My HealtheVet Activity Journal and Food Journal

My HealtheVet Activity Journal and Food Journal are online tools. These tools allow you to keep track of your exercise routine and food intake. Using a Journal to track your food intake and how active you are can help you reach your personal goals. Using Journals may help you notice changes in your habits over time and feel good about your progress. Using Journals allows you to partner with your health care team to make informed decisions about your health and health care.

Journal worksheets are available to quickly and easily record your daily activities and food intake. These worksheets can be printed and kept with you. Once you have completed a worksheet, you can enter the information into your Activity Journal and Food Journal. The following are sample worksheets that may help you. They are in PDF format and require Acrobat Reader Get Adobe Acrobat Reader Here.

Activity Journal Worksheet (PDF)
Food Journal Worksheet (PDF)

General Information

My HealtheVet Activity Journal and Food Journal are sections of the My HealtheVet Personal Health Record. To use the Activity Journal and the Food Journal you must be registered in My HealtheVet. If you are a Veteran and use the VA Healthcare System you are encouraged to obtain a My HealtheVet Premium* account. With this account you will have access to key portions of your VA health care record and other advanced features of My HealtheVet, such as Secure Messaging.

*To get a My HealtheVet Premium account, you will need to go through authentication. VA verifies a Veterans' identity by this process. This is done before allowing access to their VA health record. To learn more, go to: Upgrading your My HealtheVet account through In-Person or Online Authentication.

With the VA Blue Button you can view, print, or download your Activity Journal and Food Journal information. Sharing this information may help you, your caregivers, and health care team better understand your health and health care needs. This information may also assist in making informed health care decisions.

Do you have a Premium* My HealtheVet account? If so, you can use Secure Messaging to communicate with your VA health care team online. You can use it to ask questions about Journal entries. You can also ask about test results or ways you may be able to improve your health. In addition, you may use it to set up a VA appointment, request renewals of your VA medications, or address other non-emergent issues.

Go to the My HealtheVet Activity Journal and Food Journal Frequently Asked Questions section to learn more. This section has questions and answers for most concerns.

Resources

Be Physically Active
This Healthy Living Message offers tips on what you can do to Be Physically Active. Some activity is better than none. Those who take part in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Plan: Tips to Start A New Running Program
many Veterans are getting outside to hit the ground running. Check out My HealtheVet's top five tips to help you put your best foot forward when you're running.

MOVE! Weight Management Counseling
For those of you who are at risk for weight related diseases, VA offers weight management care through the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans. The bottom line is that by keeping your weight in a healthy range you can avoid some serious diseases, enjoy a more active lifestyle, and be there for your family and loved ones. VA wants to help you do this, and we are trying to make this as easy as possible through MOVE!

Greening Your Diet: Ways to Add More Fruits and Veggies to Every Meal
Why not celebrate by adding some "green" to your diet or try growing some of your own vegetables or fruits? Check out My HealtheVet's guide to getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet.

Food for Thought: Fight the Barriers to Healthy Dieting
If you want to lose weight at a healthy pace, you will have to start thinking about bathing suit season right now. Exercising or cutting that many calories may sound overwhelming - but My HealtheVet can help. It provides tools to conquer some of the common barriers to starting and maintaining healthy eating. Read on to learn more about the resources the VA and My HealtheVet have to keep you eating right.

Talk With Your Health Care Provider - Your health care team is there to assist you with your health care needs. You can help by doing things to make your visits more productive. For example, a great deal of the information needed to make a diagnosis is based on your description of symptoms, recent changes, and your history. Do not be afraid to share that information during your visit.

A New Model of VA Health Care: Patient Aligned Care Teams - The VA's goal is to help you stay healthy. Providing health information and reminding you about recommended preventive care is an important part of Patient Aligned Care Teams.

The Research Health section of My HealtheVet is where you can get health information, research a topic, or simply learn more about your health. You can:

  • Read about common conditions and VA health programs.

  • Get answers to your health questions from trusted medical resources.

My HealtheVet makes it easy to stay informed by bringing a wealth of information right to your fingertips.