Friday, May 26, 2006

Habit-Forming


One of my grievances is that I have a hard time maintaining any kind of consistency or balance with anything lately. (Well, my life-long mission is seeking balance, the consistency thing is a problem of late.) I have been doing this dieting thing for going on a year. (I started when Bella was a couple of months old. ) Now I realize that I have made much progress, but I'm not where I want to be yet in terms of my day-to-day habits, my health and fitness, and my appearance. I hate that if I get off track (which I do very easily lately) I feel like I am starting over every time. That makes for a lot of starting over. It's so much easier if I can just stick with it and gain momentum. That's hard to remember however, when Nemesis cookies are calling.
I'm trying to have a good perspective on my health and looking at it as a life-long journey and not just a destination. I want to get in really good shape and develop good habits so that when it comes time to get pregnant again (not for quite some time!) I don't have to take 2 years out of my life getting too fat and then trying to lose it all again. And again.
Lately I have heard from a couple different sources that the minimum time it takes to develop a new habit or break an old one is 30 days. (I've also heard much longer estimates, but the 30 days is much more to my liking.) Coincidentally, it is also almost exactly 30 days to when we go to Charleston, by which time I wanted to lose 10 pounds. (ha!) So I thought, What perfect timing?! I have a goal that I enlisted my mom in: We are going to be strict with our points for 30 days. Sadly, in the whole time I've been dieting, I don't think I've ever gone 30 consecutive days without cheating or going over my points. Until now. It will help gain momentum that I need and push through this plateau I've been at for about 7 months.
***So I ask you- what habit will you make or break in the next 30 days?***

13 comments:

Jill said...

I hesitate to commit to this (or any goal really) because I don't like to set myself up for failure, but the goal I'd like to make is to become an early riser. I have the bad habit of staying up too late and then sleeping in a bit, but this wrecks my day and I never feel rested when I do this. I would like to be an early to bed, early to rise, healthy, wealthy and wise kind of person. So my goal is to get up at 6:30 on week days and 7:30 on weekends. (Should I be experiencing palpitations and clammy hands right now?)

michelle said...

Yeah, Jess asked me to join her in this quest and I couldn't commit to it! I'm writing down everything I eat and I'm walking, but I can't commit to staying within my points every single day. I need to know that I can have a day every now and again when I exceed my limit (like last night at book club). Sorry, Jess. I'm not coming through for you on the whole diet buddy thing. Good thing you have Mom!

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea! I will commit to practicing piano at least for a little bit every day that I'm in town from now until Charleston. We can report back to each other when we see each other then. I'm so excited!

Bond Girl 007 said...

ohhhh I have been thinking of this of lately....I think I will commit to doing arm weights, I soooo wish to have wonderful arms. So I had to actually buy some for my little boy that are 2lbs...because he was trying to do 3 pounds and was hurting...poor thing...so now that I get the 3 and 5's he can use his 2's. That is something I will commit to do for the next 30 days...and will continue my 1 hour exercise wether it is walking or eleptical! This is a very good post...I have been thinking of this since that 21 day challenge....I kept thinking I should do my 21 day challenge with weights...so here it is! 30 is better I think!

Jill said...

It's Saturday morning and I'm up--just so you know!

becca said...

I think you and I are in the same boat, I too lost weight counting points but stopped just a few pounds shy of my goal because I deserved lots of treats for my accomplishments!! I am with you!...I will count points for 30 days and I will not cheat (I have never not cheated for more than 3 days in a row)!! What a challenge! Good luck to you (and to me because I am REALLY going to need it!)

Anonymous said...

I think I am going to go along with Claudia and the weights. I have been doing them off and on, so a commitment is needed. I will lift my weights everyday for 30 days starting today. Lets see how I do.

Diana said...

I have a goal to write in my journal every night. I have been good about writing in my gratitude journals for each kid and Louis, but my own journal writing is quite scarce. I think I'll appreciate each day more and learn more if I write every day in my journal.

Alison said...

When my show ends, I want to get back to going back to the gym 3-4 days a week.

Alison said...

When my show ends, I want to get back to going back to the gym 3-4 days a week.

Anonymous said...

I will be more diligent about planning family meals. Hopefully, this will get a little easier now that May (with all its concerts, school programs, graduations, etc.) is nearly over.

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