Why coaching apps cost what they do

The largest apps in our read sell a program, not a diary. Noom's listing runs from A$64.99 to A$309.99 because it is built around coaching and a structured course. If you want a plan someone else designs and guides, that price buys it. If you want a diary and a habit, you can start for nothing.

A diary has one more advantage: it asks nothing of you except honesty. No streak shaming and no scores. If you later want a program, your record is ready to bring to a doctor or dietitian.

When a journal is the wrong tool

Tracking food and weight is not safe for everyone. It is not for anyone under 19, who is pregnant or breastfeeding, who has a condition such as diabetes or kidney or heart disease, or who has had an eating disorder or worries about their relationship with food. If any of that fits, please talk to a doctor first.

If you are in distress, support is available at any hour in Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 and the Butterfly Foundation for eating concerns on 1800 33 4673. In an emergency call 000.

Tools and guides to pair with a weight loss journal

Questions people ask

Related guides, prices and tools

Where these figures come from

• App prices and rating counts: Noom, Simple and Omo from the Australian App Store, MyFitnessPal from its own page and the App Store, all read on 20 October 2026 and saved in our files.
• Paper journals: Amazon AU and eBay AU first pages of public search results for weight loss journal, read on 21 October 2026 and saved in our marketplace file.
• Resting energy: Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST and others, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990, as coded in our calculators. The 550 kcal a day for about 0.5 kg a week rule is a commonly used estimate, not a measurement of any person.
• Support lines: Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636, Butterfly Foundation 1800 33 4673 (re-check the numbers before launch).

Updated 23 October 2026. A figure that was not read from a file is written as unknown. Prices change: check the supplier's own page before you rely on one. We are not affiliated with any app named here.