Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Routines, Habits and Changes

I love how linking up with Kimberly, Andi, Tamara, and Tanya for #AMonthofFaves has gotten me back into blogging -- for this month anyways! Today we're talking about "Routines, Habits and Changes. What Worked this Year and/or What Didn’t."

I'm going to talk about a couple of things I've just started doing since September which I think have really helped with my life.

The first one is (mostly) cutting out after supper snacking. I realized about mid-September that I was mindlessly (most nights) reaching for a snack every single night once the kids were in bed. It wasn't even that I was always hungry -- it was just a bad habit.

So I decided to cut it out completely. I am happy to say that I have mostly broken this habit. Having accountability with Dave really helped me. Now when I want a snack, I explain to Dave why I need it. He never dissuades me but I find that having to think about why I'm eating helps me not to snack as much. I would say that I now have a post-supper snack about once every week or two rather than every night.

For those of you who have read around here for any length of time you know how much I love and adore a cold Coke. Again, this past fall I realized that I was drinking at least one, if not two, cans a day every single day. I justified it by the fact that I don't really drink much alcohol (once a month, if that), I don't do a lot of sweets (although salty is totally my thing!), and I don't really think I have a lot of other bad habits.
from Summer 2015

But this Coke thing was getting way unhealthy and I knew it. So I decided to go cold turkey and only drink one every other day, if that. As I'm writing this post it's been three days since I've had a Coke.

I would like to make a couple of other healthy (healthier?!?!) eating changes. Again, those of you who have read around here for any length of time will know how much I struggle with drinking water. It's so good for me so why do I have such a hard time with this?!?!? I don't know. Hand in hand with that, I'd like to cut down on the amount of coffee-hot chocolate I drink. I make it at home so it's not like I'm downing three Starbucks mochas a day, but I probably don't need three mugs at home either.

So there you go -- my eating (drinking!) struggles all laid out for you. I think in the New Year, after the holidays are over, I'm going to work on the coffee-hot chocolate/water struggle. I feel like they complement each other and will be easier to tackle together but we shall see.

What have you struggled with/changed this past year? Let's celebrate our accomplishments/keep each other motivated together.

14 comments:

  1. A good thing I've done lately is try to use my time more wisely...rest when I'm tired, get things done around the house when I'm not tired, and try to do a little crochet in between.
    I do struggle with drinking sweet tea...I usually try to water it down though. :)

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  2. Wow, I'm impressed by your progress on the coke! My dad drank 1-2 cans of Mountain Dew for about 20 years, and it took him YEARS to break that habit. A few months is very impressive!
    Drinking water is hard for everyone. Even me, someone who drinks only water. For me, it's a combination of *remembering* to drink the water and then wanting to actually drink it. Why did God make it so hard to drink this life-sustaining thing? Or maybe instead: who was the jerk who invented juice, soda, and alcohol that made water so boring???

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  3. I've made a lot of food changes that I think (hope) will stick. I've always liked water but my family...not so much. We use those little flavored water add-ins (about 5 calories each) and put them in my husband and son's water. We actually use half a package instead of a whole, so it's lightly flavored. That has helped so much to get them drinking more water.

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  4. That is very impressive...CONGRATS!!

    I think I snack just because too. :)

    Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Ugh I struggle with the late night snacking so much!!! Snacks just go so great with books!!! Lately if I feel like I want a snack, I'll try making a cup of (fun flavored) hot tea first instead. It's way healthier, and sometimes it hits the spot for a bit of flavor/something to hold in my hands. It's a good idea. It works maybe sometimes. ;)

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  6. Way to go!! I went cold turkey on soda a few years ago, and now when I have one, it tastes so incredibly sweet to me. I struggle with late night snacking, too.

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  7. Great job changing some of the habits that you wanted to work on! For drinking more water, I started taking a water bottle everywhere - that helped. Also, for some reason, I love chewing on the ice in ice cold water, so I always have a ton in my water at home, and it helps me drink up more readily.

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    1. Oooo, I too like ice. It just makes me really cold in winter though. And yes, I do try to take my water bottle with me everywhere.

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  8. I struggle with soda too...and snacking after dinner. I hope to work on both in the new year.

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    1. Yay for a new year and an especially fitting time to try new routines and habits!

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  9. Congrats on the positive changes you've made! I mostly drink strictly water, but I always feel like I should be drinking more of it. ����‍♀️

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    1. It always makes me laugh (and gives me hope) when people who drink mostly water feel like they need to drink more water :) You're not the only person I know like this!

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  10. That's a great idea to have a buddy to talk with on why we're drinking and or snacking, etc. That's a great idea and will probably try it! With water, I hear adding lemon or sugar free flavor powders help with flavor. My husband also struggles with that. He buys lemon and lime juice and adds a few drops in his water bottles and he says that has been helping. Congrats on your goals this year and good luck in the coming year!

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    1. I've been drinking my water with lime juice these past two days and I'm loving it (I love all things citrus) so THANK YOU for the suggestion!!!

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Thank you for being interested in my life as I blog it and for leaving a comment. Comments make me happier than reading a good book and drinking a cold Coke. Almost :)