How long did it take before your healthier life changes became habit?
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I can add to this one...(new poster). I started rowing indoors this past Nov...so about 9 months now. I remember posting in my log that there is dangerous ground between novelty and habit. Realistically it took about 3 months of daily rowing before I wasn’t thinking about it.
There were many days where the “I don’t wanna”s were strong, but I made myself do it. My days off are 15 min ~2500 m rows.
I laughed one morning after going through the mental gymnastics of trying to convince myself I was fine to skip the normal morning row, that I would do it after work (big fib), and that 1 day wasn’t a big deal...the reason I laughed to myself...by the time I had convinced myself to skip it, I realized I was dressed in my rowing gear. I hadn’t even noticed I was doing it! That day was at the 3 month mark
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Idk if I'll ever get there...for me "its just one day off" is poison to my routines.2
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I'd like to add that by far the most profound healthy life change I made was to accept that I'm a fallible human being. Previously I held myself to impossible standards when trying to do something about my weight. Anything short of perfection was failure and slipping in adherence even once was unacceptable.
The most healthy thing I ever did was to give myself a break and let myself be a normal human being who does normal things. Eating myself into a food coma on Christmas day? Enjoying some sweets while watching a movie at the cinema? Having a slice of birthday cake? All things 'normal' people do and all perfectly OK for me to do as well.
I don't think anything has helped me lose the weight I've lost more than allowing myself to be 'normal' and do 'normal' things. Trying to be perfect made losing weight so difficult and arduous and for the most part made me pretty miserable. However, just accepting that being 'good enough' is all that's required has made losing weight comparatively far less stressful and, on the whole pretty easy.
That’s great and all but... how long did it take?1 -
CardinalComb wrote: »I'd like to add that by far the most profound healthy life change I made was to accept that I'm a fallible human being. Previously I held myself to impossible standards when trying to do something about my weight. Anything short of perfection was failure and slipping in adherence even once was unacceptable.
The most healthy thing I ever did was to give myself a break and let myself be a normal human being who does normal things. Eating myself into a food coma on Christmas day? Enjoying some sweets while watching a movie at the cinema? Having a slice of birthday cake? All things 'normal' people do and all perfectly OK for me to do as well.
I don't think anything has helped me lose the weight I've lost more than allowing myself to be 'normal' and do 'normal' things. Trying to be perfect made losing weight so difficult and arduous and for the most part made me pretty miserable. However, just accepting that being 'good enough' is all that's required has made losing weight comparatively far less stressful and, on the whole pretty easy.
That’s great and all but... how long did it take?
As per my previous post in the thread. Overnight2 -
I read a great line once. I think it was Marc Parent who used to write the Newbie Chronicles for Runners World, which was basically a series of articles about his journey starting to run, and continuing to run.
The article was How Do You Know When You Become a Runner? The line that has always stuck with me is “You know you’re a runner when people stop asking you about running.”
That really resonated with me as I took up running and exercising regularly in general later in life ((30)). At first everyone asked me about running, how far was I going, was I keeping up with it... did I have to take walk breaks... but eventually that stopped as being a runner just became a regular part of regular me. I think some people asked me because they expected me to fail, but some were genuinely curious.
Just a different take- you know it’s a habit when other people stop mentioning it.3 -
I think the responses here show that it varies greatly from one person to the next.
What I've found is that "life" can throw us a number of curve balls over the years, and things change, and we either adjust or we don't.
Most of my life I had active jobs and active hobbies and would still work out on occasion. Overall, I was just an active, outdoorsy person who was "on the go." My weight wasn't much of an issue well into my early 30's. Around 32 years old I got my first "professional" desk job, and things went downhill from there.
I didn't adjust my eating, and while my schedule didn't change that much, my overall activity levels plummeted. Some of my more active hobbies started to go away, and the weight started to creep on. Slowly, but steadily.
In 2016 I recommitted myself to my fitness and eating habits, and was making great progress in both. Not super fast, but steady progress and was feeling great. I had made it through some life-struggles, and was ready to take on my own health. Things were going great and were routine - when I badly broke my left leg. Bad enough where the doctor's threats of cutting it off if things didn't go right were legitimate.
Over that next year, multiple surgeries, and a variety of other things, eating became one of the few things I enjoyed and could do with friends - so, even though I knew I'd have to lose the weight again, I didn't care. It was a choice, and I wanted to enjoy those times and meals out.
Last year I was working to regain lost muscle and working out pretty hard, eventually managing to burn myself out. Ended up with a good ~8 months of not really doing much.
Back at it again, trying to be a bit smarter about my expectations and demands on myself to avoid that burn out repeating. Basically doing what I was doing back in 2016, with some slight modifications. I've regularly been into my "routines" for ~6 weeks now - it's "routine" but I won't say that it's "easy" either. There are still days I have to basically force myself to go. There are still days even after accomplishing my workout and doing what I need to do, I don't feel that great having done it.
But, the results are paying off where I need them too, all the while reinforcing just how much further I still have to go. The "woo-hoo!" motivation is gone by this point, thankfully the routine part of it is kicking in, and my expectations/demands are reasonable.
Life has taught me that there are seasons, and I don't really consider this any different. I won't allow myself to ever go back to my heaviest, but life has shown that just because something works great right now, doesn't mean it always will, and I have to choose my priorities.2 -
I was quite disciplined once I decided to get on a plan, and my loss was pretty standard - quick then slow then bumpy and finally done, 40lbs over about 9 months. I've been in maintenance since March of 2017 and I'd say in the past few months I've noticed that my food choices have become less of a "I can't eat that" to "I am choosing this" which may sound subtle but as regards mental energy and will power, comes as a nice easing up off the grind. Part of it is habit, part of it is just the huge cache of info I have at hand now about where to spend what calories to keep myself feeling happy.
My activity habits are the only reason I've been able to stick to my goal weight, I think. While it's true you can't out-exercise consistent poor choices in diet, conversely I couldn't stick to the low calories I'm apportioned if I was truly sedentary. I'm active every single day of the week, and my rest days are a break but not a sloth. Having short and mid term activity based goals and projects is helpful, like a 5k run or a personal best on a trail, or whatever. Long term I'll be happy to do what I'm doing and remain injury free.2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »I would just suggest that for most people it's probably not safe to start thinking "OK, it's a habit now, it's all good, I don't need to pay attention/reinforce the habit/exert conscious decision-making etc." If habits maintained themselves indefinitely regardless of outside forces, we wouldn't have been able to trade the old habits for the new ones in the first place.
This!! So well said. I think that if you let yourself get too comfortable and you don't stay disciplined, you can easily slip back into bad habits. I know this all too well from personal experience!!!1 -
For me, it was between 6 months and a year, or maybe it's a continuing process.
It took me somewhere between 6 months and a year to make exercise a habit, and for it to change from something I had to make myself do and something that was a habit. Between a year and 18 months, it changed from just a habit to something I really enjoy.
Still struggle with healthy eating habits.1 -
I'll let you know when it happens.
So far, I think it's been 12ish years.2 -
I always knew what I needed to do because I used to be into fitness years ago. I got pure lazy and depressed for 16 years. This latest journey I am on, it took the results of my A1C test to flip the switch and completely change my mindset from lazy to motivated. I haven't looked back since.1
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IDK about "habit"...I've been active most of my life whether that be competitive athletics are just being out and active. When I was 30 I graduated university and took a job working at a CPA firm. My activity declined significantly...not because I all of a sudden didn't want to do things, but I was working 70-80 hours per week and traveling 25 weeks out of the year and had very little free time. I never had any issues with my weight until I was in my 30s and put on my weight slowly from 30-38.
When I was 38 I went in for my annual physical and my Dr. told me I was in pretty bad shape health wise so I decided I just needed to get things going again.
I do very little of what I would call "working out"...most of my exercise is recreational activity...namely I spend a good bit of time on my bike, walk my dog, some hiking and rock climbing here and there, and playing in the pool with my kids. I wouldn't really call it habit as much as I would call it enjoyment.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I do very little of what I would call "working out"...most of my exercise is recreational activity...namely I spend a good bit of time on my bike, walk my dog, some hiking and rock climbing here and there, and playing in the pool with my kids. I wouldn't really call it habit as much as I would call it enjoyment.
Sounds like a pretty good lifestyle to me...
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There was an overnight decision to start and commit.
It’s been 7 1/2 years and the rest is still not “habit”. There are foods that I know to buy because that’s what I eat, and I know I do my runs and workouts the same way I know I brush my teeth and pay the mortgage.
But it’s still a calculated choice every day to make good choices even when I have everything set so doing otherwise is a labor-intensive and incredibly inconvenient option.2 -
For me it's always been about actively supporting the habits I want to cultivate/maintain. I spend a good bit of energy on my process, trying to refine, improve every day and remove obstacles that keep me from executing better.2
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Whether it be your exercise routine or eating or what ever changes you(‘ve) set out to make became completely natural to you rather than a battle with your will power or self motivation (if that makes sense). I’ve read the 21day rule is more an absolute minimum than a rule and 66 days is a better average and there’s no ‘one size fits all’
Honestly, I have 2 lengths. Either 3-4 days, or never. It doesn't matter what you are asking about. Either I'll develop a habit after 3-4 days, or it requires constant attention.1 -
Certain things became a habit faster than others. Walking daily probably around 6 months. I now look forward to exercise! There's a sentance I never thought I would say. Food on the other hand... Sometimes the old habits come creeping back. I have been maintaining for about 2 years and I still log daily because a few times I found myself slipping back to snacking on high calorie sweets which I had completely quit except for very special occasions or grabbing that second sandwich I don't need. I think for myself I will always have to be vigilant to keep my weight in the "normal" range. It has gotten easier though. I rarely think of eating something I know I shouldn't where before it would have been an internal battle say at a restaurant not to order the creamy pasta dish I wanted. Now I look to see what's healthy and enjoyable instead. Sometimes I'm really surprised. Every experience like that makes it easier to stick with it. Which is a great example of why we need to try new things.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I do very little of what I would call "working out"...most of my exercise is recreational activity...namely I spend a good bit of time on my bike, walk my dog, some hiking and rock climbing here and there, and playing in the pool with my kids. I wouldn't really call it habit as much as I would call it enjoyment.
Sounds like a pretty good lifestyle to me...
I can't complain...
A buddy of mine recently got into cycling and he wants me to do a century with him. I'm like ughhhh...no you don't. I did a full century once, and that was enough for me...the thought of training like that again is ughhhh. I've done a few other halves, but I'm kind of over it now and just enjoy riding for the sake of riding. I did tell him I'd do 25 with him at Day of the Tread, but that's no biggie and it's flat as hell.1 -
It varied for me. Some things stuck instantly I wondered why I never considered them before, other things took anywhere between a few days and several months of gradual changes, some things I keep doing, stop doing, then go back to do them again over and over, and other things I'm still trying to figure out even now that I've transitioned to maintenance 7 years later, I'm still looking for ways to make them more natural and not making as much progress as I would like. Even now, even with already established habits years later, I'm still learning about myself and finding ways to improve on the strategies I already have to make them more and more natural.1
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Whether it be your exercise routine or eating or what ever changes you(‘ve) set out to make became completely natural to you rather than a battle with your will power or self motivation (if that makes sense). I’ve read the 21day rule is more an absolute minimum than a rule and 66 days is a better average and there’s no ‘one size fits all’
@ebony__ when I found a Way Of Eating that started to drop my high pain levels of 40 years duration in just 15 days sticking with my new WOE long term was a given. After 90 days I was making progress in a technical sense with my new WOE but after 5 years I am still tweaking as my understanding of the human body and its health improves from daily reading of human health research efforts. For exercise I only walk most of the time.
This summer I got throwing back into the barnyard for the first time in 50 years and I was not excited about it and wanted to ditch the horses and dogs. After I chilled I knew I had to make this work at my age for the sake of my family. The daughter got her first summer job out of town and is now in Europe for her fall semester when a horse bumped my wife and caused her to fall breaking her hip which put her on full bed rest for 6 weeks. She counted on me to bring her meals as did the horses and dogs.
In short had I not made my healthier life changes 5 years ago I would not have been able to have done this for the wife, horses and dogs. When we bite the bullet and do for ourselves it can in the end be even more about others than ourselves. The son is getting married in three weeks and I have been helping get the old place he is buying fixed up. I never realized at the age of 68 I would have others counting on me so I am glad I made the life changes so I can be there for them. I had both hips replaced 1 Aug 1991 and my wife stayed by my side for 3 weeks in the hospital so I am glad to have the health to stand in for her now. Thankfully her bones are still health and other than the 3 screws both hips look the same now.
When I look beyond ME it it is easier to do good things for ME.
In time if we look hard enough we can find a Way Of Eating and a Way of Exercising that gives up a better chance in our late years still being active years so we can help others.
Best of continued success.2
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