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This August I Will....

themedalist
themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
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And Hello August!

There's one more full month of summer. What would you like to accomplish this month? What's on your to-do list? What healthy habit would you like to create this month or continue working on from July?

If it's helpful, you might frame your goal along these lines:

1. My goal for this month (This August I will...")
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit
4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible)
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?
6. What help do you need from us?
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?

If you are new to our group, welcome! Let us know what your goal is and how we can help. If you're stumped by what to work on this month, our list of previous challenges can help.

OK, let's get to work! The smallest change you make this August can have a big impact on your life and health if you keep doing it.



🌷Denise & 🌸Maddie
@themedalist & @MadisonMolly2017

New to Our Group and Habit Building?
Please read our Newcomer's Guide and our Nuts and Bolts of Habit Building. They will help make your habit stick!
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Replies

  • jamcnewman
    jamcnewman Posts: 4,411 Member
    1. My goal for this month (This August I will...")
    This August, I will not eat back my exercise calories through nighttime snacking.

    My struggle with this mostly happens if there are still too many unused calories in my regular calorie bank, by evening. The slope is slippery and steep. My tendency is to eat them AND the exercise calories. Then I don’t sleep well and generally feel unwell.

    2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal
    a) Pre-plan meals and snacks so I know I will have used up my deficit calories by end of dinner.
    b) Eat protein at every meal or snack to ensure I am getting enough calories and protein earlier in the day to fuel my activity level.
    c) Shut the kitchen down after dinner is finished.
    d) Have cut up veggies prepped in the fridge for the evening moments when and if I believe I am hungry. If I am truly hungry, they will satisfy. These veggies will be tracked, and I can go over my regular (deficit) calories if necessary to eat them.

    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit
    a) The night before or in the morning make the plan as to how the regular calories are going to get eaten.
    b) Every meal or snack - eat some protein.
    c) The cut up veggies are (always) there if I am still hungry for food. When feeling extra hunger, test with the cut up vegetables.

    4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible)
    Every single day in August. I will report this by notating the success days with a heart ♥️ , if I had to rely on extra calories to eat veggies I will notate with 🥒 and any misses will have a knife and fork🍴

    To date:
    ♥️ ♥️ 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

    5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?
    I will tell myself that I am doing a great job.

    6. What help do you need from us?
    Click “Like” or any of the feedback responses so I know you are reading? Having this place to report in every few days and knowing someone else is reading is really helpful.

    7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?
    By making this effort to refrain from eating my exercise calories and documenting it, I’ll have a really clear picture of how often I feel the desire to eat them back. I’ll know whether my veggie strategy can pull me through or whether I need to plan an evening protein snack of some kind.

  • TerriRichardson112
    TerriRichardson112 Posts: 19,041 Member
    edited August 2022
    1. My goal for this month (This August I will...")
    This August, I am continuing to work on refining my laminated Solid Habit Sheets.
    (Using ‘am’ as opposed to ‘I will … ‘ as it gives me less scope to cop out.

    2. The small actions I am taking to accomplish this goal
    a) Continue to organise Solid Habits into Morning, Evening, other categories.
    b) Type up on A4 and print out. Could use double sided?
    c) Set laminating machine and pouches up in hobbies room

    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit.
    a) I have set morning/afternoon/evening reminders on phone.
    b) I am setting a timer when I start.

    4. How often am I doing my August habit (daily is best if possible)
    Daily from 4th August. (After my holiday)

    To date:
    ✖️✖️✖️4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

    5. What reward am I immediately giving myself for doing my habit?[/i]
    I am doing a victory 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼

    6. What help do you need from us?
    Click “Like” or any of the feedback responses so I know you are reading? Having this place to report in every few days and knowing someone else is reading is really helpful.

    7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?
    A set of laminated reminder sheets that can be annotated in non permanent markers.

  • donna25trinity
    donna25trinity Posts: 3,188 Member
    Report 3rd Aug

    Went over on calories as I ate too many tim tams! 👇

    Goals/ habits for August
    * Track every blt, weigh the grazing💖
    * Pretrack including w/e👇
    * Aim for winners circle 💖
    * Loose weight in August💖
    * Put weight in app 💖
    *Journal and gratitude 💖
    *Leave work at work 👇
    * Look for another job 💖
    * Hve things to look forward after work and wen im stressed ie Sing, tv show, movie dance, yoga, nails, walk with bub, park & bath 👇
    * Be present with bub after work💖
    * Skin care at night and floss 💖
    * Do 1 thing from personal to do list💖


  • snowshoe072
    snowshoe072 Posts: 5,146 Member
    I got my lunch time walk in the heat index was close to 100 but the three of us made. Best part my aluminum free deodorant Hey Human is working really well much better than all the others I have tried
  • jamcnewman
    jamcnewman Posts: 4,411 Member
    Wednesday August 3

    This August, I will not eat back my exercise calories through nighttime snacking.

    Each day I will track then report:
    - success days with a heart ♥️
    - used extra calories to eat veggies 🥒
    - a missed day will have a knife and fork🍴

    To date:
    ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
  • jamcnewman
    jamcnewman Posts: 4,411 Member
    @donna25trinity Happy week long holiday ahead! So pleased for you. 🥰
  • donna25trinity
    donna25trinity Posts: 3,188 Member
    jamcnewman wrote: »
    @donna25trinity Happy week long holiday ahead! So pleased for you. 🥰

    Thanks so much @jamcnewman ur always so sweet and encouraging. Bless u. Xo
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,451 Member
    BMcC9 wrote: »
    Aug 4

    I am self-identifying as a Sewest. At least a little progress on sewing projects every day.

    1. My goal for this month (This August I will...") : This August I will make progress on a current sewing project every day.
    2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal: Before work each day [before lunch on weekends] I will do at least one step on my current project.
    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit: Placing my coffee cup in the sink will be my cue to turn on the sewing machine OR thread the basting needle and Do The Next Step.
    4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible): Every day.
    5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? Before starting work, I will check off a colourful section in my Habit Tracker.
    6. What help do you need from us? Ask me what step I am on / when to expect the next Pic of Finished Project
    7. What does success look like to you at the end of August? At least 3 projects finished (pjs for DH; 1 blouse for me; 1 shirt for him)

    🧵-🧵-🧵-👎-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-25-26-27-28-29-30-31

    (hubby sewed the buttons on, so I think that "doesn't count" ) Didn't do even a tiddy-wee bit before work ....

  • donna25trinity
    donna25trinity Posts: 3,188 Member
    5th report
    Goals/ habits for August
    * Track every blt, weigh the grazing💖
    * Pretrack including w/e💖
    * Aim for winners circle 💖
    * Loose weight in August💖
    * Put weight in app 💖
    *Journal and gratitude 💖
    *Leave work at work 💖
    * Look for another job 👇
    * Hve things to look forward after work and wen im stressed ie Sing, tv show, movie dance, yoga, nails, walk with bub, park & bath 💖
    * Be present with bub after work 💖
    * Skin care at night and floss 💖
    * Do 1 thing from personal to do list 👇
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,152 Member
    jamcnewman wrote: »
    1. My goal for this month (This August I will...")
    This August, I will not eat back my exercise calories through nighttime snacking.

    My struggle with this mostly happens if there are still too many unused calories in my regular calorie bank, by evening. The slope is slippery and steep. My tendency is to eat them AND the exercise calories. Then I don’t sleep well and generally feel unwell.

    2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal
    a) Pre-plan meals and snacks so I know I will have used up my deficit calories by end of dinner.
    b) Eat protein at every meal or snack to ensure I am getting enough calories and protein earlier in the day to fuel my activity level.
    c) Shut the kitchen down after dinner is finished.
    d) Have cut up veggies prepped in the fridge for the evening moments when and if I believe I am hungry. If I am truly hungry, they will satisfy. These veggies will be tracked, and I can go over my regular (deficit) calories if necessary to eat them.

    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit
    a) The night before or in the morning make the plan as to how the regular calories are going to get eaten.
    b) Every meal or snack - eat some protein.
    c) The cut up veggies are (always) there if I am still hungry for food. When feeling extra hunger, test with the cut up vegetables.

    4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible)
    Every single day in August. I will report this by notating the success days with a heart ♥️ , if I had to rely on extra calories to eat veggies I will notate with 🥒 and any misses will have a knife and fork🍴

    To date:
    ♥️ ♥️ 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

    5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?
    I will tell myself that I am doing a great job.

    6. What help do you need from us?
    Click “Like” or any of the feedback responses so I know you are reading? Having this place to report in every few days and knowing someone else is reading is really helpful.

    7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?
    By making this effort to refrain from eating my exercise calories and documenting it, I’ll have a really clear picture of how often I feel the desire to eat them back. I’ll know whether my veggie strategy can pull me through or whether I need to plan an evening protein snack of some kind.

    I love your plan @jamcnewman !
    I predict SUCCESS, as you even h as ve a back-up Plan w/ your veggie test❣️
    opalle wrote: »
    Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I'm trying to focus on changing habits this time around so the changes stick with me after the weight is gone. Glad to have found this group. I'm still tracking and counting calories but my main focus will be on changing one thing at a time. I know this way may take longer but
    I'm hoping to make permanent changes.



    Hi @opalle
    Happy First Post❣️❣️
    Are you going to record your hunger rating at the end of each meal?

    How’s it going so far? Let us know?!

    Sometimes we need to tweak our plan as we try it out..

    For example, maybe you just do this at breakfast for a week (or a whole month)&then add lunch, etc.




    This August I will change how I eat my meals by using the fullness scale, taking my time to eat and enjoy the food, and stopping when I reached 7, no matter how much is left on my plate. I hope by the end of August this comes naturally to me.

  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,152 Member
    themedalist wrote: »
    Hi Everyone, I think many of you subscribe to James Clear’s weekly newsletter already and thus will have seen this gem. But if haven’t seen it, this really resonates with me:

    “Keeping the habit alive is a powerful act. It's easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. It's easier to keep a house clean than to get it clean.

    Many days it may feel like you are treading water, but maintaining your progress saves your future self a great deal of work."

    So true!


    @themedalist
    So, So True!!!!
    Thank You ♥️
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,152 Member
    Aug 3-4
    Well, I finally did it.

    I looked back at how my husband & I had gradually shifted what & how we ste.

    I then Really looked & was horrified by some of the numbers - Takeout is just Not an option health wise for me, for my health, even more than my weight.

    I took this in. Realized how quickly it had changed & how my tracking had fallen off dramatically.

    I did not beat myself up, but I did decide to put my health first again.
    (I had placed A very time-consuming on-line volunteer job first. It allowed me to
    Teach, contribute, make friends around the world, and learn a lot. But I let it take over.

    So last month I got sleep & exercise solidly in line again. (Thank you again @themedalist for the sleep mask recommendation!!)

    And August 3, I reviewed all the recommended macros & micros for my health situation.

    My longterm food tracking app then recommended a calorie goal per day.

    Then I remembered that I was never hungry losing - big breakfast & balanced meals. For my genetics, this means 60-72g protein,
    And the same percentage of calories from both healthy carbs & healthy fats.

    A typical day might be
    16% calories protein
    42% carb
    42% fats

    I tried it Aug 3, calories low & no hunger
    Tried it Aug 4, same

    Sometimes we just have to remember what we worked out before!

    But I realized the key for me was my desire to be as healthy & active for as long as possible.

    🌸🪴🌷
    Maddie
  • jamcnewman
    jamcnewman Posts: 4,411 Member
    edited August 2022
    Thursday August 4

    This August, I will not eat back my exercise calories through nighttime snacking.

    To date:
    ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

    Insights: Day 3 was brutal and I finally confirmed that my low protein intake and having a large bank of calories still uneaten by dinner’s end is a very bad combination for me. Stopped myself from eating all the things and once I had fuelled a reasonable amount to ensure I wouldn’t wake in the night starving, I went to bed. Day four and five have been so much better and I feel really good about this. I’ve struggled with my protein intake for 6 months. 🥰
    ♥️ success
    🥒 used extra calories to eat veggies
    🍴 a missed day
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »
    I got my exercise & fitness to a level
    I thought would never be possible, and my cut-veggies-in-morning habit is solid.

    So, August…
    I’m tempted by the Happiness Jar from @themedalist ‘s post!

    I may also come up for one on tracking or calories. Thinking about it

    So for today, here are my top 10…
    Aug 1:
    1. Had a great time painting on lace today p🎨
    2. had a relaxing & fun time playing with a doodle-painting on paper 🎨
    4. Had a fun lunch in the park with hubby💞
    5. Received a gift of beautifully stitched bees & flowers from a dear friend 💞
    6. Received a board game I ordered for us to play with son & DIL when they visit in 10-12 days❣️
    7. Received a cool tape measure that will make it much easier for me to take my own measurements!
    8. Enjoyed walking in Very Rare rain!
    9. Lit a candle this evening. How can such a small thing provide so much joy!
    10. Took care of contacting my Dr after procrastinating

    And the biggie
    11…My watch showed me in the HIGH range for fitness for my age group AND my minutes per mile dropped significantly.

    I thought of this many times today- so proud that I got my walking where it should be in July❣️❣️❣️

    #HealthFirst

    What a wonderful post, Maddie! So happy and proud of you! #HealthFirst
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    @donna25trinity, I like all of your goals for August, but especially this one:

    Hve things to look forward after work and wen im stressed ie Sing, tv show, dance, yoga, nails, walk with bub, park, call friend💖

    It’s so important to have something in place to reduce stress. Something we enjoy and look forward to. Otherwise, it’s just way too easy to head to the kitchen and eat something that doesn’t fit into our plan. Stress eating is an easy habit to fall into, but it derails our progress.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    opalle wrote: »
    Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I'm trying to focus on changing habits this time around so the changes stick with me after the weight is gone. Glad to have found this group. I'm still tracking and counting calories but my main focus will be on changing one thing at a time. I know this way may take longer but I'm hoping to make permanent changes.

    This August I will change how I eat my meals by using the fullness scale, taking my time to eat and enjoy the food, and stopping when I reached 7, no matter how much is left on my plate. I hope by the end of August this comes naturally to me.

    @opalle, I love this! Changing just one thing at a time increases the likelihood that you will be successful. The more things that we try to change at once, the less likely we are that anything will stick. You will see a lot of goals listed by our members for August. But these are almost always goals they’ve been working on for sometime now. They are not new habits, so to speak. For newcomers and those new to habit building, we highly recommend focusing on just one thing and also making that one thing modest in size. Setting a goal of exercising one hour a day is just one thing, but it’s almost always too large a goal for a new exerciser to stick with.

    Welcome to our group!

    —Denise

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