I NEED TO EAT MORE VEGGIE
I NEED TO FIND MORE EXCERSIE FOR MY CONDITION
I NEED TO LAUGH MORE
I NEED A LAPTOP SO WHEN I AM IN BED SICK I CAN STILL GET ON THIS WEB PAGE
I NEED TO COOK ONCE EAT 3 OR FOUR TIMES
I NEED TO GET BACK IN TO THE FOOD PREP MODE
I NEED TO GET HUBBY ON BOARD

VETT

Only time for one right now, but may come back later and add.

Bad Habit #1: I let Little Sheri (my inner four year old) have her way too often, especially with sweets and bakery-type stuff.

Better: Limit full fat sweet treats to once a week. I'm already quite good about limiting the serving size of what treats I do eat. Like I buy ONE donut or ONE cookie from the bakery dept. instead of buying a whole box/bag.

Ideal: Have a piece of fruit, chew gum or pop a mint first when the craving for sweets hits (or find another distraction) before having the junk; i.e., don't give in to the 4-yo so easily!

1. Get more sleep, spend less time trying to go to sleep. (I don't wind down before I go to bed, so my goal is to quit doing anything but relaxing 1 hr. before I go to bed.)

2. I need to plan out my calories better so that I eat less between dinner and bed. I need the snacks for blood sugar reasons, but I can control how many dinner calories I save that can be too much. (Lunch can also contribute too many calories overall to the day.)

Bad Habit #1: Coffee instead of water. I nurse a cup of coffee all morning and frequently don't start watering my body until after lunch. Sometimes I do the coffee thing in the after noon, as well. For whatever reason, it keeps me from drinking water. Maybe it is the winter, or the flavor comfort, but I need to get back to getting my water in.
Solution: For home days, a full pitcher on the counter with a glass that I keep filling. When I see it, I drink more. For out days, pack water bottles. I'm less apt to stop for a coffee when I have a water bottle beside me.

Bad Habit #2: All or nothing thinking regarding exercise. If I don't have an hour, then 30 more minutes to shower afterward, I will skip my workout.
Solution: There needn't be any real skip days, because I can always fit in a short ball workout, a walk, or something that doesn't require a shower, and it will be better than skipping a day. Any workout is better than zero.

Lynne

Well, my first bad eating habit is that I don't actually eat meals during the day. I eat lots of stuff. I get up, have a granola bar. Through the day I eat hands full of nuts, spoons full of cream cheese, cheese sticks, etc. I know this is bad, because I don't know exactly how much I have eaten by dinnertime, but I am definately hungry.

That brings me to my second bad habit. I eat my dinner with my family, knowing that when I clear the table and everyone is off to tv and showers, I am gonna hit the pots for the food on the counters. I think I actually look forward to dishes, because I snack as I go along.

That brings me to number 3. After my kitchen is clean and the lights are out, I am secret agent JoJo. I hit the pantry for a sneaky snack. I know I shouldn't have it and I know that if anyone saw me they would tell me so. It could be anything, just as long as I have had something on the sneak. Much like a shoplifter, I suppose. It is about what the others don't know.

So, there it is. The habits I am well aware of and need to change very badly before I put back on the 40 pounds I lost. Funny enough, they come back on much easier and faster than they came off.

Better: Drink only 4 (8 oz) mochas per week.

Ideal: Drink tea when wanting something warm and cozy.

My bad habit is night time eating. I do good during the day, but after my kids go to bed, I'm snacking til I go to bed.

Better: would be to choose something like fruit or veggies to snack on or just drink some tea.

Ideal: would be to break this habit for good.

I'm working hard at slowing down while I eat to give my brain a chance to feel full.

I've been putting down my fork between bites and really trying to enjoy my food.

Right now the hardest part for me is when the food gets cold. I probably should just get up and nuke it as I'm not a big fan of luke warm food that is supposed to be hot.

I also have to work on reducing my sweet intake. I'm still in the habit of having something small every day. I don't need it, and it would be a good opportunity to get in some extra fruit servings.

Bad Food Habit #1
Extra helpings at dinner
What My Ideal Self Would Do
Have one helping, eaten slowly
Steps to Get There
1. Wait at least five minutes before getting a second helping. Gradually increase the time to 10 minutes.
2. Put my fork down between bites
3. Make the meal last at least 10 minutes

Bad Food Habit #2
Too much Diet Coke
What My Ideal Self Would Do
Drink sparkling or flavored water instead
Steps to Get There
1. Buy six packs of flavored water and carry one bottle in my lunch bag. Refill it during the day
2. Cut out Diet Coke before noon. Have tea instead

#1 - I can and will eat everything in sight when I get home from work. Dinner never gets done fast enough.

Better - get a roasted chicken on the way home if i am really that hungry, microwave some veggie when i get home.. Dinner is served

Ideal - start making and filling the freezer with healthy options I can microwave. First step, homemade marinara this weekend for quick pasta dinners.

#2 Skipping meals and breaks which most likely has a lot to do with #1

better - keep some granola bars and dried fruit in my locker, grab some when i can.

Ideal - keep healthy veggies and fruit in the fridge at work, and make at least lunch and 1 break non negotiable. (I stocked up on carrots and hummous today and left them there)

#3 I crave sweet drinks instead of water

Better choosing diet over regular soda

Ideal - start the KoolAid trick again, make a 2 quart container with Splenda, as sweet as you like, but measure how much sweetner you use. Each consecutive batch, use less sweetner. I've done it before, I can do it again.