Shedding habits which no longer serve us.

it’s about to fall…

This originally started as a blog post about the health benefits of raking leaves.

When the idea came to me I grew overly filled with zeal as, back in the ATX, I had no such leaf raking opportunities.

It had been 20+ years  since I’d last scraped up the fall stuffs (LONG before I carved my healthy path) and it kinda rocked!

I raked.

I blogged along in my head.

It would have been an awesome PLAYout post.

Mid-rake, however, I stopped & considered our emerging pile of leaves.  I looked long & hard and pondered how they’d fallen from the trees.

The easy manner in which they’d been shed because they werent necessary in the impending, dormant, winter season.

The leaves served their purpose (they’d nourished the tree) & now it was time for the tree let them go.

It sparked me to reflect on my mission for this year and my recent realization my new “habit” (focusing on never looking back) of no longer worked for me.

Its season had ended and, without realizing, Id shed the habit leaf in order to look back & see what I could learn from ‘chapters previously written.’

leaves no mo’ needed.

Id let go easily—for once as in the old joke I made like a tree—as I knew intuitively holding on to the habit wouldnt serve me.

I may, again, need to instate the only looking forward–but not right now.

This was all in the same way my OAKtown trees will need leaves again next year for food—but dont hold tightly to them *today* just in case.

These looooong internal musings sparked a conversation with the Tornado (after she finished her chorus of MOM! MOM?! WE’RE DONE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!)

I shared with her how I dont make New Year’s resolutions.

We talked about habits we have & chatted about how good habits which “served” us when we were in Texas may not work as well here in Oakland.

I shared–in a way she could grasp–my thoughts on the leaves & how the tree ‘let go’ so easily.

I asked her if she could think of a good habit which once served helped her a lot yet it might be time to shed stop doing it for a while.

I have lots I want to do, Mama. There is lots of fun stuff in October.  I want to hurry not go slow and focus so I can do everything.

As she shared that I watched more leaves fall from our trees.

Quickly.

Easily.

No paralysis by OVERanalysis.

And with that I toss the question to you and ask you answer without over-analysis & share your immediate response:

What (fingerquote) good (unFQ) habit which once served you is it time to shed this fall?

I cant believe Im the first to make this parallel between leaves and habits.  There’s no citation above as I couldnt find a ‘source’ from googling.

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Good Workout Habits

I LOVE Pinterest. Every night I peak in for a few minutes and marvel at all the amazing stuff: the photos, the food, the tips, the inspiration. I rarely pin anymore as I’m too busy checking out everyone else’s!

Tonight I peaked in after finishing my latest GreenLiteBites post, The Triscuit Coated Cod Meal Idea, and saw this…

…from http://getfitordie.tumblr.com. The corresponding post offer some pretty good tips on creating habits.

It was a timely find for me. This morning I posted this on Facebook…

I’m hooked on my morning workouts again. Takes me about 2 weeks of dreading them first though. :)

Every Tuesday and Thursday I wake up at 5:30 AM, run to the gym, take a class and then run home. To some it sounds crazy, to others, excessive, but to me it’s 2 guaranteed workouts with no interruptions from kids, work, or husband, doing something I love.

Is getting up hard? At first, but after a few consistent weeks of going, I now look forward to it and wake up before my alarm even has a chance to go off.

A few things I learned about forming good habits, specifically workout related ones..

Be Realistic. Start slow. You aren’t going to become a fitness fanatic overnight. Start by committing to 1-2 workouts a week or even just a walk after dinner depending on where you are starting. Just do it. It’s easy to talk yourself out of going to the gym or heading out the door for a walk or run, but I assure you taking the first step is the hardest. Shut off your brain and put yourself on autopilot. If you need a push reach out on twitter or Facebook for a nudge. Know Yourself. If you loathe running don’t set a running goal as your first habit. Remember to "Find Your Basket Ball" Creating a habit around an activity you like is way easier then trying to be something your not.

Commit to forming 1 new active habit this month with me. Can you add a walk now that the weather is changing? Can you get up early one day a week for a run? How about a lunch time gym class? Yoga on the weekend?

Let’s do it!

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4 Flakey Fitness Habits to Avoid Getting Sucked Into

1) slacking: Averting work or effort. Inactive. Not inclined to work or exertion.

“Booquisha has been a slacker for weeks. Maybe today she’ll get her lazy azz up to do cardio and drink up some Sleekology.”

2) procrastination:  Putting off something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.

“It is not good to procrastinate. Justin does that with his laundry and now he’s wearing dirty spandex to the gym again.”

3) lack of planning: Without apparent forethought. Having no particular purpose, organization, or structure.

“I don’t give a damn if Mildred brags about that 3,000 Days to Shred DVD. Her lack of food planning has her eating Cheetoes out the vending machine before noon.”

4) lack of commitment: Absence of determination and follow through to work hard at something pledged or obligated to do.

“Bart’s lack of commitment to building man-muscles has him starting Day 1 of that expensive Q80X Fitness System for the 5th time now. He’s never made it past day 10.”

Put in the hard work this week and make it count! I know dang well you are NOT a slacking procrastinator who doesn’t plan or follow through because you’re soooo not committed to your fitness goals.

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Fess up time… What are your UNhealthy Habits?

Ok, it’s Weekly Question time! The last two weeks I reposted old questions to bring back the series. This week I’m starting fresh with a post some of you may find out of character.

Normally I’m positive. I like to remind people to focus on the small changes and own every and ANY accomplishments they make. Remember when I asked about saying "only" or whether or not you compare yourself to to others? I like those type of questions because they get you thinking about and owning the progress you’ve made to be a little healthier/conscious/positive.

However, sometimes I think the opposite can be a good exercise as well. Sometimes simply acknowledging the things you’d like to change about your behavior is the first step to actually changing it. Notice I said "your behavior" and not "you." We need to understand there is nothing "wrong" with us. We are fine just the way we are–fat/skinny/short/tall WHATEVER! But we may do things that don’t support our goals or the lifestyle we want to live.

For example….

I have a hard time brushing my teeth before bed. I stay up too late and by the time I get my butt upstairs I’m so exhausted I just collapse into bed. I want to brush my teeth. I really do. I know it’s the healthy thing to do. I like my teeth. I want them to stay around for as long as possible but for some reason I just struggle with this habit. Bad I KNOW! (note: After writing this I think I’m realizing the REAL behavior I should probably change is going to bed earlier!)

Here’s another. I can’t make a sandwich without sneaking slices of cheese or lunch meat. I’ve battled this habit my whole life. I swear when I was in college I’d consume more calories in cheese while making the sandwich then where in the sandwich itself!

I broke this habit when I joined Weight Watchers in 2005 because I didn’t want to have to count the points (one of the reasons WW worked for me) but it’s been creeping back since becoming pregnant. I find myself picking more and more.

One more, since I’m on a roll. My night time snacking habits are HORRENDOUS right now. Not being hungry I still search for evening treats daily. I try to stick with fruits but truth be told, I’ve been gravitating towards the husbands cookies and cupcakes more and more.

I’m not telling you these things because I feel guilty or angry at myself. I’m telling you them because they are things I’m working on. Things I recognize about my behavior that I’d like to change. Facing them, talking about them and owning them are the only way I will be able to change them.

Who’s wiling to share this week? What are some habits you’d like to change?

Click here for previous Questions of the Week.

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Weekend Quote: Healthy Habits

I went to my weekly boot camp class today and I’m not going to lie, I totally kicked butt! I surprised myself. I really did. My activity level has significantly plummeted through this pregnancy. It has to, of course, but after a few days of not making a conscious effort to simply MOVE MORE I start to get a bit down on myself.

Not because I’m gaining weight or getting lazy. I mean, I am PREGNANT (sometimes I have to remind myself) but because I don’t want to lose my healthy habits. And that’s exactly what working out has become for me, a habit. A habit that I love. A habit that makes me feel good. A habit that I really don’t want to lose.

Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going.  ~Jim Ryun

Those that know my story know I didn’t start my journey with a love of exercise. Actually the opposite is true–this post outlines my history a bit. Over the years I’ve fallen in love with the way I FEEL when I workout. The time I get to spend with myself on a run is a form a therapy. The strength and confidence I possess after a trip to the gym can’t be duplicated any other way. It’s not about weight loss, or achieving some "perfect" body. It’s about doing something for me. Something that’s good for my body and soul.

In my opinion, healthy habits are huge piece of the ‘lifestyle’ puzzle and these habits are formed slow and steady. You may want it to happen overnight (I always did) but you’ll find more success as the Tortoise not the Hare. Muster up the motivation to get started. Continue to move forward at your own pace and soon enough your healthy habits will keep you going.

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Ask Roni_v49: Finding a Diet Plan, Training and Calories, Starting to Weight Train, Partners with Bad Eating Habits

Phew! Is today Friday? I didn’t realize until about 4PM. Bad… I know.

Topics this week include…

Podcast/Audio Only Version
 

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Ask Roni _v44 – Working out When Pregnant, Frustration with Not Losing, 1/2 Marathon Training, My Shopping Habits, Squishing in Exercise

Sorry I’m late! My poor Little Man has been home sick from school with a virus. :( He’s doing better but I’m now all off schedule. This will be my last podcast until after Thanksgiving. I’ve got a bunch of family coming in town and I want to focus on them next week.

Note: It seems iTunes is NOT updating my latest podcasts. I’m hoping this one jump starts it again. I’ll check in on it again tonight.

Topics this week include…

Fueling for Workouts When PregnantFrustrated with Not LosingPreparing for a 1/2 MarathonWhere do I shop?Squishing in Exercise

Helpful links..

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