Health Transformation Challenge: Day 10

Has anyone else been thinking about behavior chains since yesterday?  I see them in my kiddos and it's amazing how analyzing yourself starts the wheels turning for other things too.

Today's challenge was to identify 10 habits of disease and the triggers that lead us to them.  {Click here to read more.}

This is an interesting challenge because most of us don't analyze ourselves down to that level.  I can't tell you the number of times I told myself that I was just bound to be in a certain situation (a job that didn't fulfill me and overworked me, being obese, kids who wouldn't sleep through the night, the pain of CrossFit, etc.)  Sometimes things feel eternal in our heads and we just don't dare step outside ourselves to correct the thought process that put us there.  Truth be told, sometimes facing WHY we are where we are is more difficult than accepting where we are. 

I strongly believe that we have the limitless opportunity to change our paths and create new paths for ourselves.  The first step is to identify what is getting in our way (in health, that would be a habit of disease) and why we choose those speed bumps (triggers).  Here are 10 examples in my own life:



Habit of disease: Eating mindlessly at parties
Trigger: Standing around food in the kitchen

Habit of disease:  Snacking outside of fueling schedule
Trigger: Working at the computer

Habit of disease: Not getting enough sleep
Trigger: Going to bed too late

Habit of disease: Stressed about failing to complete tasks or projects
Trigger: Over-committing myself

Habit of disease: Not drinking enough water
Trigger: Forgetfulness and not drinking water at every meal

Habit of disease: No exercise
Trigger: Not allowing time to myself to exercise

Habit of disease:  Giving up during exercise
Trigger: Negative self-talk, excuses

Habit of disease: Stressed driving
Trigger: Late to appointments

Habit of disease:  Eating out at a restaurant
Trigger: Not meal planning or feeling exhausted after not resting

Habit of disease:  Waiting too long to eat breakfast
Trigger: Getting busy and forgetting to eat

Some of these habits I corrected while I was working at a regular job.  Now that I am working from home, I am working hard to create a new routine to allow for the healthy habits I know to be so important.  I am definitely a work in progress! 

CrossFit update:  Today I reached the prescribed weight ("Rx") for our workout and followed it exactly as it was written.  I have been incorporating a lot regressions for everything.  It felt good to be doing what others were doing.  Also, I am not so sore that I can't move.  I think I am finally passed all that (phew!).  That was a rough patch.  I actually am looking forward to going back tomorrow and continuing to improve. I am glad I forced myself to keep going when I was so sore that my muscles were whispering all kinds of excuses.  Oh, and I lifted 4,655 lbs. today (over several reps).  Pretty darned proud of that!

Do you know someone that needs help identifying the habits of disease that contribute to them being unhealthy?  Reach out -- send me an email at HealthyandFitLife@gmail.com.  I reached out for myself once and never looked back -- it was worth it.