Health Transformation Challenge: Day 4

Today’s challenge is one for thought.  We know the power of habits – driving home and not remembering how we got there, for example.  But how do we break those bad habits (like eating while we watch TV – this is a hard one for me) and replace it with a good habit (like not watching TV at all)?  It’s all a process revolving around consistency in the following steps:

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1.  Identify the foundational choices that support optimal health, and implement a plan to incorporate them into your daily choices.

2.  Become aware of the daily choices you make that don’t support health.

3.  Think long term.

4.  Create a microenvironment of health by removing as many negative stimuli as possible. If you have a Health Coach, you have already begun to build a powerful microenvironment of health and support!

As a child, our family had a habit of eating ice cream every night after dinner and watching TV.  I remember over the years that my ice cream bowls would get bigger and bigger because I loved eating ice cream so much.  Eventually, I knew that choice didn’t support my goal to be healthy.  I now watch far less TV (probably an hour at most in a day) and I don’t buy ice cream.  My kids will never have that habit!

I recently left my 13 year career as a paralegal to be a full time health coach, working from home.  Over those 13 years, I developed a terrible snacking habit.  I ate when I was stressed or bored.  I even had a designated drawer filled with snacks.  Since I started working to become healthy, I decided I would only bring the amount of food to work that I planned to eat so that I would have no opportunity to overindulge.  It was tough.  I found myself dreaming about snacks and getting angry with myself for “not planning enough food” (even though I knew it was enough).  I identified those feelings and talked myself through them.  “Phew,” I would think to myself an hour later, as I made it through without straying from my goals.  It was so hard!!  Now, as a full time health coach working from home, I have established habits to help me stay strong in those situations and it is definitely easier.  I still talk myself out of old habits, but that self-talk is getting easier every day I practice.  I am happy to announce that I have been able to maintain those healthy habits during my transition to working from home full time.

As for my own goals, Day 4 of CrossFit was so much easier than the other days.  I hurt less and I my muscles seem to feel better when I am there.   I may be over the hump -- woohoo.  On top of that, I am building on the skills I already earned, so the movements are getting more complex and I am picking things up faster.  I started adding weight to my bar today and did a 125 lb. dead lift, which looks like this: 

Today was a good day!!

If you are struggling to make healthy changes in your life, please reach out to me by email at HealthyandFitLife@gmail.com.