How to upgrade habits and feel awesome

New week = new start. I don’t know about you, but I love fresh starts!

Let’s kick one off today — let’s trade in a not-so-good habit for better one.

Here’s the background: I hate rules. As I mentioned in the Food Fix, I especially hate rules having to do with food and what I “can” and “can’t” eat.

Here’s my too-much-iyou will not get what you truly deservenformation story but I’m guessing you will be able to relate to at least part of it. I am going to do a photo shoot soon and would like to drop a little bit of weight first. I like cookies a lot, and in fact most days of the week when I’m really active I eat one or two as an afternoon snack. The thing is, eating them right now won’t get me to my goal.

But the minute I tell myself “NO MORE COOKIES,” they are all I can think about. In fact, the second I hear the word “NO” I want to eat ALL of the cookies.

So what am I going to do?

I’m going to UPGRADE my cookie habit!

You deserve better

You know how we talk about “kicking” a habit? It’s tough. I’ve “kicked” a few habits over the years and, looking back, now I see that instead of getting rid of a habit entirely, I replaced it, sometimes with something almost as bad as the one I was ditching.

Not doing that again! This time I’m going to choose UP. As in, upgrade a habit.

This week instead of grabbing my afternoon snack of iced coffee with a cookie (or two) before tackling my second round of training clients of the day, I’m going to choose an apple and some walnuts with a nice tall glass of water.

Now, I know this seems like a big “duh” but when you frame it into a choice because you deserve something better, it’s easier to make positive changes. Upgrade habits because you are worth it.

The first day or two my upgrade won’t seem so fun, at least not till about an hour afterward when I’ll feel energized. I’m already preparing myself for the internal battle that’ll wage before I make my upgraded choice. I know in a couple days I’ll be glad I made the switch. Why?

My not-so-great habit was created when I instinctively grabbed something to perk me up before my afternoon personal training sessions — I chose caffeine and sugar. Woohoo! The thing is, after the initial boost, I crashed and felt super tired.

My upgraded choices of fruit, nuts and water? Those are going to lift me up and help me feel better through the rest of the day. I’ll not only feel better, but I’m guessing I’ll be more “on” for my clients, too.

How’s that for an upgrade? Pretty darn good, I’d say!

Do you have a habit that you want to upgrade?

  • Eating healthy all morning and then hitting the vending machine in the afternoon?
  • Or eating healthy all day and diving headfirst into the cupboard at night?
  • Having an extra cup of coffee in the afternoon to power through the day?
  • Feeling like a slug at night and collapsing on the couch after work?

Let’s pick one thing and UPGRADE this week! Do you need help picking a replacement? How are you going to tackle this? Let’s talk! 🙂 Leave a comment and we’ll figure this out. 😀

 

Wendy Watkins

About Wendy Watkins

Wendy Watkins is a Bangor-based personal trainer, fitness coach, studio owner, and writer/editor. She is the author of The Complete Idiots Guide to Losing 20 Pounds in 2 Months. Visit her website at thrivebangor.com.