[BabyBrownEyes]

Alright, so I was thinking this morning..and I thought "Gee, I didn't do anything this week, I probably didn't lose anything, but that's okay". That is the WEIRDEST mindset that I've had....and this is why.

I have worked out 2 times a day every day....my normal thing. I've added lifting weights to my program 3-4 times a week. I've been eating on my diet every day. This is great!

The thing is...I think everything has become so routine that it doesn't feel like a diet anymore! Isn't that awesome!! Anyone else have this feeling?

I naturally get up early so I can go to the gym and naturally take the dog for an hour walk/jog in the evenings. I NATURALLY pick out the food that's good for me. I am thrilled. I wasn't even worried about my weightloss for this week. I know it's going to happen, but I'm to the point where I will be happy staying the same for a week as long as I know I sticked to my "way of life"

Man do I feel good and I lost 2 lbs this week so far!!! WAHOOOO!!!!!

Hope you guys feel as good as I do!

[modkittn]

Isn't it great when that happens? You get this feel of complete satisfaction and accomplishment! I think that it takes something like 21 days for something to become habit. Once it does, you don't even think about it. You just do it!

[ladybugnessa]

well i'm still struggling with exercise but the food part i have down pat. I eat my standard plan day in and day out. sadly special occasions are still hard for me...

[BabyBrownEyes]

Originally Posted by ladybugnessa

well i'm still struggling with exercise but the food part i have down pat. I eat my standard plan day in and day out. sadly special occasions are still hard for me...

Better to have the food part down pat and THEN get the exercise down....because poor diet and exercise don't always work but a good diet and little exercise is still good!!!

I can imagine that my family reunions this summer might be a little awkward, but truth be told that almost everyone (except for the naturally skinny ones) have been on and off dieters for their whole life so we usually have some pretty nutritious food there. Last night my brother and friends ordered KFC and I was perfectly content snacking on my bowl of lima beans. hehe...actually the grease on that chicken looked soooooo....*crunches nose up*.....YUCKY!!

[lynnm39]

I feel as you do sometimes, but not always. The only consistent thing that has become part of my routine or just the way I eat is that I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. I actually really like this type of food.

Originally Posted by modkittn

I think that it takes something like 21 days for something to become habit. Once it does, you don't even think about it. You just do it!

I've heard this,too, but I can't say that I fully buy into it. I calorie counted for two years, but then when big stressors in my life hit, I dropped it and gained 30 lbs. The habit of calorie counting--even though done for two years--was easy enough to get out of. I've come to the conclusion that good habits are always going to be harder to stick to than bad habits because the former require more effort.

[modkittn]

Well I think that our habitual routines only happen during "normal" circumstances. I did the same thing when I had a period of very heavy stress and medical problems. Those times can really send you for a whirlwind, but the faster you get back to your "normal" routine, the better I think.

[BabyBrownEyes]

I aggree with both of you that when life gets hectic and stressful, sometimes we don't know how to cope and we turn to food.....*our bad habits coming back to haunt us*.

This happened to me and I gained back all the weight I had lost. *sigh* That's why I think it's good to start a diet during a stressful time...that way when life hits hard, then you know how to handle it.

[cupcakesundae]

I was just thinking about how routine my diet is the other day. When I started this thing, I hated waking up and not being able to eat pancakes or cereal, waffles, cookies, chips, big dinners - etc. As soon as I started the day, I felt like it was going to be horrible and I was going to feel unsatisfied. Now, all those foods never cross my mind. It's a wonderful relief to have FINALLY gotten past the point of no return - after years of granting myself constant "free days" (thanks BFL for seeding my mind with that dangerous idea :P) and giving up periodically and always feeling either deprived of food or defeated by it... I just don't care about it anymore!

Now, exercise is another hurdle I'll examine after my vacation. At least when I visit my mother, I have a gym membership at her place of employment which I'll be hitting up something fierce.