That's Fit

Old habits are like a bad penny, they keep turning up. Many people think that to lose weight or build fitness, they simply need to stop doing the things that keep them from reaching their goals. While that's true, it's not enough to just say you're going to stop reaching for donuts in the break room or stop eating entire bags of nacho chips while watching TV. Instead, you have to replace those bad habits with new ones.

According to this NYT article, taking just tiny steps outside of your comfort zone can challenge your brain, leading to the creation of new synaptic paths and new brain cells. The idea isn't to make such a huge leap that you stress yourself out, but to make small steps so that your brain can build new pathways and create new habits.

So try this today -- write down three old habits that are standing in between you and your health and fitness goals. Then, create three healthier habits that you will do instead. Practice those new habits diligently, and before you know it, you'll lose those old habits that keep you from living the life that you want.