Healthy Habits

kidrauhldrew

What are some healthy habits you picked up that had a much greater impact on your lifestyle than you first expected? I'm trying to get rid of some of my old ones that are keeping me from losing weight/living healthier and replace them with more beneficial ones instead, so let's hear some!

malibu927

Eating less and moving more

JoLightensUp

Logging is probably the main one. I kept putting off losing weight for a long while but decided to start by committing to logging every day no matter what. That seemed to change my whole mindset. It also really helped me work out how I could change some of my bad habits.

The other main one is walking. Short walks turned into longer walks. Then I started seeing improvements in my shape and stamina and that motivated me to start swimming as well. Now I'm gradually building up to some longer swims...you get the picture.

Two simple things, but starting small and simple really worked for me.

kommodevaran

Eating meals, cooking more, regulate sleep, being more active on the daily. Planning meals, schedule shopping, eating more varied. Weighing myself daily.

JeromeBarry1

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/study-shows-need-playtime/ This has a good explanation about how getting up and moving around can burn more calories than 'exercise'.

kidrauhldrew

JoLightensUp wrote: »

Logging is probably the main one. I kept putting off losing weight for a long while but decided to start by committing to logging every day no matter what. That seemed to change my whole mindset. It also really helped me work out how I could change some of my bad habits.

The other main one is walking. Short walks turned into longer walks. Then I started seeing improvements in my shape and stamina and that motivated me to start swimming as well. Now I'm gradually building up to some longer swims...you get the picture.

Two simple things, but starting small and simple really worked for me.

I've tried logging for a consistent time but I never make it more than a few days...Maybe this is really a good habit to adapt. Thanks Jo!

kidrauhldrew

kommodevaran wrote: »

Eating meals, cooking more, regulate sleep, being more active on the daily. Planning meals, schedule shopping, eating more varied. Weighing myself daily.

I looked into meal planning before but I'm not really sure how or where to start. Do you usually just plan your meals for the week ahead?

vanillasugar

Drinking water, and lots of it. Making a point of keeping healthier snacks on hand for when munchies strike. And finding an exercise that kept me interested. The exercise for me was probably the biggest impact on my life. I used to hate to sweat (and exercise for that matter). Started on this site 7 years ago and started taking Zumba classes. Fell in love with it. 3 years later I became licensed to instruct and now have been instructing for 4 years and making more $$ doing that, than I make at my "real" job.

kommodevaran

kidrauhldrew wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

Eating meals, cooking more, regulate sleep, being more active on the daily. Planning meals, schedule shopping, eating more varied. Weighing myself daily.

I looked into meal planning before but I'm not really sure how or where to start. Do you usually just plan your meals for the week ahead?

Meal planning has become my main hobby, or passion - so brace yourself

I started by learning how many calories I needed and how to balance my meals nutritionally, from logging and prelogging in my food diary, here on MFP. It was great, I ate well, and I lost weight. Meal planning per se came about when I had to empty the fridge before a vacation. It felt awesome to just know how much food I had and how long it would last. It took quite some time before it occurred to me that I could do the same even if I was at home. But when it did, it said "boing!" in my brain

I start at several ends. I start with what I want to eat, with my schedule, with what I already have in my fridge, freezer and pantry, with what's on sale, with what actually looks good in the store. Sometimes I plan all meals in detail for a week, sometimes I just plan dinners for the week, some times I plan some parts of all meals for two weeks, it all depends on the circumstances. I have a "theme" for each dinner through the week, that I just rotate.

I use a spreadheet that I just keep filling in, so I can look back to earlier successful meals and solutions. On the top of that spreadsheet is the contents of my fridge, freezer and pantry.

Most of the time I buy fresh/perishable foods twice per week, and fill up on staples when I see a great offer.

kidrauhldrew

kommodevaran wrote: »

kidrauhldrew wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

Eating meals, cooking more, regulate sleep, being more active on the daily. Planning meals, schedule shopping, eating more varied. Weighing myself daily.

I looked into meal planning before but I'm not really sure how or where to start. Do you usually just plan your meals for the week ahead?

Meal planning has become my main hobby, or passion - so brace yourself

I started by learning how many calories I needed and how to balance my meals nutritionally, from logging and prelogging in my food diary, here on MFP. It was great, I ate well, and I lost weight. Meal planning per se came about when I had to empty the fridge before a vacation. It felt awesome to just know how much food I had and how long it would last. It took quite some time before it occurred to me that I could do the same even if I was at home. But when it did, it said "boing!" in my brain

I start at several ends. I start with what I want to eat, with my schedule, with what I already have in my fridge, freezer and pantry, with what's on sale, with what actually looks good in the store. Sometimes I plan all meals in detail for a week, sometimes I just plan dinners for the week, some times I plan some parts of all meals for two weeks, it all depends on the circumstances. I have a "theme" for each dinner through the week, that I just rotate.

I use a spreadheet that I just keep filling in, so I can look back to earlier successful meals and solutions. On the top of that spreadsheet is the contents of my fridge, freezer and pantry.

Most of the time I buy fresh/perishable foods twice per week, and fill up on staples when I see a great offer.

Maybe I should give it a try to by starting off with only a few planned meals a week and work my way up! I first need to be sure on how many calories and other nutrients I need though. It always seemed somewhat time consuming to me but it is probably all a matter of practice. Did you find the spreadsheet on google?

kidrauhldrew

vanillasugar wrote: »

Drinking water, and lots of it. Making a point of keeping healthier snacks on hand for when munchies strike. And finding an exercise that kept me interested. The exercise for me was probably the biggest impact on my life. I used to hate to sweat (and exercise for that matter). Started on this site 7 years ago and started taking Zumba classes. Fell in love with it. 3 years later I became licensed to instruct and now have been instructing for 4 years and making more $$ doing that, than I make at my "real" job.

I try to eat healthier snacks but I feel like mine are still very high in calories...
I'm glad you found an exercise that you love so much! I've started running and I still hate it haha but hopefully once I get better at it I'll find the fun in it as well.

kommodevaran

kidrauhldrew wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

kidrauhldrew wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

Eating meals, cooking more, regulate sleep, being more active on the daily. Planning meals, schedule shopping, eating more varied. Weighing myself daily.

I looked into meal planning before but I'm not really sure how or where to start. Do you usually just plan your meals for the week ahead?

Meal planning has become my main hobby, or passion - so brace yourself

I started by learning how many calories I needed and how to balance my meals nutritionally, from logging and prelogging in my food diary, here on MFP. It was great, I ate well, and I lost weight. Meal planning per se came about when I had to empty the fridge before a vacation. It felt awesome to just know how much food I had and how long it would last. It took quite some time before it occurred to me that I could do the same even if I was at home. But when it did, it said "boing!" in my brain

I start at several ends. I start with what I want to eat, with my schedule, with what I already have in my fridge, freezer and pantry, with what's on sale, with what actually looks good in the store. Sometimes I plan all meals in detail for a week, sometimes I just plan dinners for the week, some times I plan some parts of all meals for two weeks, it all depends on the circumstances. I have a "theme" for each dinner through the week, that I just rotate.

I use a spreadheet that I just keep filling in, so I can look back to earlier successful meals and solutions. On the top of that spreadsheet is the contents of my fridge, freezer and pantry.

Most of the time I buy fresh/perishable foods twice per week, and fill up on staples when I see a great offer.

Maybe I should give it a try to by starting off with only a few planned meals a week and work my way up! I first need to be sure on how many calories and other nutrients I need though. It always seemed somewhat time consuming to me but it is probably all a matter of practice. Did you find the spreadsheet on google?

MFP's suggestion for calories (and macros, if you're into that) is good, start with that. It's better to start small than to overwhelm yourself. Initially it will take some time, but you should plan in order to free up time, and plan just what you need to plan and what you can plan - life is dynamic and things happen; if you have a real life (unlike me, lol), it's probably best to just plan a few meals and let the others be open. What you shouldn't do, and I would like to warn you against it, is to start with "good intentions" and just buy a lot of "healthy" foods you have no idea what to do with. Start with meals and recipes you know, and get ingredients for that, and get into a good rythm - our food issues are more often a lack of consistency, than specific food choices.

I made the spreadsheet myself - the menu plan is just a table where the columns are date, breakfast, lunch, dinner, notes (or treats), and a new line is added for every new day. The inventory is divided into fridge - freezer - pantry, with what I have on the left, and what I consider buying, on the right.

DebLaBounty

I took up running/jogging and found that eventually I kind of liked it. Consider looking into the Couch to 5K program app for your smartphone. You start out slow and build up to being able to comfortably run in longer increments. I was motivated by the idea that I could improve every week.

I get bored, though, with doing just that. I take walks and hike with a friend. Sometimes I'll take a Zumba class instead of run.

The key for me was deciding that I need to get out the door and do the activity whether I feel like it or not. Once I'm doing it, about mid-way through, I am happy I did it.

Logging your food every day is key. If I don't log, I inevitably find out that I'm eating much more than I think I do. Estimating or thinking you're "eating good foods only" is only kidding yourself about your daily calorie intake, and you'll be less successful.

Tintin13

Writing down my workouts or when I'll be going to the gym. Always having water available has helped too

kbmnurse

Water all day every day with lemon of course. Logging my walks.

Iamdeidra

Looking for hard working and motivating friends/support. Who are serious about weight loss and being healthy