Life Fit with Laura Lewis: Change Your Habits, Change Your Life
Being Life Fit is about your total health, including the health of all of your relationships. Life Fit is a journey, not a destination. It is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Check in each Tuesday to Life Fit with Laura Lewis, author of "52 Ways To A Healthy You," as we explore our total life fitness. Then, weigh in with your own thoughts over at Laura's "Life Fit Chat" each Wednesday and Thursday for further discussion on the week's topic. Or check out "Ask Laura" every Friday for answers! For more information visit Laura at www.LauraLewis.com.Change your habits, and change your life. From an emotional, physical and nutritional perspective, we are the sum of our habits. By simply identifying our habits, which can be hard, and changing them -- which can be even harder -- we can transform our lives.
The first step in changing our habits is actually recognizing them. I recommend starting a Sum of Me Journal. For the next 30 days, journal all aspects of your day. Carry your journal with you and make meticulous notes.
Sum of Me Journal
- Upon waking, make note of your thoughts and your emotional state.
- Write down what you eat for breakfast.
- Where did you eat breakfast?
- What did you do while eating breakfast?
- How did you feel after eating breakfast?
- Write down when you exercise and the type of exercise you engage in.
- How did you feel before, during and after working out?
- Go through this same process each time you eat or drink anything.
- At the top of your journal create marks indicating the total ounces of water you should drink for your weight. Slash through the marks as you accomplish your daily water goal.
- Go through the journaling process each time you eat or engage in an activity.
Action Tips
- On the weekends, go out dancing instead of bar hopping.
- Drink vodka and soda water instead of other mixers that contain calories.
- Eat at home and then go to a movie or some other social event rather than making dinner out as the social activity.
- Unwind through physical activity rather than drinking or vegging on the sofa.
- Run errands on your bike rather than in your car.
- Drink an 8-oz glass of water before eating and then check your hunger cues and determine if you really are still hungry.
- Add ten minutes onto your daily dog walking ... this is good for you and Fido.
- Drink one glass of water for every non-water beverage you consume in addition to your daily recommended water intake.
- Make a point to laugh frequently throughout every day. This will curb your emotional eating.
- Take "note" of how your clothes fit, but don't beat yourself up by weighing in every day.
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