So it's very easy for me (and I imagine many of us) to focus on our not-healthy habits, or the habits we want to change. In the interest of focusing on the positive and celebrating our successes, I am creating this thread for us to celebrate the good habits that we DO have. To get us started, here's a few of mine...
1) I never skip breakfast.
2) I pretty much never drink soda, either regular or diet. (Every once in a great while, I'll treat myself with a root beer or something but it's probably once every three months or something.)
3) I carry raw, organic almonds around in my car and my purse so I'm never without something healthy to nibble in if I need to stave off getting too hungry.
4) Fast food and drive-thru eating are not a part of my life.
5) I have learned to take breaks to snack between meals since I have found that this works best for me.
Of course, there are lots of not-so-good habits I have as well (overdoing carbs - bread and pasta specifically, indulging my sweet tooth more often than I should, letting myself get too hungry and then overeating, eating too quickly, eating food - most often sweets and breads - that others bring to work meetings, etc) which have gotten me to the weight I am at. So - thankful for the good habits that I have and committed to improving the not-so-good habits!
What about you? What are the healthy habits that you have built into your routine that you want to celebrate?
Up until a few weeks ago, I was staying up until 3 or 4 in the morning and sleeping in until 1 or 2. Now I go to bed around 11 and get up at 8, usually without an alarm, and I actually have been feeling pretty decent most mornings.
- No more skipping breakfast! (Brunch on the weekends)
- It's been 2 months since I have had pop (not counting zero cal red bulls... )
- I have been drinking at least a liter and a half of water (at work) a day.
- Packing a healthy lunch the night before work, every day. Helping me to stay on plan and save money!
~ I don't really care for 'dark' diet beverages, and so I stick with plain water, flavored water, and hot tea. My 'cheat' drink is a diet cream soda occasionally.
~ I have been doing MUCH better with getting sleep (thank God for melatonin!) and actually have been waking up before my alarm clock and getting out of bed, not just laying there in a fog of dread over getting up
~As a general rule, I don't mind being a little hungry. Don't get me wrong, I still get my OMG-I'm-PMSing-must-have-carbs modes a couple days a month, but generally speaking the feeling and sensation of being a bit hungry is not so unpleasant that I lose my focus in the momentary uncomfort of it. In fact, I often play silly time games where I think 'ok, I shall let myself be hungry for one hour and then I'll eat something small' I start my internal timer with the hunger cues go off.
~I have done maintenance for well over a year or two before, so the lifestyle of it does not intimidate me that badly. Also, I know, in it's way, it's just as active as doing a 'diet'. It's a daily decision and I feel equipped for it.
What a great thread! We're always quick to point out what we're doing wrong, I like the idea of remembering what we're doing right!
I plan my meals with 1 carb item in one meal per day, the rest of them are carb free.
I remember to stop eating after eating a full meal.
I eat my vegetables first and then see if I have room for the rest of the meal.
+1 to the sleep. It makes such a difference to get the proper amount of sleep. It makes life much easier, and I'm able to make much better food decisions. I'm so glad I've found this piece of the puzzle-- really, there's no excuse for me to be skimping on sleep. I mean, how much time do I fritter away on Facebook and the like? Just sleep.
Another habit is two combined: tracking and portion control. I've made it a habit to use a food journal and as a result, my grasp on portion control is getting better than ever. Eventually, I hope portion control will be an automatic habit. For now, it requires the effort of tracking my food but someday!
- I always get back on track. Even if something comes up and I eat out or I just have a bad day or week, I always start again. I've now been at this for 7 months
-I drink primarily water. Even when I'm cheating with food, I have water and green tea
I go to the gym at least 5 times every week.
I sleep 8 hours a night.
I have a balanced regular diet and have no problem returning to it if I overdo it or go camping or something.
I regularly prepare my own meals and cook really nice things.
I walk. That for me has been hard and I feel so much better when I do
I drink plain water. That also has been hard as I like flavor..
I try and be positive every day (very very hard sometimes/unemployed)
Give more than I get
I eat 6 meals per day
I eat protein 6 times per day
I only eat grains 1-2 times per day
I do not drink soda or eat sweetened yogurt
I am prepared with healthy snacks
I do not eat dessert routinely
I do not eat fast food
I rarely order out
I sleep 8 hours
I mostly drink water, herbal tea, and skim milk
I am in the habit of not being full
I am in the habit of exercising regularly – in fact exercise is the “default” day and not exercising is the “unusual” day (it used to be the opposite!)
I always get back on track
I track my progress
I plan menus and food shop and cook on weekends
I drink a ton of water and it's the only thing I drink 99% of the time.
I cook homemade, whole foods from scratch the majority of the time.
I am getting better at portion control and making smart choices when confronted with things like eating out etc.
I rarely eat fast food.
I've consistently gotten back on track very soon after a slip-up or planned 'indulgent' meal.
I'm proud that I've been taking a slow and steady wins the race approach rather than a "if i don't lose 50 lbs in 2 months I'm a failure so I may as well just forget the entire thing and eat everything in sight" approach like I've been prone to in the past.
I'm becoming comfortable with feeling slightly hungry and not interpreting that as, STARVATION...need to eat A LOT NOW.
Good idea for a thread. I share your habits 1, 2, 4 and 5 (breakfast, no soda, no fast foods, small snacks). I also allow myself plenty of small treats, which oddly enough I consider a good habit. Oh yes, and exercise. I'm finally a member of the just-do-it club.
F.
Last edited by freelancemomma; 03-05-2013 at 10:14 PM.
Let's celebrate our good habits!
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