Making new habits/breaking the old ones

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Ok, so I am thinking that really alot of the success factors in achieveing weight loss well is about changing habits. so what are the old habits you need/want to break, and what are the new ones you are setting up/have started?


Old habits for me:
Eating because it's there; if it's there, I'll eat it, if it's up at the nurses station on shift - I'll eat it, If I'm happy, I eat, If I'm sad, i eat, if I want to reward myself for something well done - I eat, if I'm super duper tired - I really eat. When I get together with family - we go out to eat, when I get together with friends, we go out to eat. Sound familiar to anyone else?

New habits:
Moderation - not having everything that others on shift bring in to share as snacks at work, but if I do have something - just have 1 piece, or busy myself around the ward until the others have eaten it all. (shift work and tiredness and irregular meal breaks do not play in one's favour)

Plan better - I am always picking up, dropping off, driving around, rushing from work to school to activities with the kids - so grab things on the go. Am trying to plan better so that I have healthy snacks with me and eat regularly so that I do not get to the point where I am so hungry that I just grab junk to eat. (became even more apparent today at work when I didn't get out to lunch until 1.30pm, had had breakfast at 6.30am and never got morning tea, If I'd had healthy snacks I could have grabbed a quick bite between tasks.)

Replies

  • Connie48
    Connie48 Posts: 190 Member
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    1)Better planning. I was just thinking yesterday, I spend too much time "running errands" during my lunch hr at work, then often stop by the grocery after work and end up not getting half the stuff I need cuz I left my "list" on the fridge door! I need to plan my meals more in advance. I buy a bunch of produce and it goes bad becuase I'm the only one that eats it. Hubby eats fruit but very few veggies.

    2) Move around more throughout the day. I have a desk job, but I've started moving around more throughout the day by getting up and walking around every hr or so. I also have some Leslie Sanson walking DVDs in my office and will do 1 mile (usually 12-15 mns) I can close/lock my office door if I"m having a slower day. I don't get all hot and sweaty doing this (I normally sweat a LOT when doing cardio) but these DVDs aren't that intense. I have a couple of pilates DVDs that have 3 -10 mn sections that I throw in once in a while during the day. If I'm not running errands during lunch I'll do some other form of cardio. I have workout clothes here in the office.

    3) Go back to HEAVY wt training....light wt/high reps just doesn't cut it for me

    4) LOG, LOG, LOG my food! After many start/stops with logging I've excepted the fact that if I want results I have to make sure I have a daily calorie deficit.

    5) ENOY my journey, instead of thinking in terms of diet, I'm thinking of my health and long term fitness. Everytime I try to lose wt, I spend more time thinking negative thoughts which derails my progress. Get rid of the all or nothing mentality. There WILL be days when my food won't be exactly what it should be, that's LIFE. I'm not going to not beat myself up anymore...move forward and don't dwell on those days that don't go as well as I'd like.
  • LMiller81
    LMiller81 Posts: 94 Member
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    Making new habits seems to be key! Sounds like you guys have some good ideas!

    New:
    Actually sitting down and eating a meal with my husband (and not with my husband and the television!)
    Drinking more water... just started 2-3 liters and I feel so much better. (I used to drink mostly coffee and diet pop)


    Break:
    Always celebrating or comiserating with food.
    Using food as 'a reward' for working out, stressful day, etc
  • mum2paris
    mum2paris Posts: 25
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    There WILL be days when my food won't be exactly what it should be, that's LIFE. I'm not going to not beat myself up anymore...move forward and don't dwell on those days that don't go as well as I'd like.

    Definately!

    There's a sign on the wall at my gym that says something along the lines of:

    "Thinking to yourself - "Oh, I've already tripped up with my food today anyway so I may as well just eat junk" is like dropping your phone and saying "well now I'll just smash it till it breaks".

    So yeah, just pick up and keep going I guess is what I read from that one. Sometimes, we're gonna have a bad day, picking up and moving on from that is what will get us where we want to be.
  • Lea_8D
    Lea_8D Posts: 106 Member
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    NOT getting fast food any more. Oh, except for Chinese takeout. :P
  • mum2paris
    mum2paris Posts: 25
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    Luckily, my kids have fallen in love with subway - so our "takeaways" night is pretty ok.