Tips / Tricks for forming new habits?

jaykal001

Hi everyone -
I'm looking for any advice and tips and tricks anyone has had success with, as far as helping to get out of bad habits, form some better ones, etc.

For example, I'm trying to break the habit of eating on the go, but i'm struggling with it. I've tried leaving more time, I've tried cooking the day before, but it seems like everything I do, I lose track of it within a few days. The hard part is that I'll be sitting at work thinking of ideas for a good dinner, or a good breakfast, and sometime between here and there I just stop thinking about it.

I know we can't think about nutrition and exercise every minute of every day, but i'd love to hear some ideas to get the spark to happen more often. I was thinking maybe i should set 10 alarms a day to remind me to get up and walk around, an alarm before lunch to eat something good, an alarm before dinner to pack a lunch, an alarm in the morning to remember that lunch, etc.

I complete understand it takes time to change the bad habits, but some help along the way would be great!
Thanks.

jfederspiel85

So it sounds like your biggest issue is at work...that used to be mine too! now it's the being home that i struggle with...Something i do, is make it impossible to "bad snack". Snacking certainly isn't the problem, it's what you're snacking on. So clear your desk of any unhealthy snacks, Keep all your cash at home, and pack your desk full of healthy snacks (unbuttered popcorn, nuts, little V8 (low sodium) cans, oatmeal, healthbars, etc. and bring only healthy options with you (at least 2 fruits and veggies a day). Be sure to keep these snacks in a drawer if you can because a big part of snacking is seeing it. Sort of an "out of Sight, out of mind" thing. When you have these options available the vending machine has so much less power (also you have no cash so you can't get anything even if you want) and you have a variety of yummy good for you treats at your fingertips. Another thing is drink lots of water. The reason we tend to snack is actually not because we're hungry but because we're thirsty. So if you stay properly hydrated you should see a decrease in your cravings!

Hope this helps!!!!
Jenny

Tara061580

I made it it habit to pack my lunches and breakfasts the night before (I have one daughter and my boyfriend has 2). I also make sure to include my snacks and I leave them on my desk in plain view so that I can turn to that. I know it's not much, but I found once I started packing everything the night before, that eliminated a lot of work snacking and buying out.

MrsJane05

Have a big cook up on the weekend of healthy freezer friendly meals. Freeze each meal in individual portions (takeaway containers are great), so when you get home from work during the week, tired and hungry, you only have defrost a meal from the freezer, rather than prep and cook a meal each night - its like having takeaway, but at home!!

Snip8241

In order for these habits to become habits you have to think if them all the time at first.

If eating your prepared meals, preparing them and not eating on the go is not first and foremost you will forget it and it will not become habit.

If exercising, maybe just a walk is not first and foremost it will not become habit.

All this does not take too long to become habit, but you must do it every day.

Decide if you want it...

TeaBea

Jenny has some good ideas^

Along the lines of water. I bring a big jug of water to work, and my goal it to finish it by 5:00 p.m. Another method (I've read here) is to put several rubber bands on your glass. Remove a rubber band every time you need a refill.

I can eat mindlessly in front of the tube. So, instead I do something with my hands. A little bit of distraction works wonders....solitaire, crochet, whatever.

Deck of cards workout is great for commercial breaks......

Deck of cards workout: Hearts = cardio, Diamonds = upper, Spades = lower, Clubs = abs. Play: draw the 8 of hearts - do 8 jumping jacks, draw 10 of diamonds do 10 push ups .... etc.

Packing my lunch (and breakfast) is something I do before bed. It's become part of my routine. I know I won't get it done in the a.m.

blukitten

So more of an overall thing I have noticed helped me was change one habit at a time, then move on to the next.

So- you want to stop eating on the go-- ok that's a large goal - so start with one smaller goal to help you change that big one.

You say you think about healthy options and things to make but I think you may be trying to conquer too much at once.

So how about only thinking or concentrate on one meal at a time- like your biggest obstacle for healthy eating.

Start with bringing in healthy options to put either on or in your desk- I for one am able to not snack all day on the items on my desk but need them out to remind me that I don't need to go to the vending machine and that I have healthy options here. I have things like nuts, freeze dried fruit, peanut butter, and some baked veggie chips- the kind you get at sprouts or a whole foods market on my desk. I also have healthy options in my drawer if I don't want anything on my desk. I keep them on my desk because if they are in my drawer I will forget I have them and go to the vending machine (ours here at work takes credit cards so the not having cash option doesn't work)

After you have a stock pile of healthy options on your desk (for in case you forget the lunch you packed) then start with one meal a day to remember instead of trying to remember all of them. Make that one meal into a habit ( do it for at least a month or more, however long you need until you do it automatically without having to remember it). Start with breakfast and make it everyday, make it beforehand if needed, remember it- set alarms for it- whatever you need to do to make that one thing a habit.

Then when you have mastered that one meal- move onto the next. Changing 1 thing 100% is so much better and easier than trying to change 100 things 1%!!

This works for anything- any habit you want to change-- change smaller things to get to bigger goals

Make SMART goals-- this is kinda what you would be doing

mjterp

ONE habit at a time...not eating out means having food ready to go.
I am struggling with a new schedule at work, so I have to now think about packing lunch AND dinner ...

What Jenny said about NOT having cash so it isn't an option to buy fast foods...GO WITH THAT!

Planning when you have time to plan, then packing up when you have time to pack.
Examples for me...
I have a great homemade granola bar that makes for a yummy snack, in addition to fresh fruits and vegies (careful of the dips, though I splurge with hummus YUMMM), popcorn, raw nuts (portion control)
I have breakfast options (burritos frozen ready to go after a minute in the microwave, par baked in muffin cups scrambled eggs with whatever...about 40 secs in the microwave) as well as purchasing granola bars to have on hand for those "life is crazy...I need easy" moments (fiber one is one of my faves) That said, I find I am a lot less peckish if I eat protein for breakfast.
Lunch options (make sandwiches, leave microwave meals in the freezer at work, potato to microwave, sweet potato to microwave, squash, bring leftovers from my crock pot.)

To keep from buying fast food on the way home, I try to have something in the crock pot ready to go. Most crock pot stuff can be put into individual containers and frozen for lunches to microwave later.

Also important is moving...Set some sort of alarm so that you at least get up and stretch every hour. I find it helpful to use the bathroom on another floor of the building and then I take the stairs. It is a short break but it gets my big muscles moving which helps keep metabolism up for the day instead of going into almost sleep state.

Drinking water should have you getting up to use the restroom (at least in the beginning)

If NOT eating out fast food is your one and only goal for now (and I am ALL for one habit at a time!) , plan and prep your meals to plan for success, then COMMIT.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Lizzy622

PLAN PLAN PLAN and write it down. This is where I started. I had all my meals for the week planned and most of the grocery shopping done. I precooked most items I could and cleaned and chopped veggies where I could. After doing all this work on the weekend, I really didn't feel like eating fast food. By having your plan written down or logged on your phone, you do not have to be constantly thinking or obsessing over what you will be eating.

ETA
Setting an alarm to remind you to move is a great Idea. I think I may take that one from you. Thanks.

mjterp

Just a reminder, that if you finish a meal and you are still hungry, it is OK to tell yourself you can have another little something in a hour or so.

I do that at work. If I am "starving" by 11, I will have part of my lunch...knowing I can have the rest later at 1.

Also, when there is junk in the break room (people bring cookies, cakes, etc to share) I try to avoid it...but I will at least PRE-LOG if I decide to have seomthing so that I am aware of the "price tag" on that item before I "buy" it...(eat it) It makes me think twice.

GOOD LUCK!!

funchords

Log everything in the morning -- breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner -- everything. Your food log becomes your food plan. You're no longer reacting to your day, you're following your plan.