Habits

I fell out of a LOT of good habits.....

It's no wonder that myfitnesspal actually keeps track of your streak of logging onto the site to track.  They know that if you continually do it and create a habit that there is a better chance of success.  Yes, tracking; as much as we don't want to admit it, leads to success.  I can't tell you how many blogs I've read where people have been wildly successful with weight loss.  They lose the weight and they stop tracking and that is wonderful....but each and every one of them when they start to slip up and gain a little weight go back to tracking.  It may be a grudging return to tracking, but return they do!     I've written more blog posts in the last almost ten years (yes...more on that later) about making tracking a habit then I care to remember.  It needs to be a habit...that's why I try to track the good and the bad.   I had started tracking back in August and was starting to see success....then I got sick....and things just happened.   No excuses....I messed up.  And while I've mostly maintained the few pound loss that I had achieved, I stopped tracking and I stopped losing.  Well that has changed.  I am tracking whole heartedly.  Tracking keeps me cognizant.   My first day of tracking I had a major victory.  I was running late and stopped for a breakfast sandwich on the way to work.  I ignored Burger King and instead stopped at a place where I could also pick up lunch to take with me.   I ignored the sub, and instead got a garden salad (which was really tasty)  which I had with the banana that I did grab from the house.  I ended up eating out for dinner.  THREE MEALS OUT!
It helped that I wasn't overly hungry at dinner.....But I managed to keep my calories right on budget even with eating out, but it also helped me to know that I didn't have many calories left in my budget.
Tracking...it's a habit.

Water consumption.  Some people may argue that this is 'not a habit'.  But honestly, water consumption is TOTALLY a habit.  Just like drinking a LOT of soda (diet or otherwise) is a habit.   At first a person has to push themselves to drink the amount of water that is recommended for us.  But one you get going it becomes second nature.   Once again, I've written so many blog posts about water that I'm floating.  

Water.....it's a habit.

Running......oh yes, this is a habit.  And for the sake of argument, lets just pretend and put the word 'exercise' in for the word running.   If you get up and everyday do it......it becomes a habit.  If you stop for whatever reason, holy cow it is hard hard hard to get motivated again to do it.   Set the schedule and start....and don't break it...no matter what (ok, maybe pneumonia and arthritis and whatever may be valid excuses!).  

Exercise/running....it's a habit.

Habits......such healthy habits.  Just a little bit of will power to start them, but SUCH awesome benefits for maintaining them!

So yes, I laid in bed this morning  It had been a few weeks since I ran.  Yes, weeks, much to my shame!  I had planned to run. Part of me wanted to run....but the other part of me wanted to stay in bed and just forget about it all.  "Why not start tomorrow"    You see, I was out of the habit and restarting the habit is very difficult...there is always that call to 'start tomorrow'.    The habit keeps up the consistency!

I DID get up and run.  I wasn't a grand long run.  I went for 2 miles.  I actually did really good for my two miles and actually went faster than any of my miles in the last few months.  So I'm good.  :-)  My knee twinged a bit (and yes, the arthritis has been diagnosed by tests and a doctor)....weirdly enough, my hip is what is sooo sore now.  Crazy!

Lunch/Dinner calories were a bit 'high'  but with the running earned calories I'm still under my budget....so I'm not going to worry.  :-)

Blogiversary........I realized just the other day that the beginning of January will be my 10 year blogiversary.   WOW!  January 5th to be exact.  I'm thinking that I may have to do something spectacular for my 10 year milestone.  Giveaway......start some group challenge.  SOMETHING.  I'll be thinking about this for sure!