Now for today's ramblings...
Sticking to an exercise routine really is all about habit. Once it becomes a habit, it's easy to keep it going. It's getting to the habit stage that's hard.
Since I exercise for a living, developing an exercise habit was pretty easy. I teach nine fitness classes a week--my body has come to expect exercise at those times. Because of a very minor medical procedure, I'm on a three-day exercise hiatus. My body feels it. I feel tired (believe it or not....taking a break from exercise has made me feel tired...not rested) and cranky. My body needs that release. You get addicted to the exercise habit, just like you get use to your eating habits, t.v. habits, etc.
So find some activities you enjoy doing, and stick to a schedule of doing them. Stick to this schedule for at least three weeks. Your body will start craving them. They will become a habit, and you'll miss when you don't do them.
The same thing can be said for dieting. I had a bad habit of stopping at Starbuck's about three times a week for an iced mocha. I drove right by it between do off my clients on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.. I was to the point where I craved that mocha around that time on those days. In this case, I really needed to break the habit. I was taking in way too much sugar (not to mention spending too much money). It was hard. I had to force myself to drive by without stopping for one. Sometimes I would go home and make my own healthier sugar-free mocha with my morning coffee, unsweetened cocoa, a pack of Stevia and some creamer (for me it's the So Delicious original creamer made from coconut milk). It got me through the tough times! Now I'm off the mochas, but still have one as a treat once a month or so. Just like forming a good habit, breaking the bad one took about three weeks. Now I can drive by without such an urge to stop!
So go out there and create some good habits, and break some bad ones today!
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