Image from PN - Mai Trainer is a PN1 coach-
You have decided what type of person you want to be.
You have started making progress with mastering small habits.
But what about those unhealthy habits that are still holding you back?
It is tempting to try to will yourself out of those habits. But willpower changes from day to day. The trick to success is planning a healthy habit to replace the unhealthy one. Here are some issues I run into regularly, and the solutions I use to overcome them.
Skipping Breakfast- Breakfast can be as simple as taking 2 minutes to cook eggs in the microwave, and putting it in tortilla or pita with some spinach. I wake up at 4am during the week and often don’t feel like “real food”. I drink a protein shake with a piece of fruit on the way to work.
Drinking your calories- Are you addicted to Starbucks or soda? For the calories in these drinks, you mine as well eat french fries. I drink regular coffee with 2-3 packs of sugar and 1 serving of cream. This cuts the calories to 45-60 calories per serving. I have replaced soda with a can of flavored sparkling water.
Eating fast food or “eating out”- “Fast” food is “fat” food. It is rare to find anything with solid nutritional value. I keep a protein powder and fruit with me at all times. If I eat fast food, I choose the kids meal. They are often 500-700 calories, and you get a little bit of everything. When eating out, I ask for a box right away. I put ½ of my food in the box, and the spread the remaining food out on my plate. Once you have put it in the box, you are much less likely to eat an over-sized portion.
Sitting for more than one hour at a time- Every 55 minutes, if I have not gotten up from my desk, I get up and do any activity possible for 5 minutes while moving or standing. Not only does this help you get 40 minutes of activity for every 8 hour workday, studies suggest breaks help you stay mentally fresh.
Giving into “food pushers”- Let’s say you have packed your lunch, and your friend at work really wants you to go to lunch with them. Often on these invitations, I will ask if they would be interested in ordering their food to go, and then we find a place where we can eat together and catch up socially. You might even get your friends to start packing their lunch!
Skipping workouts- You got stuck on a project and not you only have 20 minutes left . Working out at this point wouldn't do any good…. WRONG. Plan little blasts of activity you can do as an alternative to a full workout. Walk around the parking lot or find a stairwell, and work as hard as you can with the time you have left. If you were supposed to lift weights, pump out some body weight exercises, like push ups, squats, lunges and planks. If you only have 10 minutes, workout for that 10 minutes.
Getting less than 7-8 hours of sleep- Studies suggests lack of sleep contributes to weight gain. You build muscle, repair muscle, and recharge your brain during sleep. If you are skipping sleep to work (or workout)… please rethink your thought process. Lack of sleep hurts your workouts and hurts your ability to produce quality work. Proper sleep should be a top priority. Life happens… but choose a nap instead of just trying to charge through during fatigue. I promise you that I practice this, and it always pays off for me!
Are you struggling with unhealthy habits not addressed here, that others may also be struggling with? Send me an message with your question, and I may be able to address it on this blog :)!
Print a PDF of this article below.
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