Aug 6 Weekly Challenge: No Snowballs
themedalist
Posts: 3,218 Member
Theme: Healthy Practices
Challenge: No Snowballs
It all starts innocently enough.
You join in your family’s nightly ritual of snacking while watching TV at night, despite a pledge to yourself that you’ll close your food diary and stop eating at 7pm. Or your schedule gets thrown for a loop one day causing you to skip your workout and before you know it, you haven’t been to the gym in 3 weeks. Or maybe wine just on the weekends has morphed into a nightly event?
Arghh! You’ve got a bad habit brewing and it needs to stop. This is the week!
Bad habits, just like good habits, are formed by repetition. We do something once, then a few more times, and before we know it, it’s become part of our daily routine, and often something we do without being consciously aware that we are doing it. As with good habits, bad habits are triggered by a cue, such as nightly TV watching, and cemented by the enjoyment or benefits we get from doing the habit. But unlike good habits, the pleasure we get from bad habits is usually immediate, which makes them especially sticky and easy to pick up. Sure, we know that regular exercise gives us lots of health benefits, but a plate of homemade cookies is delicious NOW. Bad habits are like puppies: they are so appealing they are easy to adopt.
This Week’s Challenge: If you’ve started doing something recently that is working against the health and fitness goals that you’ve set for yourself, step in and break the cycle. Make a conscious decision not to do the thing that is setting you back. When the urge hits, find some way to distract yourself or substitute a better habit for the one you want to replace. A short walk is a great intervention. I know it’s not easy, but repetition is the food for all habits. Let’s break the cycle. And if you don’t have a bad habit that’s looming, maybe there’s a good habit that needs some of your attention this week?
Let’s make it a great week!
Challenge: No Snowballs
It all starts innocently enough.
You join in your family’s nightly ritual of snacking while watching TV at night, despite a pledge to yourself that you’ll close your food diary and stop eating at 7pm. Or your schedule gets thrown for a loop one day causing you to skip your workout and before you know it, you haven’t been to the gym in 3 weeks. Or maybe wine just on the weekends has morphed into a nightly event?
Arghh! You’ve got a bad habit brewing and it needs to stop. This is the week!
Bad habits, just like good habits, are formed by repetition. We do something once, then a few more times, and before we know it, it’s become part of our daily routine, and often something we do without being consciously aware that we are doing it. As with good habits, bad habits are triggered by a cue, such as nightly TV watching, and cemented by the enjoyment or benefits we get from doing the habit. But unlike good habits, the pleasure we get from bad habits is usually immediate, which makes them especially sticky and easy to pick up. Sure, we know that regular exercise gives us lots of health benefits, but a plate of homemade cookies is delicious NOW. Bad habits are like puppies: they are so appealing they are easy to adopt.
This Week’s Challenge: If you’ve started doing something recently that is working against the health and fitness goals that you’ve set for yourself, step in and break the cycle. Make a conscious decision not to do the thing that is setting you back. When the urge hits, find some way to distract yourself or substitute a better habit for the one you want to replace. A short walk is a great intervention. I know it’s not easy, but repetition is the food for all habits. Let’s break the cycle. And if you don’t have a bad habit that’s looming, maybe there’s a good habit that needs some of your attention this week?
Let’s make it a great week!
3
Replies
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It's Move It Monday! Please post your Monday workout here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10637806/move-it-monday-weekly-challenge
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Hey @themedalist I think this week I am going to focus on good habits that I have let fall by the wayside. Things like getting up early and going to the gym or going to bed at a reasonable time. Thank you for this!4
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This is a good one I have let my food tracking slip and every time I do the weight slowly creeps back I need to get that habit back on track this week3
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@HEGoddard0928 and @sandra8841, I like your goals for this week. There is always something we can work on.
I also am going to work on food tracking this week. Just as Sandra said, when I get away from tracking, the weight starts to creep back on.2 -
I haven't been exercising lately, so im going to work on that this week. I just need to find something ill stick with3
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I am guilty of snacking while watching evening TV. This week nothing to eat after 7 pm.3
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I felt my habits were in a good place, but kept thinking...what a great challenge!! (Is this one quarterly?!) Thank you @themedalist
And I realized I really need to do these two...beginning now!
Wearing sunscreen all the time as I was. Must do.
(Treat it like lotion as you used to!!!)
Floss one tooth
each morning & night (because then I’ll do all.) 4 -
I need to get back to my morning routine of an early walk and yoga. I've let it slip since I am enjoying being able to sleep in (or at least stay in bed later), which will not be doable when I'm back to teaching 8am classes. I really should be doing these things now because first thing in the morning is the only time when it isn't too hot to exercise outside.3
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I haven't tracked my food in over a year... and it shows! I'll start tracking my food on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 because I'm reading this challenge in the evening and eating for the day is over.... mostly... and I don't want to track what I ate today as I ate way too much... :-/4
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I haven't tracked my food in over a year... and it shows! I'll start tracking my food on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 because I'm reading this challenge in the evening and eating for the day is over.... mostly... and I don't want to track what I ate today as I ate way too much... :-/
I think tracking your food intake is a terrific habit to rediscover, @kg7usg!2 -
Aug 6
Sunscreen ✅
Floss etc 3X today ✅✅✅
This challenge really helped me do these. Thanks!1 -
Two words. Biscuits. Supper. Need to break both of these as I'm now 10 pounds over weight!!2
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I so so so did NOT want to get up this morning. Last night I set my morning alarm for 6 am. It went off right on time and I immediately got and changed it to 7. I then realized that if I didnt feed my cat I would spend the whole next hour fighting with him. So I fed him. Luckily the Keurig is right above his food bowl so I started a cup of coffee. It's now 7am and I am on my second cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal down! Lol. Thank you for this Denise!3
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2 mornings that I've done my walk and yoga. It's a start!2
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2 mornings in a row that I got up early! I didn't do anything exercise wise, but not hitting the snooze button is definitely a win for me!3
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Aug 7
Floss✅✅
Sunscreen✅
2 days/2 Not easy but I am doing it!!1 -
Hi all! Just dropping in to say a quick hello 😁 My summer has not slowed yet. August is turning out to be just as hectic as last month. I might not see a slow down til the end of the month. I hope to return to regular posts soon. Y'all take care and keep going strong!3
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MmamabearR wrote: »Hi all! Just dropping in to say a quick hello 😁 My summer has not slowed yet. August is turning out to be just as hectic as last month. I might not see a slow down til the end of the month. I hope to return to regular posts soon. Y'all take care and keep going strong!
Thanks for stopping by, @MmamabearR. We will see you soon when your schedule lets up a little!1 -
The bad habit I’m working on this week is not skipping my food diary and logging what I eat every day. I’ve missed one day, but I’ve been pretty consistent otherwise and I intend to keep logging every day.
How are you all doing with reigning in your bad habits this week?0 -
themedalist wrote: »The bad habit I’m working on this week is not skipping my food diary and logging what I eat every day. I’ve missed one day, but I’ve been pretty consistent otherwise and I intend to keep logging every day.
How are you all doing with reigning in your bad habits this week?
Four days of getting up and getting some exercise in first thing in the morning. So the week is going well for me.0 -
Going well
Aug 8 - floss ✅✅
Sunscreen ✅
Sleep ✅1 -
Figuring out a way to push back to temptations and triggers is really important in order to not let old habits takeover when were stressed or faced with triggers.. you know what I'm talking about.
Any way we can move and breathe slowly and deeply. ..even for 3 min is helpful. I personally favor a 7 minute qi gong exercise which is easy to do.
https://youtu.be/g-jSBBwr8Ko
Be well. 🧘🏼♂️🌹😘
M.1 -
Michaela_LaGata wrote: »Figuring out a way to push back to temptations and triggers is really important in order to not let old habits takeover when were stressed or faced with triggers.. you know what I'm talking about.
Any way we can move and breathe slowly and deeply. ..even for 3 min is helpful. I personally favor a 7 minute qi gong exercise which is easy to do.https://youtu.be/g-jSBBwr8Ko
Be well. 🧘🏼♂️🌹😘
M.
I LOVE his videos. The morning and evening routines are my favorites!
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Michaela_LaGata wrote: »Figuring out a way to push back to temptations and triggers is really important in order to not let old habits takeover when were stressed or faced with triggers.. you know what I'm talking about.
Any way we can move and breathe slowly and deeply. ..even for 3 min is helpful. I personally favor a 7 minute qi gong exercise which is easy to do.https://youtu.be/g-jSBBwr8Ko
Be well. 🧘🏼♂️🌹😘
M.
Thanks for sharing, @Michaela_LaGata. This looks great and I’m definitely going to try it!0
This discussion has been closed.