Size: 8.5″ x 6″ | Pages: 136 | Colors: 2 | Special features: 120 days of tracking, body measurement tracker, personal records tracker, monthly planner, spiral bound

Simple, straightforward and easy to use is often what works best. Kunitsa Co.’s Fit & Well journal does just that.

This planner offers enough guidance to hold you accountable without overwhelming you with too many details. It’s light and compact, making it a good option for on-the-go. It also has a clean, attractive look.

You’ll start your journaling adventure on page two where you’re prompted to set a long-term goal and three short-term goals that will help you meet your long-term goal. This feels doable because it doesn’t go overboard by asking you to track too many goals at once. I like that it also begins with a fun little motivation assignment — asking you to write down how you’re going to celebrate when you reach your goals. It also asks you to visualize how reaching your goals will make you feel.

After setting your goals, there’s a page for acknowledging potential obstacles, with space to plan for their solutions, another page for tracking your measurements and another for listing your personal bests (your best mile time, the most weight you lifted while squatting or a new distance achievement). Since this is a four-month journal, it includes four undated monthly calendars with a 15-item checklist for each month. Each monthly calendar takes up two pages which is great because there’s a reasonable amount of space to jot down key monthly information.

Finally, we get into the bulk of the journal. Each day you choose a focus and have open-ended space to make notes about your workout, how it went, meals, weight, sleep, how you’re feeling, your energy level and how much water you drank. The back of the journal offers a cheat sheet with examples filled out for each type of page. Seeing how someone else might fill out this journal can offer a little inspiration on how to get started if you need it.

Size: 8.3″ x 5″ | Pages: 120 | Colors: 15 | Special features: Vegan leather cover, no-bleed pages, three months of detailed food and exercise tracking, three sheets of stickers, elastic band, pen loop, three ribbon bookmarks, back pocket

Are you familiar with the concept of SMART goals? The philosophy centers around the idea that you can be more successful in achieving your goals if you make them with five key characteristics in mind; they should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. The Clever Fox Fitness & Food Journal 2nd Edition helps you set specific goals and take measurable actions to achieve them in an organized way. Setting a timeline and determining how realistic the goals are is up to you.

Before I get into the content of the journal, I think it’s worth acknowledging that the look and feel of a journal may also influence how a planner inspires you. This planner comes in 15 color choices and features a faux-leather hardback cover. While it’s a relatively travel-friendly size, it’s thicker and a little heavier then some of the other journals on this list. It’s well-made with bonuses that include three pages of inspirational stickers, bookmark ribbons and a pen loop.

This Clever Fox journal starts with a page for examining your current starting point. On this page you can record your beginning (and ending) measurements and attach a before (and after) photo. On the following page, you’ll set up to five goals, noting your deadlines to achieve them and your rewards if you do. The journal then provides you with four monthly calendars, each taking up two pages. The calendars are each followed by two pages to review your monthly progress including a dedicated spot for a photo, measurements, and space to write things like your biggest wins and how you’ll improve next month.

The rest of the journal dials in the specificity and provides you with detailed pages for recording your daily actions. Each day is divided into two sections: one page for your exercises and one for your diet. You can track up to six sets of 10 strength training exercises daily, including your reps and the weight you used for each exercise. Cardio tracking includes sections for time, distance and calories burned. When it comes to diet, the planner offers dedicated spots for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks while tracking your serving size, calories, protein, fat and carbs for each item. The diet page also has spaces to record your weight, mood, energy, activity and water intake for the day.

This is an ideal journal for setting and achieving specific, actionable fitness and diet goals. If you love getting deep into the details, this journal is for you.

Size: 8.5″ x 5.5″ | Pages: 148 | Colors: 1 | Special features: Calorie and macro tracker for common foods, exercise ideas for specific muscle groups, free online supplemental tools (body-fat calculator and additional food and exercise charts), over two months of detailed food and exercise tracking, wire-bound spiral

Just because your budget is tight, doesn’t mean you have to skip this investment in your health. The NewMeFitness Track Your Fitness and Nutrition Journal is typically on sale for less than $10 on Amazon (and is still a reasonable $14 when listed at full price). Think of it as the same price as skipping a latte or two at your favorite coffee spot. And compared to most of the journals on this list which cost between $20 and $40, this is an excellent, budget choice to help get you started as you decide whether or not journaling is right for you. 

So what exactly do you get with this budget-friendly fitness journal? Even though it’s the least expensive one on this list, it’s impressively thorough. While it doesn’t feature some of the bells and whistles that the other planners have (like motivational quotes or stickers), and it isn’t as visually aesthetic, the content of the journal is substantial and quite similar to the Clever Fox Fitness and Food Journal.

You can track up to eight goals and chart your progress for things like weight and body measurements. There’s space to add before and after photos. Like the Clever Fox Journal, the bulk of the journal is dedicated to tracking your daily meals and exercises with space to note how you’re feeling, your energy level, weight, hours of sleep and water intake.

The planner is set up to really break things down and track every detail of your daily workout and diet. For instance, you can record breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks by serving size, protein, fat, carbs and calories. You can track up to six sets of movements for up to 14 weight-training exercises each day, including reps performed and weight lifted. The cardio section includes six categories to record for each exercise. In fact, it may feel overwhelming to some people because there are so many details you can track. Keep in mind that you can fill out as much or as little as you want.

If you are extremely detail-oriented and need a lot of structure, this could be the right journal for you. If you’re easily overwhelmed, read on for our next recommendation.

Size: 10″ x 8.5″ | Pages: 146 | Colors: 1 | Special features: Concealed spiral, two folder pockets, pages are perforated for easy tear-out, stickers page, to-do checklist, weekly view on one-page layout

Getting started can be the hardest part of any journey, so sometimes the best way to begin is by taking things slow, one step at a time. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use planner that won’t make you feel pressured to do more than you can handle, Ban.do’s Progress Not Perfection planner can serve as your gentle guide. When looking for the right planner, Cleo suggests to “Make sure it’s simple to fill out daily or weekly — overly complicated templates can be discouraging.”

The journal’s title message, “Progress Not Perfection,” which is printed in large white letters in the front of the planner, offers a daily mantra that will remind you to keep going and not to be too hard on yourself.

The planner features a cutesy cheerful design and 10″ x 8.5″ layout, offering lots of space for writing. It also comes with a sheet of stickers with encouraging messages like “You got this!” and “You are good enough,” to add an element of light heartedness and fun.

The layout is quite straightforward. You can view your weekly schedule side-by-side with your corresponding weekly to do list on a two-page layout. The to do list features a checklist of up to 30 open-ended items. This is followed by space to note three things you did for yourself, three things you did for others, what went well today and what you could do better. And that’s it — just enough prompting to get you started and reflecting on your progress as you embark on your fitness planning journey.

The design of this journal is youthful, and it may feel cutesy and childish which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you like the idea of a planner that’s playful and simple, this one just might inspire you to make small changes and empower you to see how far you’ve come.

Size: 8.5″ x 6″ | Pages: 192 | Colors: 60 designs/colors| Special features: Made from ethically sourced paper, space for six journeys, packing guide, travel games, list of countries with an illustrated map, hardback cover, ribbon bookmark

When it comes down to it, most of the journals on this list are pretty travel-friendly. But if you want to track your traveling and fitness adventures in one convenient place, the Papier Travel Journal is our pick for you. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of skiing in the Swiss Alps, taking a surf lesson in Maui, hiking to Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, biking through Bavaria or learning to tango in Buenos Aires. Or perhaps you just need to find a time slot to visit your hotel fitness center and schedule it into your day. This journal is the place to plan and record your journey.

Papier is famous for its beautiful and inspiring paper products. Their journals are whimsical and dreamy without being cheesy. The designs are modern, creative and tasteful. This travel journal comes in 60 styles, so there’s really something for everyone. Papier’s prices are a little higher than the others on this list, but you’re getting a high quality product with a firm hardback cover and ethically sourced paper. You can also personalize the journals at no extra cost, a thoughtful touch if you’re giving it as a gift.

The Papier Travel Journal is specifically designed to help you organize and recall all of your wanderings with sections for trip ideas and six specific journeys. Each journey has space for planning your accommodations, transport, budget, packing details and a wishlist. The journeys also include itineraries with slots for your activities and their locations. The itinerary section is the place to schedule your workout into your day, whether you’re doing your usual routine or taking advantage of unique local opportunities. Dedicated space for journaling includes prompts to share things like your favorite experience, funniest moment, your current view and more.

Size: 8.5″ x 6″ | Pages: 136 | Colors: 2 | Special features: 90 days of food journaling, progress tracker, daily weight tracker, go-to recipe cards, vegan leather cover, cheat sheet with examples for each type of page

The Kunitsa Food and Wellness Journal is a great option to get you started with meal planning because it can help you get organized without requiring excessive details. It’s simple, functional and a travel-friendly size. The planner provides space for you to develop 12 weeks of meal plans. “If you are writing down what you are eating, planning on eating and [your] exercise plan for the day or week, you automatically become more aware of your behavior,” says Roxana Ehsani, a board-certified sports dietitian.

Each week the Kunitsa Food & Wellness Planner starts with two side-by-side pages dedicated to planning ahead. One page has space to jot down three key habits for the week and your plans from Monday through Sunday. The other page has open-ended space for notes and prompts to write down what you’re grateful for, what you’ll let go of and what you’ll focus on for the week.

The next seven pages are dedicated to one day of the week. Each of these daily pages is organized with a chart to record your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks with sections to note your intake of calories, protein, fat and carbs. You can tally your total and targets. But if monitoring specific calories or macronutrients seems overwhelming, Ehsani suggests tracking the components of your meals, for instance, if your meals include a carb, protein, healthy fat and a color — either a fruit or veggie. “These components together build a well-balanced healthy plate,” she says.

There are also designated spots to note your focus for the day, water intake, weight, sleep and how you’re feeling. The journal doesn’t neglect that movement is an important part of your health journey. While fitness is not the focus of this journal, there’s a small section for writing down your workout and activity for each day. Every week ends with a page that includes an illustration and healthy eating tips or words of encouragement. The journal concludes with pages to reflect on your progress and a section to save your favorite recipes.

Size: 9.25″ x 7″ | Pages: 80 sheets | Colors: 1 design | Special features: 4 moveable dividers with inspirational messages, movable pages, workout and meal tracking, motivational prompts

Happy Planner’s I’m Worth the Work Guided Fitness Journal is designed to walk you through your fitness goals while keeping you motivated and inspired. It helps you track your daily workouts and meals, while also guiding you to turn inward, celebrate your wins and check in with yourself at the same time.

This journal features a clever design. It’s bound with gold plastic discs that allow for you to easily move the planner’s pages and dividers. If you want to temporarily take out a page, you can do this and then reattach it back into the journal.

Each week in this undated planner starts with a page dedicated to your goals for that specific week. You’re prompted to describe two actions you can take to achieve your goal for the week, and given cues to reflect on habits, preparation and potential obstacles that you may face.

Next, you get a page for each day of the week. Here’s where this fitness journal is uniquely motivational. There’s space to track your workouts and meals on the outer sections of each page, but the inner sections are dedicated to guiding you to do inner work and stay motivated. There are lots of thought-provoking prompts to keep you going and reflecting. Some of these prompts include: “How am I grateful for my body today?”; “I am proud of myself for…”; “Who or what is currently motivating me?”; “What habit can I focus on improving?” and many more. Each week ends with a page for a weekly recap. You’re asked to contemplate your highs and your lows, closing out each week with your proudest moment and what you can do to improve for the following week.

Size: 8.5″ x 6″ | Pages: 192 | Colors: Over 120 designs/colors | Special features: 12 weeks of daily overview pages, life-balance wheel, 6 pillars of wellness ecosystem guide, articles written by wellness experts, free personalization, ribbon bookmark

With over 120 thoughtful designs to select from, the Papier Wellness Journal offers everything you need to feel aesthetically inspired while staying on track with your goals. Many of the designs are available in multiple colors, allowing you to find the journal that really speaks to you. You can even customize this journal further with free personalization — a monogrammed cover is a nice touch if you’re giving this as a gift.

The Papier Wellness Journal offers 12 weeks of mindful goal planning and reflecting. The journal begins with a guide to the six wellness pillars (energy, mind, movement, nourishment, connection and rest). There’s a 360-degree wellness wheel that helps you to reflect on each pillar of your wellness. Next, there are flow charts for day and night, allowing you to check in with yourself about the times of day that are strongest for each pillar.

Most of the journal is dedicated to daily check-ins (two pages for the first six days of the week and one for the seventh day). In the morning you log your daily intentions, energy, sleep, movement and how you are feeling. In the evening you log your nourishment, connection and daily gratitude. There’s also a section for evening journaling. At the end of each week you have a space to reflect on your thoughts and feelings, the six pillars, what could be improved upon and what you’re looking forward to. Monthly check-ins prompt you to review your monthly highlights, what went well, what didn’t go according to plan, where you stand with your pillars and your ongoing intentions. Each month, the journal also includes an article written by a wellness expert. The journal concludes with a space for reflection and a new wellness wheel to record your end-of-journal update for each of the six pillars.