Health Transformation Challenge: Day 11

We made it to Day 11!!!

I identified some triggers to my habits of disease (isn't looking in the mirror hard sometimes?).  Today's challenge is a learning one.  We are looking at some steps to help combat those triggers and, well, talk about hitting a nail on the head, these are really things that I work on daily.  It's so tough to get healthy and in the healthy mindframe, but staying there and resisting the urge to fall back into our old habits...  that is a big challenge too -- and one I struggle with all the time.  

So, we look at some techniques to help us get through those moments when we are at a "Y" in the road with our goals to the right and our old habits to the left.  We can't get to both.  Making a conscious effort to avoid my old habits seems to work well enough for me to work towards my goals.  I am working every day to get stronger at being able to choose the path to my goals.  Sometimes I hit a speed bump and fall, but I try not to get up and stare at the speed bump.  Instead, I stare at the road ahead of me looking for more speed bumps, prepared to negotiate the rough road with more grace.  

Here are a few of the techniques we are learning:

• Stopping in our tracks, challenge our thoughts about how we react and choosing a choice consistent with where we are going.  That little exercise may be over-simplified, but I use it all the time.  I am not saying I don't fail sometimes, but I am mindful about my choices and that has helped me make more choices that are good over bad.

• Using time to your advantage.  The more time that goes by when you are making healthy choices, the healthier you get.  I love this one because it takes no more effort than taking one choice at a time.  

• Avoiding peer pressure and toxic environments.  This is a tough one.  When we are making changes in our lives to be healthy, sometimes we are the only ones in our circle of friends.  You might join a group that has a weekly pizza and beer night only to try all night to avoid pizza and beer.  You might have a friend that oozes negativity and causes you to make unhealthy choices in reaction to the emotions you feel when you are around that friend.  Creating a healthy environment full of supportive friends is so important, but so difficult to do.  Think about the things in your life that you do socially that don't support your goals.  Can you avoid them until you are strong enough to maneuver through those situations in a healthy way?

• Keeping a journal.  Well, I've been doing that during this challenge.  It's funny because sometimes I stop myself from making a bad choice because I don't want to have to write it.  My journal has a funny was of keeping me accountable that way.

• Exchange negative choices for positive ones.  As simple as that sounds, it's tough.  It's not natural, and sometimes those positive choices take a lot of thought.  Some positive exchanges I have made in my life: (1) when bored or anxious, drink water (actually that works for a lot of things); (2) when thinking about snacking, I clean my house to distract myself; (3) when I feel like snacking, I eat gum instead.

• Don't focus on the bad habit. OMGoodness, how hard is that one?  Whenever I am in the Stop/Challenge/Choose mode and facing a nagging bad habit, that ends up being all I can think about.  Avoiding it takes more energy!  We are creatures that take the path of least resistance, and avoiding a craving or bad habit only brings it closer to the forefront of our mind.  So, instead of continuing to focus on it, I try to plan ahead to find things that will move my focus.  I look for things that remove me from a place where I might give in and also give myself something to think about that is more important to me than the bad habit.  So, for instance, when it's mid-afternoon and I am transitioning from one thing to another (used to be the perfect time to grab a sweet treat), I might go read a book to my kiddos or work on a craft.  By the time I am five minutes in, I usually forget about the unhealthy thing that was bugging me.  

• Create barriers to habits of disease.  How often are we victims and slaves to our own habits that put us in a position of unhealthyness?  (I am raising my hand!) I know that something that helps me is to eliminate opportunity to make unhealthy choices.  I try to avoid having chocolate candy bars in our house.  It is a weakness of mine.  Instead of putting myself in a position that I would have to exercise extreme self-control, I simply don't bring the unhealthy choice into my home.

• Seek support.  One of the toughest things about the choice to be healthy is surrounding yourself with people who have also made the choice to get healthy.  Sometimes we're the first in our social circles and others don't understand.  Sometimes people we love don't support our choices or ridicule us for our healthy choices.  Whatever the circumstances, support is key, which is one of the reasons I help people as a health coach.  It's tough, but I've been there and I can help you.  Reach out; I am so glad I did.

CrossFit update:  I continue to learn new exercises and I am determined to get some double under jump ropes in (the jump rope goes around you twice and you jump once).  It's a lot harder than you think.  I also continue to get better at the skills I am building on (thank goodness!) and continue to find muscles by way of pain.  Overall, I am happy with my progress. 
 
If you are struggling with these habits, don't struggle alone, reach out to me at HealthyandFitLife@gmail.com.