Changing Old Habits


We all know some of the things we should be doing, such as:


  • Drink more water
  • Stop the mid afternoon chocolate attack
  • Reduce the carbs
  • Eat more veggies
  • Exercise more
  • Cut down on the wines
  • Reduce portion size

And Monday morning we wake up, adamant this is going to be the week we make all the changes.  All good, but how often does it go:
  • Monday, we get everything on the list, exercise, don’t drink and eat super healthily. Feel pretty good about ourselves
  • Tuesday, it’s a bit stressful at work, boss is pissing you off, you’re tired from getting up to exercise…that one choccie bar is ok isn’t it?
  • Then Wednesday, well, the chocolate was ok yesterday, so today is fine.  Bit sore, so no training
  • Thursday – the boss has really pissed you off, work’s mounting up, stress levels soaring…argghhh, need a glass of wine or two, need to relax…. And then a take-away – no time to cook after post work drinks. Hey, there are limits, I’m not super human!
  • Friday, too hungover to exercise…need Turkish and vegemite to help the hangover…wines after work..it’s Friday people!!
  • Well, now it’s the weekend…mmm, next week is definitely IT.
How many times have we done that?  And how frustrating is it?   Most importantly, how do we avoid it??
One way, baby steps - do one thing at a time.  Look at your eating/exercise habits and pick one thing you can improve on and you know you can stick with it for 14 days.  Or can build up to.  For example, the only water you are having is in coffee and wine – suddenly drinking 2l of water a day is a stretch.  So build water up to 2l in 10 days: day one = 0.5l.  After a few days up to a 1l…you get the drift.
It’s all about setting reasonable expectations, setting yourself up for success.  Before you know it, drinking 2l of water, avoid mid-arvo sugar snacks, exercising at least 3 times a week and a few alcohol free days are the norm and you don’t have to think about it…

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