October’s Harvest of Healthy Habits
What a wonderful month October is! Now fall has begun in earnest!
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, October is a month of harvest. Just like the farmers who have been working in the fields, we’ve been working on creating habits that support healthy living.
This month let’s share our Harvest of healthy habits.
I’d like to do something a bit different this month. (I totally stole the idea from Inktober). Let’s share a habit success each day of the month! Maybe you took a walk or resisted an irresistibly tempting dessert, please share that success.
Are you working on a new habit or continuing to hone an established one? Share those successes!
Try setting up a new habit using this loop!
Cue:
Seedling Habit:
Reward:
Or
Try framing your goals along these lines:
1. My goal for this month (This October I will...)
2. The small, actionable steps I plan to take towards this goal
3. My reminder or cue to keep up with my habit
5. My reward for maintaining the habit (anything from a self-compliment to a mark on the calendar)
6. How can we support you?
7. What will success look like at the end of October?
🍂🍁🍃🎃🍂🍁🍃🎃🍂🍁🍃🎃🍂🍁🍃🎃🍂🍁🍃🎃🍂🍁🍃🎃🍂🍁🍃🎃🍃🍁
New to Habit Building?
Please review our Newcomer’s Guide and our Nuts and Bolts of Habit Building as it will help you get started.
Replies
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@77tes thank you for starting us off right for Oct! It still feels a little summery here. Still trying to decide on Oct habit to focus on. Looking forward to success for all of us!
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Happy October to everyone - my favorite month! 🎃 🍂 🍁🍂🍁 🎃
Thank you @77tes for your leadership and starting this new thread. This will be my second month here. I plan to check in at least once a week. For October, I decided to simplify my stacking/continuing habits - just removed a few that come naturally and adjusted for my lifestyle this fall.
Intention: I am an active person and take care of my body and mind
This October I will start a new habit of:
💪 Hand weights for toning/strengthening upper body 3- 4 x a week
The small, actionable steps I plan to take towards this goal is to create a setting I can easily drop into.
Will keep my hand weights visible on my exercise mat in my exercise roomMy reminder or cue to keep up with my habit - schedule in phone and daily calendar
My reward for maintaining the habit - positive statements
What will success look like at the end of October - seeing stronger arms and upper body!
Modified / continuing habits:
👣 Walking for exercise 6 x a week - 8,500-10k steps preferably outdoors
🧘♀️ Yoga/stretch sessions 3-6 x a week - gym classes and YWA at home
🍲 Fresh nutritious foods 6 x a week - Mediterranean way of eating
Wishing everyone much success with your habits this month!
Anne~3 -
@SummerSkier , take you time deciding. Job 1 is getting done with Covid.
@Michieb125 , Great plan for the month!
I have a couple goals for this month.
First, I want to do WALKTOBER! I downloaded an app, but it seems to requires me to be part of an organization. We’ll see about that app. I also want to post an poem daily about autumn.
1. This October I will walk every day. (Dancing counts 😉)
2. The small, actionable steps I plan to take towards this goal plan a time I’ll be able to walk the next day.
3. My reminder or cue to keep up with my habit putting on my shoes.
5. My reward for maintaining the habit (anything from a self-compliment to a mark on the calendar) - post my autumnal poem and maybe a picture.
6. How can we support you? Like my photos and poems. Cheer me on!
7. What will success look like at the end of October? I will feel freer and able to enjoy this beautiful month.
October 1 - I took a long early morning walk with my DD#2 and Lucy to Starbucks.
My early morning walk with some autumn color.
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My poem to celebrate
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Hello @77tes! I would love to try this habit stacking and I finally have one to work on this month. I hope I got it right!
1. This October I will… become a snack-titian 🥨🍎 by pre-planning my snacks each day.2. The small, actionable steps I plan to take towards this goal… plan my snacks each morning when I write in my journal.
3. My reminder or cue to keep up with my habit… my daily journal in the morning and UAC in the evening.
5. My reward for maintaining the habit… feeling full, confident, and excited to enjoy snacks that actually fit my plan.
6. How can we support you? Cheer me on and keep me snack-countable. 😉
7. What will success look like at the end of October? Pivoting away from “cupboard raids” and toward my planned, delicious snacks.
p.s. I love that Emily Brontë poem; I had no idea she wrote poetry. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons…I love soups and colours changing and cozy fireplace and carving pumpkins 🎃
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October is going to be a very busy month. Usually when things get busy, I drop whatever good habits I have and just focus on what needs to be done. I don't want to do that this month. I want to keep my good habits. I would really like to lose weight as well. I am very active, but I seem to struggle with meal planning. I used to be so good with my meal plan when the kids were small. Now I keep trying and it works for about 3 days then I get too busy to prepare the meals or plan new ones. Most of the habits I have tried in the past were fairly easy. This one is really hard, and I am not sure why. I guess that means I need to experiment and find out WHY? Ugh!!!
1. My goal for this month (This October I will...) This October I will meal plan, prep, and cook.
2. The small, actionable steps I plan to take towards this goal. I will plan my meals for a week. I will assign which meal for which day. Buy whatever is needed, prep what I can before hand, cook and serve.
3. My reminder or cue to keep up with my habit. Right after breakfast, I will start meal prep.
5. My reward for maintaining the habit (anything from a self-compliment to a mark on the calendar). A healthy meal as my reward.
6. How can we support you? Be your lovely selves. Give feedback/suggestions when you can.
7. What will success look like at the end of October? I would love to have a rotating system of meals.
October 1: I am determined to do my healthy habits while this month is crazy that includes Meal Planning.
Observations (July): 1: 🤪chaos
Movement (August): 1. swim 2 classes
Sleep (Sept): 1. 8 hrs 13 min.
Meal system (October):
- Too busy. Ate out. Had a tiny calorie deficit, but it should have been big. CI=2183 CO=1014 activity BMR=1456 Deficit=288 This happens a lot. :(
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@77tes a beautiful fall poem to kick off October, thank you - Autumn is my favorite time of year!
Love your walking goal and photos! Can’t beat fresh air and this good for you exercise!
I think healthy snacking choices is a universal challenge for many of us @Wiseinwellness. You have identified excellent small actionable steps to start your day on the right foot!@Learningmoments - meal planning is an outstanding goal! I look forward to hearing how this week goes. Curious, are you prepping fresh vegetables for the day or a few days? Sometimes I set additional ingredients on the prep counter to reinforce the desired meal I want to make for dinner. I have all the confidence you will be teaching me a thing or two.
@SummerSkier sending you positive thoughts as you fully heal. The good news is (I think) studies show that your body may create its own immunity from getting another bout this year. 🤞
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Welcome to the group! @Wiseinwellness
I your October goal. I’m a big fan of prepping, and healthy snacks really help keep me from going off the rails and binging on junk.
@Learningmoments , Yay for meal planning and prepping! It is definitely a worthwhile practice so that you have healthy food ready. Go go go! Sounds like you pulled out a win even though you weren’t ready to start.
October 2 - Another early walk although not as early and not as long as yesterday. Then I completed a 20 minute Japanese walking video. I did the video outside since it was a nice morning.
My pictures aren’t particularly autumnal, but today the pink flowers were in full force.
And my poem. I just learned that October was Robert Frost’s favorite month.
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Thursday October 2
Further to my goal of becoming a true “Snack-tician,” I decided to create a go-to list of snacks I can enjoy at a moment’s notice.
Each of these options is in the 200–300 calorie range and includes protein and fibre to help keep me satisfied. Here’s my list for the coming month:
- Apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- Apple with an ounce of cheddar
- ½ cup hummus with raw carrot, cucumber, or bell pepper
- ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese with ½ cup pineapple chunks
- 6–8 whole grain crackers with an ounce of cheddar or asiago
- Hard-boiled egg with ¼ avocado and cherry tomatoes
- Homemade banana oat muffin (sweetened only with dates) plus a walnut topper
- Greek yogurt with berries
- Chia pudding with berries (or layered chia pudding for variety)
- Piece of dark chocolate with 5 walnuts
If you have any healthy favourites, feel free to suggest some for me to consider - I love your ideas!
@77tes Those are some lovely summeresque flowers :-) Our colours here in Toronto, Canada are not turning yet. I will go to our beautiful garden across the street and see what is still in bloom or turning. It is such a gorgeous place to sit and take in the seasons, so thank you for making me stop to take it in. BTW - I am very curious what a Japanese walking video is, I will look it up!
@Learningmoments That is a fantastic and ambitious meal planning month you have in store. I love that you will start right after breakfast! And what a wonderful idea to have a rotating list of meals. I will try this with my snack list above so it stays interesting. Thank you for the inspiration.
@Michieb125 I love that you will have your hand weights visible. I keep mine in the cupboard which keep them out of mind ha ha. Good luck with your arm exercises this month!
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i am here watching and enjoying all the chatter. Esp the poetry!
I am probably not going to try a habit for this month but continue to watch and learn. For me the best thing is to get back to baseline of all my ingrained habits - good advice my friends!
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@Wiseinwellness , great snack-tician work! I love the list of snacks! 2 of my favorites are:
Thin sliced multigrain bread (I use Dave’s Killer Good Seed) and a tablespoon of peanut butter- 170 calories
4oz. Of Kefir Lebne with fruit and a tablespoon of FlaxseedMeal 125 calories ( this is probably inaccurate because the lebne is a speciality item, but Greek yogurt would work.
@SummerSkier , good job sticking to your recovery mode. I know that’s hard for such an active person.
October 3 - NO walk this morning because I’m saving my energy for dancing. Tonight is the Final Ball Review for Saturday’s ball, and should give me 3 solid hours of dancing. My dear sister is visiting, so this morning we did our strength workouts together with Lucy in my backyard. Now we are sewing and doing things to get our costumes ready.
Here’s a hibiscus from my yard. The leaves don’t change here in L.A. until late November/early December. And my poem.
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@Michieb125 Hope your strength training is going well. I need to do more of that.
@77tes I love your walking goal. I especially love that dancing counts. I am enjoying your beautiful flowers and poems.
@Wiseinwellness I love the snack list. I will be using some of them. Thank you.
@SummerSkier I like your goal of watching & learning to get back to baseline of good habits and healing. Keep checking in and letting us know how you are feeling.
I don't feel like I am doing much better than usual, but at least not eating out yesterday & today. I usually meal prep with frying up ground beef, onions, and peppers. Then bag it up into single serving. Then you could easily thaw out in the microwave. I used my last package. I hate when I use the last one. I also bake up chicken and freeze in single serving. I also make a large salad and store in a Ziplock bag.
Observations (July): 1: ✔️2. ✔️3. ✔️4.
Movement (August): 1. swim (2 classes) 2. Bike 12.5 mls 3. core ST 4.
Sleep (Sept): 1. 8 hrs 13 min. 2. 3hr 50min. 3. 7hrs 48 min. 4.
Meal system (October):
- Too busy. Ate out. Had a tiny calorie deficit, but it should have been big. CI=2183 CO=1014 activity BMR=1456 Deficit=288 This happens a lot. :(
- Was very busy. We were going to pop out and get something, but hubby stepped up and cooked hamburgers while I worked. A real blessing. He made me two so I could have one for supper.
- Lunch was baked potato with a tuna package. I made chili for supper even though it was 88 degrees outside. Quick and easy.
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Good morning from NY it’s warm here as well unusual for October. I finally decided on my plan for the month.
Daily walk with Koda hopefully in the morning
Meditation daily
Time to read each day for leisure
Weight/resistance band work
10/1-10/3 100%
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Yay!! It’s finally fall!! 🍁🎃 So glad to have comfortable walking weather back. I’m not adding a new habit this month, just focusing on consistency with strength training and daily walking.
💪🏻 Strength training - 3x week
🚶♀️Daily walk - 30 min
10/1 💪🏻🚶♀️
10/2🚶♀️
10/3💪🏻🚶♀️
10/4 🚶♀️
Have a great weekend! 😊
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@learningmoments, husband cooking totally counts. I love your teamwork in the kitchen. 🙌
@snowshoe072 , funny, it’s cooler than usual here in L.A. I’m loving fall-feeling weather. What a fantastic start you have for the month ! 💯
@hcoleman232 , Great going on the strength and walking goals ! 👏
October 4 - Lots of wonderful dancing last night. I haven’t had such a vigorous/challenging dance class in years ! No walk this morning. I am again saving my steps for the ball tonight.
Photo of the ball review class. And my poem.
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We went to a get together for my husbands school get together. They all were in first grade together. 60+ years ago. It was fun.
Yesterday I was thinking how it seems like I am not as strong as I used to be. My iron skillets make my arms like noodles so I decided that was scary. Since October is Halloween in the USA, I decided I would also really work on weights and I might have better luck than the meal planning although I am not ditching that. So my tummy is sore from yesterday core training and my arms are saying hello tonight. Lol.
@hcoleman232 I like the goals. Reinforcing is great!
@snowshoe072Let us know what you are reading.
@77tes My hubby is good about helping with cooking. :) I am enjoying the poems. I love the picture and that you are dancing. Sounds like a fun class.
- Observations (July): 1: ✔️2. ✔️3. ✔️4.✔️
- Movement (August): 1. swim (2 classes) 2. Bike 12.5 mls 3. core ST 4. Arm WO 5lbs
- Sleep (Sept): 1. 8 hrs 13 min. 2. 3hr 50min. 3. 7hrs 48 min. 4. 6hrs 40 min.
Meal system (October):
- Too busy. Ate out. Had a tiny calorie deficit, but it should have been big. CI=2183 CO=1014 activity BMR=1456 Deficit=288 This happens a lot. :(
- Was very busy. We were going to pop out and get something, but hubby stepped up and cooked hamburgers while I worked. A real blessing. He made me two so I could have one for supper.
- Lunch was baked potato with a tuna package. I made chili for supper even though it was 88 degrees outside. Quick and easy.
- Lunch at Cat fish restaurant for lunch. Pack of tuna and banana for supper.
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Hi all. Love the dancing. I can remembe=r6 =8 going to places to 2 step the evening away when I was younger and when I was in grade school I was invited to some square dances a few times which were also fun. Something so invigorating about the movement and music. ❤️
I am slowly seeing good recovery now so I think I am DONE with the ill part and just getting myself back to more normal. My RHR shows trend towards recovery as well and the gunk 🤧 finally coming out of my nose tells me things are about done my head is no longer just a big stuffed balloon.
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Happy Sunday! Sounds like everyone is enjoying the gorgeous fall weather across the country and off to a great beginning of October. I’m in Northern CA where we do enjoy seasonal changes and fall color. But, it’s still not quit sweater and boot weather!
Looks like a super fun time at your dance @77tes. Enjoy the ball tonight! Thank you also for the heartwarming poems. You are an inspiration!
So glad to hear you are on the mend @SummerSkier!Sounds like a fun reunion @Learningmoments - your core training and arms workouts will pay off! I have also noticed less strength myself. Especially in my hands. You are doing great!
@hcoleman232 loves your goals! You are doing so well!
Your snacks are delicious and nutritious @Wiseinwellness - these are my exact go to’s as well. I also do like popcorn in olive oil with a movie now and then, but must be careful of the kernels!Great update @snowshoe072! You are off to a terrific start!
Toning - I’ve been consistent this week with my work outs with hand weights. I am finding it really does take ‘discipline’ (even if my cue is clearly visible) but I’m encouraged I can keep it up. I’m looking for some type of comfortable yet supportive type strength training gloves to wear.
Yoga/Stretching routine is going as planned, as I have been consistent!
Walking - success each day but I skipped Thursday due to several appointments.I made up for it on Friday, starting my morning with a YWA yoga practice, followed by my 3 mile walk, and ended the night with a short weight set. That was a nice surprise to see how I CAN group all my exercise habits together in a day. I’d like to do it again this week!
Yesterday I walked over 15,000 steps at our Oktoberfest. Today, I am going to my grandsons baseball game.
Wishing you all a successful harvest of healthy habits this week! 🍁🎃🍂3 -
I am reading Stephen Kings You like it Darker a series of short stories good read if you like King. Not sure what’s next as I should finish this today.
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thanks for the reading tip @snowshoe072. I read ALL the king novels in college and wow. He sure spins a horror tale. I still remember his passages about the NY tunnel.
An update on my broken crystal. I did hang and place the 2 broken pcs and am enjoying them just as is but I found a whole SET on EBAY and much as I think this might be my very first purchase there I have to say I am totally pleased and even had to go find some hooks to place a few more. Maybe not the exact same colors but same design and the faceted crystal or acrylic really catches the sun and lights up a room. Makes me smile.
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10/3-10/5
Meditation done ✅
Walking with Koda and dh in the evening ✅
Strength ✅
Reading ✅
Here is my new book and the 101 stories is a slow read some you need a Kleenex to get through
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@SummerSkier Good to hear you’re almost over the crud! And nice to see you found a butterfly 🦋
@Learningmoments @Michieb125 @snowshoe072 Strength training is great! I’ve noticed a decline in my strength the last few years so I’m really trying to be consistent with my strength training. We got this!! 💪🏻
@Wiseinwellness Welcome! Thanks for sharing your snack list. My healthy go to snacks are carrots & hummus, or an apple with natural peanut butter. My unhealthy snack is cheddar cheese on Triscuts with a glass of wine! 😂
@77tes Dancing is a great workout 💃 and you are the belle of the ball! I’m enjoying the poems and even gave me inspiration to write a haiku. I hope you don’t mind me sharing.
A new season starts.
Crisp Autumn air greets the day.
Colorful leaves fall.Yesterday I raked and shoveled acorns for about an hour so I got strength training in. There’s going to be a lot of acorns this year! I’m thinking of doing a 5K in December, so for today’s walk I did day 1 of C25K. I’ve done the program before and need to make sure I cross train this time to avoid injury.
10/5 🚶♀️
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@summerskier, I ’m so glad you’re recovering and also that you’re pleased with the new crystals. They sound really pretty. My introduction to dancing was square dance in the fifth and sixth grades. A lot of the moves in English Country Dancing are the same.
@Learningmoments wow! Cool that your husband’s school friends meet up after all the years.@Michieb125 , Sounds like a fabulous week full of success with your habits. Love all those steps at the Oktoberfest! Fun times!
@snowshoe072 , Yay for ticking all the boxes on your habits. Those look like some fun reads!
October 5 - Wonderful ball last night! My costume was a huge hit! Over 6 3/4 miles - most of that dancing. Today is a rest day, and I’m ready for it!
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@hcoleman232 , Great plan to do the C25K program and cross/training to prevent injury! So awesome!
I love your haiku! You reminded me to check out the autumn haiku! Including a season is one of the conventions of hairy, so yours is spot on!
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@SummerSkier I am so glad to hear great progress on getting well. Still watch intensity as you bounce back. You have been through a lot.
@Michieb125 Wow, that is awesome. It sounds like you have figured out your secret sauce. Keep up the great work.
- Observations (July): 1: ✔️2. ✔️3. ✔️4.✔️5. ✔️
- Movement (August): 1. swim (2 classes) 2. Bike 12.5 mls 3.
core ST4.Arm WO 5lbs 5. - Sleep (Sept): 1. 8 hrs 13 min. 2. 3hr 50min. 3. 7hrs 48 min. 4. 6hrs 40 min. 5. 6hrs 19 min.
Meal system (October):
- Too busy. Ate out. Had a tiny calorie deficit, but it should have been big. CI=2183 CO=1014 activity BMR=1456 Deficit=288 This happens a lot. :(
- Was very busy. We were going to pop out and get something, but hubby stepped up and cooked hamburgers while I worked. A real blessing. He made me two so I could have one for supper.
- Lunch was baked potato with a tuna package. I made chili for supper even though it was 88 degrees outside. Quick and easy.
- Lunch at Cat fish restaurant for lunch. Pack of tuna and banana for supper.
- Pork chop, baked potatoes, & green beans for lunch. Hubby is making chicken & rice. It felt great to have lunch done when I stopped to eat.
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Snack-tician update
I just ate my second last sugar-free (made with banana and dates) muffin.
It has been great option for my new program - so I will endeavour to bake another batch today and hide a few in the freezer so the kids (who are 41 and 36) and my DH don't devour them all. Anyone else have that situation? I feel like a squirrel sometimes, in my own home, hiding food so I can count on it being there when I get back from work (I am the only one who goes to an office daily).
@77tes That is truly an amazing skirt. And you give me hope for a dancing future, as I thoroughly enjoyed square dancing in grade 5 & 6 as well! I could not get enough of it.
@hcoleman232 I like unhealthy snacks as well. A nice piece of dark chocolate with 5 walnuts. Yum.
@Michieb125 I do love me some popcorn! My teeth, and my dentist, asked me to quit it LOL
@SummerSkier That butterfly is gorgeous. I was given a little dream catcher, and it has been such a source of pleasure. Enjoy your new crop of inspiring danglies!
@Learningmoments Yay to helpful husbands who support your goals. I just asked mine to make Thanksgiving dinner (which can be so much work) - he just needed my help to set a straightforward menu (and I will buy the pie) and now that he is set, I am full of relief.
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Well FINALLY I have decided I want to work on a new habit this month. One which I want to continue indefinitely which I think will have an impact on my mental well being. I have tried this before but never thought of it as an ongoing habit.
Anyway. here goes:
- My goal for this month (This October I will...) This Oct I will voice a complement to one person each day
- The small, actionable steps I plan to take towards this goal NOTICE my surroundings and not be shy
- My reminder or cue to keep up with my habit. Not sure
- My reward for maintaining the habit (anything from a self-compliment to a mark on the calendar) JOY at spreading some smiles around
- How can we support you? Not sure
- What will success look like at the end of October? At least 14 complements (sincere) given in person to someone
Oct 1-5 Not done
Oct 6 Mentioned to a gal walking out of work in front of me how beautiful her hair was. (it WAS!)3 -
@Learningmoments, that meal sounds fantastic! 🙌and yum 😋
@Wiseinwellness, another batch of those muffins sound great. I don’t really have to hide things from my family of grown ups, more from myself who’ll eat the tasty treats all in one or two days. 🤪
@SummerSkier, I love your habit plan! Spreading a little sunshine and joy is great for everyone’s mental health. Oh I feel a song coming on. “And the world will be a better place…” 🎵 🎶
October 6 - Genuine rest day, so no walking or dancing. That was really needed. We attended a short dance callers’ class, and that was terrific. I’m already making strides on my Walktober challenge! Days 1-6 I walked 23 miles. 👏
No pictures from today, but here’s one of my sister and me before the ball.
And my poem
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Great day I read
I walked twice once with Koda
I meditated
Strength work
Played my guitar
Reminding myself that if I don’t make time for the guitar I will become rustier than what I am lol!
Wishing everyone success this month
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