DECATUR - With the 12-week Lose to Win weight loss and lifestyle change challenge looming on the horizon, getting started might seem a difficult task for the program's role models and those following along at home.

But panelists advised participants to take control over the worries, concerns and guilty feelings swirling around in their minds.

For those who want to eat and exercise in a healthy way, writing thoughts, trends, habits and feelings down on paper can be a powerful tool and great first step in the right direction, Michelle Eident and Laura Sechrest, registered dietitians of St. Mary's Hospital Food and Nutrition Services said.

"We tell people the more honest they are with a food journal, the more beneficial their meetings will be or their consultation with a professional would be," Eident said.

She advised those who want to begin a healthy eating program to start by keeping a journal of all the things they eat and drink at meals and snacks during the day.

"It's easy for a dietitian to look at a food log ¦ and maybe pick out a couple of areas that the patient could benefit from," Eident said.

But also important to that technique is the way it can help a patient identify areas he or she might want to change.

"I find when I speak with patients, most of them know one or two things they're not doing properly," Eident said.

Also integral to the journaling process is keeping track of one's triumphs, feelings and challenges, Sechrest said.

"I'm a fan of journaling - writing down your thoughts on what motivates you.;to help sharpen your focus so that you can better commit to the necessary changes," she wrote in an e-mail. "And then make a list of all the potential obstacles and pitfalls."

Annie Getsinger can be reached at agetsinger@herald-review.com or 421-6968.