April 6
Mrs_Hoffer
Posts: 5,194 Member
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
0
Replies
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How to Choose a Habit that Sticks
(Adapted from James Clear’s free e-course)
I wanted to share my notes from the first lesson in the free email course offered by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. Thanks to many of you here in the UAC quoting and recommending it, I’m also reading the book simultaneously and am putting that knowledge to action this month! So, here are the "highlights" from lesson 1:
We naturally tend to choose outcome based habits (“I want to lose 50lbs” or “I want to run a 10k”). An alternative is to choose identity-based habits (“I want to be someone who puts their physical and mental health first” or “I want to be someone who exercises every day”).
Long-term changes are hard to sustain if we don’t shift the belief we hold behind the behavior. It’s easy to hit the gym or meal prep once or twice but improvements are only temporary until they become a part of who you are. “The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes a part of your identity.” In practice, this means taking identity-based habits to the next level by saying “I am the type of person who IS this” (vs. “I am the type of person who wants this).
Your identity and habits are a feedback loop: the more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior and the more you reinforce the identity, the more natural it will feel to repeat the behavior. "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
Think about your desired identity and ask “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?” This points you toward the habit to focus on. It is far more important to focus on becoming that type of person, not getting a particular outcome. Remember, change is gradual but with each “vote” for your desired identity your internal belief system starts to shift.
Who is the type of person that could get the outcome you want?
Here is a link for the free e-course “30 Days to Better Habits” in case you’re interested:
https://jamesclear.com/30-days9 -
Yes x35
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This works!!! While in the UK, we were in a position to "self-cater" the whole time, and made a point to have only the minimum possible dishes / cutlery / pots in play. So we were "FORCED" for two weeks to wash everything after every meal.
Since coming home, I have kept that "I am a person who HAS a tidy kitchen" routine going.10 -
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? yes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? yes4 -
3xyes. Day 48 of Epic I + 9km run4
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✅✅✅
3️⃣ Pass Days left
I’m in the process of redefining my habits in terms of who I am (or want to be!)3 -
Wednesday
yes x3
pass days used 0/32 -
yes x 3
0/3 pass days used
swimming and lifting!2 -
Wedn 4/6
Yes x 3
1/3 pass days used2 -
Spin, medicine ball slams 8 lb ball, meditation tracked logged.
My habits are an ongoing work room for improvement3 -
Wednesday 6th
Exercise: Yes
Tracked: Yes
Calories: Yes
(0/3 pass days used)4 -
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? yes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? yes4 -
✅✅✅
0 passes used.2 -
✔︎ 20+ mins exercise (50min walk)
✔︎ Within calorie budget
✔︎ Log everything
Consistency Tracking (🌱=3 ✔︎'s, 🏴☠️=pass):
🌱-🌱-🌱-🌱-🌱–🌱-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30
Passes used = 0 / 3
Habit tracking this month:
✔︎ read/listen/take notes with intention on subjects towards desired identity 5+ days/week
📚-📚-📚-📚-📚–📚-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30
✔︎ more whole foods/less processed food, this month: no flour 5+ days/week
🫐-🫐-🫐-🫐-🫐–🫐-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30
Some of my answers are: healthy (physically and mentally), confident, patient, organized!2 -
April 6, 2022
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes
Habits to maintain this month:
Kitchen Closed? Yes
Did you go "nuts" with nuts today? No (6 days -free)
Within Sugar macro today? Yes (6 days)
Pass day 0/3 (this is for accountability to myself and my records).3 -
✅ Exercise: 60 minutes walking
✅ Calories
✅ Tracked
0 passdays used ( )
3 -
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes, 20 minutes of stretching and walking around the house. I did not go outside today. The wind has been blowing for 2 days straight
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes
Even though I didn’t sleep well last night I woke up feeling better. My husband told me that other people he knew had the same symptoms so I am sure it was the 24 hour flu that the doctor office mentioned.
I am retaining fluid and started back on the Lasix. My legs, feet and hands are swollen.
I worked a full day at home and plan on going into the office tomorrow.
I do not have Atomic Habits yet and I know it’s highly recommended. Definitely on my reading list in the future.
5 -
Yes x3. Signed up for that e-course and I think it will be helpful! Thanks for the link @makattack2205
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Thanks for a super opener today Mak! I am a great believer in the James Clear identity habit model and have found it (and the course) really helpful. Right now, I am focused on a couple:
I am a proactive person (who does not procrastinate);
I am grateful; and,
I am active.
Great job today on three “yeses” and for reporting in:
@makattack220 🏆
@loopydo2017 🌷
@jmu1965 Glad you are improving Jill 💐 Continue to take good care of yourself.
@victorious55 🌟
@ideas2 👍🏻
@SummerSkier 💐
@Jan1936 🌼
@eokoro 🌟
@snowshoe072 🚴🏻♀️🚴🏻♀️🚴🏻♀️
@MizSpiffy 🌷
@tahm42 🏊🏻♀️🏋🏻♀️
@Caramel_Apple 🌟
@donna25trinity 💛
@Marilynsretired 💐
@Winner_in_Life 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
@TerriRichardson112 🌷5 -
✅ Exercise - 1 hour Jazzercise and a neighborhood walk
✅ Calories -
✅ Tracking -
Closed all my Apple watch rings today
4 Pass days used
Documenting consistency (if there is a P=instead of number its a Pass Day)
UAC: P-2-P-P-P-5
Feels good to be back in the zone again. Manage to gain about a 1/2 a pound over vacation, but that’s okay. I’m too self conscious to bring a food scale with me when I go out, but I realize my estimating skills are not particularly strong. There is a sense of “safety” at home when I can accurately record my food.
As far as habits go, I am trying to be a person that can have people drop by my home (i.e. keep a neat and tidy home).6 -
3/06
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? 👍🏻
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? 👍🏻
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? 👍🏻
(Documenting consistency (if there is a P=instead of number its a Pass Day)
UAC: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28
February goals
1 Miracle Morning ~ S.A.V.E.R.S
2 Wake up EARLY for meditation
3 Yoga (5/6 times weekly)
4. Minimum sweets (work them in my calorie goal)
5. 30 day squat challenge 6. No late night snacking
7. Daily journal logging2 -
You managed really well, enjoyed your holiday, and that half a pound will be off in no time. Super job today getting back to it at home. 💃🏻🚶🏻♀️ @enlightenme3 🌟3
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On Plan: yes, <1000 calories
Exercise: yes, walked 30 minutes
Tracker: yes.3 -
Wednesday
Exercise: Yes - peloton bike 60 minutes
Tracked all: Yes
Calories under: Yes
(4/3 pass days used)
I joined this group April 5th, and I am counting April 1-4 as pass days.2 -
1
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Wednesday April 6
✅✅✅
84 minutes exercise (two outdoor walks & core work); 8 km; 12,000+ steps
1️⃣ Pass day April 22 -
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? 30 minute walk on top of the walking around the Toronto Zoo
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes
Woo hoo! The streak of pass days has ended.
Hoping to hold to 5!!
In terms of habits becoming identity based:
-I am an athletic person.
-I am someone who makes exercise a priority.
-I make intentional choices about what I eat and drink.6 -
06/04/2022
Exercise – yes, bike ride, gym and cardio.
Tracking – yes
Calories – yes
No pass days yet4 -
4/6
Exercise: 150 minute
Tracking: yes
Calories: over, pass day
Pass days used: 14 -
Weds April 7
Another pass day - making 3 - I had hoped to make it through the first week at least! But oh well. I at least feel good that none of these pass days have been me going and busting through all the rules. Just technical passes.
Exercise: None. 30 minutes stretching (during a work meeting) - but I had made a rule for myself that stretching alone doesn't count as exercise. My daughter kept me up late the night before and so I slept in and missed my MommaStrong time. Then I was busy at work and it was raining so I didn't go for a walk. Didn't leave the house at all.
Tracking: Planned the day
Calories: Followed the plan - under calories
Speaking of eating exercise calories (yesterday's question that I didn't get time to answer) - I made a decision a few months ago to stop counting and eating exercise calories. That works well because I mostly get around the same (small) amount of exercise. But yesterday when I didn't get in any I found myself noticeably less hungry throughout the day than I usually am. And this morning I am seeing a small gain on the scale where I would ordinarily expect a small loss from the calories I ate. I guess the math really does work of counting exercise calories. Still I think for me it definitely averages out and I think it is mentally healthier for me to not count them.
Re: habits, I have not read the book or taken the course and I don't know how this fits in, but I what I have been saying to myself these past few years that allows my good habits is not quite identity based but is "I deserve to do some minimal care of myself" or "I need to ..." or "I will prioritize ..." I think it really is the truth that I am a person who wants to take basic care of myself, but that is so true that I don't need to focus on it. I just am also a person who does well at my job (a job which I think is important work), who meets the needs of others, who takes good care of my family (immediate and extended), who values my friendships and puts time towards that, etc. etc. and I just run out of hours.
What I replaced tracking exercise calories in MFP with is a habit tracker app on my phone. I get to check off MommaStrong, walking, and stretching. Those are the three actual movement habits I am trying to do daily to take care of myself. I've been doing that for a month so far and I like it I think. I really like having the calendar to look back and say "Wow, I've been doing a fairly good job of that!"
3
https://youtu.be/g83v1m2P4_g
