Little Changes to a Healthier Lifestyle

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SeeAmandaRun
SeeAmandaRun Posts: 55 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The whole having a healthy lifestyle thing is very daunting to me. Whenever I plan to eat better and exercise more, I just feel overwhelmed that it's too hard and usually give up.

Effective today, however, I have decided to make some small specific changes that I believe I can incorporate into my life:
(I'm putting them in writing and sharing, so that I feel more accountable)

1) Quit snacking while making dinner.
This is a bad habit of mine. I'm "so hungry" that I can't wait until dinner is done that I just "have" to eat some chocolate/cookies to hold me over. I know these foods aren't filling me up, but I do it anyways (and without even realize how many calories I'm consuming).

2) Exercise when I'm stressed out/upset instead of turning to food.
If I have time to eat a whole bag of peanut m&ms on the couch, then I have time to go for a walk or do something else that's productive. I will always have peanut m&ms in my life (let's be honest, they're friggen delicious), but I don't need to eat a whole bag to make myself feel better. I don't emotionally eat THAT often, so this wouldn't be a huge change for me.

3) Don't eat unless I want to.
I often (especially this time of year) do not refuse food that is offered to me because I'm afraid that I will offend the person. This leads to me eating unnecessary seconds and treats that I don't want or need. I have to put myself first and just say "no thank you" or ask if I can take it home with me. This will be especially hard for me this week with the family insisting I taste all of their yummy (and not so healthy) foods.


Any tips/advice and words of encouragement are welcome!

What are some small changes that you would like to make?

Replies

  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    Those sound like a great start :) For me, it took not restricting anything but finding the moderation between eating nutrient dense foods and things I enjoy that well, aren't so much! Also, I use exercise as my stress outlet now, too. Being 100% honest with logging my food and buying a digital food scale also greatly helped.
  • SeeAmandaRun
    SeeAmandaRun Posts: 55 Member
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    Thanks for your input Phoenix_Warri! I also want to think about adding more positive foods/activities to my life rather than focusing on restricting things. :)
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
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    I'm really hoping to reduce my sodium intake more. I'm hypertensive and take medication for it, and despite logging everything here, my BP was a bit higher than last time :cry:

    I usually walk at work, but I've found I can now actually run in from the parking lot, into the building, then down 2 hallways to the time clock without feeling like I'm gonna die. Gonna do this from now on.

    Also working on keeping my saturated fats lower than I have been, my cholesterol went down a bit from last year but I want to lower my LDL a little bit more, and raise my HDL some.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    That's a really good attitude to have.

    Many people seem to try to make so many BIG changes - and end up not able to sustain those changes.

    If more people decided to make a small change or two at a time - realizing that it may take longer than if they could make a bunch of big changes all at once - I'm sure there would be even more success stories around here.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    Great plan, #1 is a biggie, when we cook and pop a little here and there it adds up. Be strong with #3, people can be real funny when you just say no thank you! #2 is totally doable, and of course have your peanut M&M's, this it about doing better not doing without.
  • SeeAmandaRun
    SeeAmandaRun Posts: 55 Member
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    *Update*
    (To be honest, I forgot that I wrote this haha)

    1) Quit snacking while making dinner.
    This is still a bad habit of mine, but I am getting better! I have been trying to have an apple (or whatever fruit is in season) around 4:30-5ish before I leave work, so that I'm not totally "starving" when I get home. It definitely helps.

    2) Exercise when I'm stressed out/upset instead of turning to food.
    Ummm....I still need to work on this one. I'm very inactive in the winter (I just want to stay under the warm blankets!), but one indoor activity that I love (and helps with stress/being upset) is dancing! I still eat junk when I'm down sometimes, but then I also crank the latest TSwift song and make up my own Zumba routine!

    3) Don't eat unless I want to.
    I've actually gotten really good at saying no to family and friends (in the nicest way possible!) when they offer me food that I don't want. For the one person in my life that absolutely will not take "no thank you" as an answer: I ask if I can take the food home with me to eat later. I find this works best, so I'm not hurting their feelings and I'm also not eating things that I don't want. Once the food is home (and it's usually cake), my boyfriend will eat it or I'll just end up throwing it out - which I know is a waste, but I'd rather those calories be in the garbage.
  • romachel1978
    romachel1978 Posts: 36 Member
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    For me, exercise sucks. I know some people love it but I am not one of them. My goal for this week is to do 15 minutes of exercise each day. Doesn't sound like much but for me, it is huge! I plan to up it to 20 minutes in two weeks. We'll see how it goes! I am normally an all or nothing sort of person (if I can't do an hour of exercising, might as well do none right??) so for me, these mini goals are something new. It's all about finding out what works for us, right?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Amazing, Amanda. Great strategy. I was reflecting if the only motivation for exercise was "improved health" I would have petered out a long time ago. I am motivated by goals closer to home, like preparing for a 5K run in a couple months. I also love Zumba because it is fun.
  • SeeAmandaRun
    SeeAmandaRun Posts: 55 Member
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    Exactly right romachel1978, you gotta do what works for you!
    I find an hour long workout to be too daunting so most times I wouldn't even attempt it. I'll tell myself that I'm just going to exercise for ten minutes (which usually turns into 20-30 minutes because once I get going I'm good). A little is still better than nothing!

    jgnatca - I agree. Of course improving health is always a good thing, but I prefer more tangible goals (such as beating my 5K & 10K times!). I find circuit training and Zumba also helped with my running/overall fitness (when it's too cold to go outside). Good luck with your 5K training and remember to have fun!
  • dougpconnell219
    dougpconnell219 Posts: 566 Member
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    1. Replacing eating as a response to stress and boredom with exercise.

    2. I find planning my meals out the day before helps me stay on track. It's easier to make a good choice a day in advance than when I'm hungry and the food is right there.
  • kailyw05
    kailyw05 Posts: 80 Member
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    Oh man I am with you on the snacking while cooking. I ALWAYS dug out the bag of chips and munched while I cooked. And then I'd still eat a huge portion of whatever I was cooking! So bad. Snacking is my biggest downfall and the area I am focusing on the most right now.

    One thing working for me right now is delaying my breakfast until 9:30-ish. I leave my house before 7:30 each morning and when I ate breakfast that early I found myself snacking so much all day. If I delay breakfast, I won't need a morning snack and I can wait to eat my lunch between 1 - 1:30. This way I can eat my afternoon snack between 3:30 and 4 so that I am not famished when I get home to cook supper - eliminating the snacking while cooking.

    Great strategies! I also am guilty of number 3. Something to work on for sure :)
  • SandyBVTN
    SandyBVTN Posts: 367 Member
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    Snacking while cooking is tricky for me too. What used to work (but I've gotten out of the habit) is putting out a raw veg plate. It satisfies my snack urge, ensures I'm getting some vegetables in, and gets some raw veg into my three year old - not always easy.

    This thread is a great reminder - I think I'll do that again!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,712 Member
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    Awesome update! Thanks for sharing. You're doing exactly what you are supposed to do: recognizing your bad habits and replacing them with new ones. Keep it up! It will get easier.
  • crosbylee
    crosbylee Posts: 3,454 Member
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    Wow, I could have written all that myself. I have a lot of the same issues and am battling that along with making the time to exercise once I get home and make dinner. I have a hard time trying to do it in the morning before everyone is up. Let's face it, I'd rather sleep in anyway, but I have to take my daughter to school and my gym is closer to my work, then I am the first one homeward, so I get to do pick up as well.
  • SeeAmandaRun
    SeeAmandaRun Posts: 55 Member
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    Thanks everyone. It's nice to know that I'm not alone :)

    SandyBVTN - your veggie plate is a good idea. I usually feed my bunnies before I make myself dinner, so they would like that too!

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