One healthy change you are making in 2007?

[jpeace]

Since I hate the term "New Year's Resolutions" and I usually end up breaking them by January 15.....I'm trying a different strategy in how I term making healthier lifestyle changes. Besides, if I say it here, then I have to be more accountable than I would ordinarily, so maybe we can all help each other out.

What's at least one, more if you are feeling ambitious, healthy lifestyle change you plan to make in 2007.....and how do you plan to do this?

For me.....it's about finding balance in all aspects of my life. That's a very broad goal so I'm concentrating first on the following and will try to add something else each month, instead of doing it all at once (balance!!):

- Getting the junk out of my eating habits and focusing more on whole foods.
- Drinking more water daily.
- Doing yoga every day or night, even if it's just a short 15 minutes. I tend to be an overexerciser and if I don't have a couple hours to train, "it isn't worth it."
- Spending a little time at the end of the day to wind down, whether that's with yoga, writing in my journal or taking a long shower. Too often I just go and go and go and then fall into bed and can't sleep. Bad idea.

How about you???

[Sugah]

Doing better at maintaining connections with friends....old and new....



Peace & Love,
Sugah

[Rocketman]

jpeace,
You are going to have your hands full.

I should quit smoking but I am not going to commit to that right now. I know ciggaretts are poison. I wish they would make them illegal.

[Chicago Patty]

Balance I am with you on that one.
I go to one extreme or another, all or nothing, been this way forever.
I have decided that January and February will be months of hibernation for me.
Work and grocery store that will be the extent of my being outdoors.
I plan to read several books that are collecting dust, eat healthier,
listen to my kids more and talk with them more, walk on my treadmill at
least 1 hour daily and have not a drop of wine or any alcohol for that matter.
I plan to do a couple of detoxes I got from the health food store which
require eating modification. I am not making any resolutions either, they
don't last.


OOOOPPPPS I take part of this back,,,LOL February 4th I believe that is the date
is the SuperBowl and I know my beloved Bears are gonna be playing.
So I will probably be drinking something besides diet coke and most definately
eating rubbish!!!!! Just for the day.....lol

[Velvet]

I need to quit smoking and slow down some. Both are hard to do.

[Uncle Fester]

Well I am hoping to make a change in my behaviour through REBT. I have largely been self-employed all my life and never had to deal with my difficulty of employers being abusive or even human. As soon as I'm annoyed or I sense an injustice the emotions I feel are almost intolerable and I quit to stop the emotions. I've been consciously trying for some months, but whatever it is, is ingrained in me. I don't expect overnight results anymore, but by the end of the year I'd like to have confidence in it. I get the drift with REBT that feelings and behaviour stem from beliefs/expectations. If REBT doesn't work, I'm going back to being a sober villain. lol.

[Helene]

Well, jpeace and all, I have found that I ALWAYS carve out too big a piece of change...

But I will tell you one strategy that has worked in my life: I found, upon reflection, that anything I do for two weeks straight tends to become "habit" (this includes drinking too, of course).

So what I have done in my own life is this: to get back to going to the gym I threw out all the noitions of doing, say a class a day, or 20 minutes, or even 5. All I set out for myself to do was go there every day for two weeks and get through the door at least. Needless to say this made me something of a source of amusement for some of the gym rats that I know.

However, after two weeks of going through the door, and out again, or eating lunch in the lobby, or getting a massage, or doing my shower there I found myself on the last few days...VOILA! Exercising!!

I am back down to "slim" and have imparted this simple plan to others, every one of whom wanted to do more, or be more ambitious-an almost certain recipe for failure. Those who stuck to the simplicity-that the only thing required was to "show up" every day for two weeks have had the same miraculous success that I have had.

For what its worth,
Gianna

[Minnie]

Helene!!! I was just coming to post something very similar!

I have just re-joined my local leisure centre at a hotel close to me. I have always tailed off after a while because I set massive expectations for myself. So, like you, I have decided that I am going to go there in the mornings to get a shower. One of these days I might even get in the pool! Sounds daft, but that attitude did work a few years back when I stopped counting lengths. Who cares how many I do, as long as I am doing some? I was fed up with striving for targets at work - what was the point of doing that for my leisure at that stage?

Also, I am continuing to eat smaller portions and make healthier choices in what I eat. I have dropped from a UK 14/16 to a 10/12 by doing just that and it has not been difficult. Just a bit of retraining after years of having almost equal portions to the men I was living with.

[equus]

I've started jogging - badly!

[Velvet]

What a great point. Set your goal for 2 weeks and then you do have a habit. I'll try that. Smoking is gonna be tough. The new law, of not smoking ANYWHERE, besides your home, went into practice. I don't smoke inside my home, because of my kids....so I'm very limited...my yard, porch, car. So I'll give it my best shot for a week, then see if I can go two. I go all day at work, so I guess I could go alittle further, into the evening. It's that morning routine that will be so hard to break.

[Minnie]

Oh F___!!! I forgot about the not smoking thing!!

Yes, I am getting out my Alan Carr book tomorrow. I rushed it last time. I'm determined to do it this time. (Yeah right, so much so that I forgot about it!)

[Helene]

Minnie, great to meet you! I love the quote at the end of your post which I just wrote down.

Velvet, o so good luck quitting. Thank goodness I never started. Just remember that the two week rule is about consistency. I know smoking is a tough one and my idea that you should stop over time-say 1 less cigarette for two weeks, then two less for two weeks might be more difficult than cole turkey but maybe...

another saying: "It's the slow going that gets you there."

Gianna

[Rocketman]

Hellen & Minnie

WTG on your weight loss.
It is easier for me to buy bigger clothes.....lol

[Uncle Fester]

Originally Posted by Helene

So what I have done in my own life is this: to get back to going to the gym I threw out all the noitions of doing, say a class a day, or 20 minutes, or even 5. All I set out for myself to do was go there every day for two weeks and get through the door at least. Needless to say this made me something of a source of amusement for some of the gym rats that I know.


For what its worth,
Gianna

I am going to try that, with something. Although I value opinions and theory, I give more credibility to what is validated in someones experience.

I think thats a great post, thankyou.

[jpeace]

Helene, that's an awesome strategy! Thank you so much for sharing.....kind of like a mind game we can play with ourselves (aren't we addicts and alkies great at those?? LOL) but with healthier results than I am sure we've gotten in the past. I think I may try that too. Like you and some others have noted, I am definitely an overachiever and was an athlete most of my life til I got injured, several in succession, a few years ago. My stupid ego is getting in the way of starting over, because of what I "used" to be able to do. Perhaps your suggestion will help me let go of that "other" person and let the person I am today enjoy the exercise and fitness I used to love? It's worth a shot!!

Fester, I hope you will keep us posted on your progress with the REBT. I've never used the technique in treatment but I've read the literature and it's apparently very effective. Most of the cognitively-targeted strategies are, because, as you said.....thoughts, feelings and emotions are tied to beliefs, patterns and schemas. Breaking those, or at least gaining insight into them, is normally the first piece to making change. I wish you much luck with it!! Sounds like you have a big project on your hands, but I think you can do it if you stick with it, and are prepared to ride through some of those emotions to see what lies under them. I hate feeling that stuff too, it brings up a lot of crap for me--but I'm finding that the more I allow the feelings to come, kind of like an ocean wave, the wave washes over and then I can get to what is driving them. Sometimes it works well, others, not so much....but it's all a process.

Eq, I'm jealous.....I used to be a hardcore runner and I miss it terribly. That's my biggest challenge to get back to right now. You go, chickie!!!

Great stuff here folks, keep it coming!!!! This is a really inspiring group!

[Chy]

I'm going to continue with my fitness goals and finally meet them this year, cardio, cardio, cardio is what it takes for me as I do plenty of strength training.

February 14 I'm shooting for my quit date, trying real hard to get hubby on board with me.

I'll finish my degree, yeah!

Change jobs

Slow down

[yeahme]

I don't do resolutions, but I am with you all on the balance and keeping close to loved ones. I just want to be the best I can be for myself and everyone else for the new year. I will continue to exercise (been slacking lately) and this will cut down on the smoking. I'll quit one day but for now it's my only vice and I truly believe one day I will just lay them down. Just not right now