"Forming New Habits 2015" - 21 Day Challenge

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  • It works like this: you will challenge yourself with ONE new habit for 21 days straight, every single day, something you need to work on for your dieting success. Then you count ....one through 21.....and if you flub it, you MUST go back to zero and start over again. Everyone will be on different days. You can start anytime. At the beginning of the challenge you declare what level it is -- Level 1, 2, or 3. Level 1 means you feel it's a relatively easy challenge for you and means you only give yourself ONE pause day (see explanation of pause days below). Level 2 would give you two pause days and so on...

    With a pause day you pause in your counting and continue the next day with the number you left off with. Pause days are NOT substitutes for days, i.e. Day 12 -- Day 13 -- Pause Day -- Day 14.....

    In any case, the trick is to keep going. The momentum builds and it's great incentive to stick to your guns, cause if you don't.........back to START you go. And the really great thing about this challenge is that you are forming new habits that will wipe out the old! AND, you get to do it with a great bunch of really supportive people to whom you are accountable!

    There is NO shame in starting over. Remember, it's not over till you give up. And our motto around here is:

    NEVER GIVE UP!!...Just start OVER!!

    This thread is a continuation of an old thread called "Forming new habits "- 21 Day Challenge.
  • Hi Ladies, Hope everyone finds there way to this new thread.

    Challenge: change just one small habit!

    I'm Resting for a few days after completing my sit up challenge. Be back in a few days with a new challenge.

    LETS DO THIS
  • I made it...

    Challenge 1 Stay on Plan (SoP)/Challenge 2 bring lunch or breakfast (LoP)to work
    3 pause days each

    June 15 1/21 (SoP)
    june 16 2/21 (soP) - 1/21 Lunch. I don't want anything I have in the fridge so I picked up some prepared hamburgers and salad for work.
    june 17 3/21 (SoP) - 2/21 lunch
    June 18 4/21 (SoP) - (3/21) Lunch - Scale is down and I think I think I've learned I don't need elaborate meals. Quick and easy seem to work better and small diverse meals rather than large pots of stuff I'll get tired of eating.
    June 19 5/21 (SoP) Lunch 4/21
    June 20 6/21 (soP)
    June 21 (7/21) SoP finally hit the 350s

    June 22 8/21 (SoP) - 4/21 brought Lunch Life is pretty good, learning I want quick and easy dishes to cook or I won't make them, no need it making a big pot of something or maybe I can freeze half...Me and the scale are ok. I'll catch up with everyone tonight.

    June 23 9/21 (SoP): 5/21 Brought lunch

    June 24 10/21(Sop): Pause day (LoB)this was sort of planned since I am going out after work and didn't want to bring my backpack.

    June 25 Pause day on staying on plan - 6/21 (Lunch)...Its my usual cheat day and just tired of egg white veggie omelet...thinking about making paleo muffins so I can change things up a bit. Pizza at work today, but I'm going to try and avoid it. I have something from home so that should help. I brought food...but it was spoiled...so I had a salad...

    June 26 11/21 (SoP) - 7/21 brought lunch

    June 27 pause day (soP) was out and about and had bread...wasn't many options,

    June 28 12/21 (soP)

    june 29 13/21 (sop) - second pause day for bringing lunch or breakfast. Just busy and didn't cook. Got home tonight and cooked as soon as I hit the door.

    June 30 14/21 (Sop) - 8/21 brough lunch

    July 1 15/21 (soP) - 9/21 brought lunch

    July 2 third pause day (soP) we had a half day at work, so not counting this. So its a holiday weekend didn't want to cook ended up at fridays and had 2 appetizers and a dessert. Since I only have 6 days left I'm going to wait till Monday and see where i'm at in terms of restarting.
  • Day 06--Monday, June 22: Nosweets, no spuds
    Day 07--Tuesday, June 23: No sweets, no spuds
    Day 08--Wednesday, June 24: No sweets, no spuds

    I'm feeling good about the momentum I've got going this week. I know there will be a party with cake this Sunday, so I am intending to stay resolute on Saturday and spend my pause day on Sunday.

    Gardener, you are on fire! Celebrate your victory over this challenge before moving on to more steps.

    Diana, thanks for starting a new thread for us, and hope to see you again soon with the successor to the sit up challenge.

    Everyone else on this challenge together: Go, go, go!
  • Hi everyone, can I join? I'm trying to get back on track after several months of getting off the wagon (and gaining back much of what I lost).

    My 21 day challenge is to walk or run first thing every morning. I have a new Fitbit to record my activity, so that's an incentive for me. I consider this a Level 3 challenge at this point because not only am I completely inactive right now, but I don't like getting out of bed in the mornings. :-)

    Not trying to make excuses already, but I will start tomorrow since I'm already out of bed and finished with breakfast and we have a busy day today.
  • Diana Surprised to find us in new thread but thank you.

    Cindy WOW, you are REALLY going to push yourself with getting up and being active. The Fitbit will be a big incentive.

    Dr Geri Even tho I really didn't follow my original plan of walking 5000 steps 6 out of 7 days, I'm definitely moving more on more days so this challenge is changing my ways. You CAN use Sunday as your pause day, your determination is strong enough.

    Obie I bet you also feel pleased at the ways you are changing and planning ahead. I'm saving my celebration till bit later. Love to finish June with the momentum I've gained.

    Day 1 5754 steps
    Day 2 Already well over 5,000 and plenty of day left!
    Day 3 2918 (had to rest)
    Day 4 6641 (June 6)
    Day 5 3812
    Day 6 7395
    Day 7 4037
    Day 8 6773
    Day 9 3880 (sore from gardening.)
    Day 10 3879 (June 12, I met my husband on this day on a blind date
    years ago.)

    Day 11 7441
    Day 12 5762 and my goal of walking 35,000 steps per week met!
    Increasing this weeks goal to 37,500 steps per week.
    Day 13 7858 I walked 3/4 mile in very hot sunshine 8:00 am.
    Day 14 4480
    Day 15 4826 Short walk then Lubricating shot in knee, must stay inactive afterward. (June 17)
    Day 16 6262 Walk in very early but still so sweaty I had to shower. Feeling stronger, breathing far easier. Asthma getting better.
    Day 17 4567 So close to 5,000 but exhausted.
    Day 18 6908 AND over 40,000 for week.
    Day 19 FATHER's Day. 4894 steps and 3 hours standing at the Art reception for our middle daughter.
    Day 20 3327
    Day 21 5508 Walked further than 3/4 mile and exhausted in high heat.
    Day 22 - 4735 Too tired to walk another 300 steps, darn it.

    Many of my days were under 5,000 so I must keep going.

    Sandy
  • Challenge: Substituting dark chocolate and flavored tea for cookies and ice cream after dinner. I will have three pause days.

    6.08: Day 1: complete (4 squares Lindt dark chocolate / cinnamon tea)
    6.09: Day 2: complete (3 squares Lindt dark chocolate / iced mint tea with Splenda)
    6.10: Day 3: complete (4 squares Ghirardelli Twilight Delight, one square Lindt Intense Mint / water instead of tea)
    6.11: Day 4: complete (no dessert, went to bed early)
    6.12: Day 5: complete (strawberries instead of chocolate, mint tea)
    6.13: Day 6: complete (hanging in there! really wanted to eat a lemon popsicle tonight but opted for 4 squares of Twilight Delight, and mint tea w/Splenda)
    6.14: Pause Day
    6.15: Day 7: complete (opted for a homemade berries/yogurt/ice smoothie)
    6.16: Day 8: complete (tried a new flavor today, Lindt intense orange. Wow, it was so good, it was hard to only eat a serving size. So I am having baked cinnamon apple tea, which tastes just like apple cobbler only without the calories, yum!)
    6.17: Day 9: complete (4 squares of Lindt intense orange, no tea tonight, really busy sewing!)
    6.18: Day 10: complete (no dessert tonight, don't know if this day really counts as complete since I had Menchies yogurt for lunch. Hmmm. My husband tried to hand me a popsicle this evening and I refused. So maybe one cancels out the other . . . )
    6.19: Day 11: complete (3 squares Lindt intense mint, no tea, tired so I went to bed.)
    6.20: Day 12: complete (3 squares Lindt intense mint. Cinnamon tea on ice!)
    6.21: Pause day
    6.22: Day 13: complete (5 squares Lindt coconut dark chocolate.)
    6.23: Day 14: complete (4 squares Lindt dark chocolate)
    6.24: Pause day



    I'm glad we started a new thread. I finally read the instructions and found out I was doing the pause days incorrectly. So, I have fixed my count to correctly reflect the pause days. I put some dates in too because I get confused about what day I'm on.

    Here we go! Good luck everybody!
  • Cindy of course and

    Dr Geri Fingers crossed the party went ok

    love3garden love the dedication

    magistra17 nice job on being 2/3 of the way done

    So I'm sitting here..not exactly sure I have enough food for today so....we're gonna see what happen..happy its friday. I think I have a good plan for next week. yeah, I'm happy I am sticking to it and figuring stuff out..another benefit...saving a ton of money. Hope you all have a great weekend.
  • mag, doing great! I get confused on what challenge day it is too, better for me to include it in the thread.

    CindyB, and the thread. I love my fitbit too. Goodluck!

    Obsidian, Glad you are sticking to your challenge, this really is a big change. What a nice bonus for you to be saving money as well.

    Dr Geri, Wishing you nerves of steel on Sat.

    Love2, Please take a break between challenges for a few days if you are exhausted. Taking every Sunday off may also be a good option for you. Great month of movement for you, thumbs up!
  • One of my greatest challenges is p.m. snacking. I eat for entertainment, boredom, I think I'm hungry, I want a treat, etc........ So NO p.m. snacking with 3 pause days possible, starting TONIGHT!

  • Diana I agree taking a day, perhaps Sunday, off each week would get rid of the anxiety that has crept in.

    Think I'll wait till Monday and make a new start on the challenge.

    DD#2 has big weekend at FestivALL showing her beautiful nature prints and those images on beautiful greeting cards. She has worked so hard to prepare, and is super organized so all is professional and beautiful

    You can tell I'm very proud of her and her work.
  • I want to join as well! Will have to re-read the instructions, but wanted to jump in before I chicken out. I also have a big problem with evening snacking, so that will be my first challenge.
  • Hi! I'd like to join! I want to challenge myself to go gluten free again. I feel so much better without it! I had to be GF for years after a stomach infection because it made me violently ill. I wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pole, I was incredibly scared of it.

    Now it makes me moderately miserable and I'm much better without it, but it's oh so good and I sometimes eat it despite what's good for me. The longer I stay away, the worse my reaction when I do eat it. I'm sitting here in pants that are really tight that were falling off be yesterday thanks to a donut I scarfed down this morning. Ouch! My stomach!

    I noticed my weight loss stalls unless wheat is banished, so cheers to no gluten!
    -----------

    *1(6-27)-success!
    *2(6/28)-scale is down, just realized that save for my coffee w/ sugar, I've
    Been naturally eating whole 30 compliant, and that's exactly how I ate most days when I easily maintained 135. Hmmmm already I'm on to something here
    *3(6/29) another gf day down a pant size
    *4(6/30) wearing a dress I bought a few months ago but couldn't wear because I simply looked very pregnant. Yay! I feel much less puffy, almost like I deflated like a balloon.
  • Day 09--Thursday, June 25: No sweets, no spuds. Pleased with myself that I was able to walk right past a dessert table after dinner.

    Day 10--Friday, June 26: No sweets, no spuds.

    Welcome new chicks up for a challenge! HiHeart, OKLizzy, and CindyB, wishing you much success in the next 21 days.

    Hard Working Dog, Gardener, Obsidian, Magistra, and all other friends, keep going strong!
  • Challenge: Substituting dark chocolate and flavored tea for cookies and ice cream after dinner. I will have three pause days.

    6.08: Day 1: complete (4 squares Lindt dark chocolate / cinnamon tea)
    6.09: Day 2: complete (3 squares Lindt dark chocolate / iced mint tea with Splenda)
    6.10: Day 3: complete (4 squares Ghirardelli Twilight Delight, one square Lindt Intense Mint / water instead of tea)
    6.11: Day 4: complete (no dessert, went to bed early)
    6.12: Day 5: complete (strawberries instead of chocolate, mint tea)
    6.13: Day 6: complete (hanging in there! really wanted to eat a lemon popsicle tonight but opted for 4 squares of Twilight Delight, and mint tea w/Splenda)
    6.14: Pause Day
    6.15: Day 7: complete (opted for a homemade berries/yogurt/ice smoothie)
    6.16: Day 8: complete (tried a new flavor today, Lindt intense orange. Wow, it was so good, it was hard to only eat a serving size. So I am having baked cinnamon apple tea, which tastes just like apple cobbler only without the calories, yum!)
    6.17: Day 9: complete (4 squares of Lindt intense orange, no tea tonight, really busy sewing!)
    6.18: Day 10: complete (no dessert tonight, don't know if this day really counts as complete since I had Menchies yogurt for lunch. Hmmm. My husband tried to hand me a popsicle this evening and I refused. So maybe one cancels out the other . . . )
    6.19: Day 11: complete (3 squares Lindt intense mint, no tea, tired so I went to bed.)
    6.20: Day 12: complete (3 squares Lindt intense mint. Cinnamon tea on ice!)
    6.21: Pause day
    6.22: Day 13: complete (5 squares Lindt coconut dark chocolate.)
    6.23: Day 14: complete (4 squares Lindt dark chocolate)
    6.24: Pause day
    6.25: Day 15: complete (4 squares chili flavor dark chocolate, I made iced cinnamon tea but fell asleep before I could drink it. )
    6.26: Day 16: complete (4 squares intense orange, iced mint tea)

    Diana Good luck on the no PM snacking. Whoo, that's a hard one. I'm rooting for you!

    Obsidianbbw Good luck with the planning. It's always good to have a plan.

    CindyB Welcome and good luck on the walk/run.

    love2garden Congrats to your DD. She sounds lovely. You should be very proud of her.

    OK Lizzy Good luck on the no evening snacking!

    HIheart Good luck going gluten free!

    Dr Geri Thanks! for the encouragement!

    Sending everybody some Let's Go!