The Struggle

As I struggle to stay healthy I find that many others struggle with me. Many times I’ve changed my eating habits to better my health only to go back to eating junk. But I’ve noticed that each time I kept one or two of the good habits. I’m beginning to realize that making a lifestyle change takes damn near as long or longer as it took to develop the bad habit. My weakness has always been sweets. Growing up I was a very thin girl. I didn’t have to exercise nor watch what I ate. I didn’t gain a pound. It wasn’t until my 30s that I began to find it harder to stay healthy. Even after the birth of my son I bounced right back to my pre-pregnancy weight within 6 weeks. At some point in my life my lifestyle changed. I began eating late and eating unhealthy. I have since reversed the late night eating but the unhealthy has taken time. On paper I look like a very healthy eater. For the most part I am, until I get a craving. When I am bored I crave sweets. This usually happens when I work late which until recently was very often. Around 5 o’clock I would go and stock up on sweets. My last bought with this overwhelming urge lasted only 3-4 weeks before I once again nipped it in the bud and got back in track. But this time I didn’t something different. This time I added fitness to my plan. I will be the 1st to say, I hate gyms but since I was young I’ve always wanted to kick box. I’ve always loved Van Damme and his movies. I have always loves Steven Segall as well. But I never found the time to actually do it, until now. I’ve never been excited to workout before. I’ve never been in continuous body pain before and still had the excitement to get up and go to workout. My commitment to my training has forced me to work an earlier work schedule and stay away from my bad foods. Another tool that really helps me keep on track is My Fitness Pal (available on the Android Market), when I don’t eat all of the junk food my normal food intake is less than 1200 calories. I know it is suppose to be at 1290 based on my BMI, weight loss goal and time frame. That combined with my exercise schedule I am pretty much depleting every calorie I eat. But only 5 days a week. I don’t workout Friday and Sunday. I really love the app, after each day it tells me how I did and where I will be in 5 weeks if I keep going the way I did that day. It also lets you keep up with friends progress. Not giving you their weight but it tells you if they worked out and how many calories they burned. It really cool! If you decide to add the app add me my username is ShaniNicole.

It only takes one change to your routine to lead you towards a healthier life. It is not going to happen over night. Once you get use to that change you can add another change. Keep going until you to your goal. They say it takes 21 days to create a habit and I will continue to try and create good habits for myself. I am a work in progress. I am not too hard on myself because I know I haven’t seriously worked out ever. High School might be the closest. I’ve gone to the gym, I’ve done a few of the classes I’ve done Hot Yoga but I have never worked out how I am now, so 4 days down 17 more to go before my habit is formed. How many before your is?