Creating Healthy Habits

In the spirit of the New Year, I'm going to talk about one of my goals for the year: creating healthy habits.

That's broad. I know, but I want it to be. For me, there are two ways I want to approach this goal. The first is creating healthy habits for my physical well-being.

Creating Habits for Physical Health

Towards the end of last year, I reached what I am guessing is a plateau. I was in the gym three times a week, and I felt stronger, but I stopped seeing any improvements on the scale or in the mirror.

For personal reasons, I made the decision to stop going to the gym I had been going to for years, and I started working out in my husbands home gym.

I really count on having a schedule, because it bothers me when I don't stick to it. Not having a specific gym time totally threw me off. In fact, I lost pretty much all motivation. That, plus the stress and food of the holidays really caused a backslide for me.

Accountability

I know so many people create a resolution of "going to the gym" or something similar and have a difficult time sticking to it, especially after a few months. I don't want that to be me... so I'm setting up accountability with my husband and my girl friends.

Healthy food choices

This one is all on me, but hopefully I can use those who are holding me accountable to help me get this habit started successfully.

Choosing healthy options is hard for me. Not necessarily during meals but in between them. Having to cook or prepare a snack is the very last thing I want to do on a busy day.

Regardless, we are in control of the foods we purchase, so having less junk in the home makes choosing healthy food easier.

I've found that I don't snack on food I purchase for the boy's school lunches, because I want them to have plenty for school. So, my goal is to not purchase items like chips, cookies, goldfish, etc. outside of the bulk items I buy for their lunches.

1 Up Nutrition Challenge

I'm a super competitive person by nature, and I stumbled across a transformation challenge that 1 Up Nutrition is holding for the New Year. It looks like they hold the challenge three times a year, so if you miss this one be on the look out!

It's a free, 8 week challenge that begins January 27th. Included in the challenge:

• Personalized meal plan (includes suggested calorie intake and macronutrient intake)
• Customized weight training program based on experience level and sex
• Access to 300+ exercise videos and 350+ recipes
• Access to a private Facebook group that posts updates, motivation, and support

Even better, there are cash prizes for winners. If you happen to win 1st place, you receive $10,000 among other things.

I love a good challenge, plus this is a great way to create repetition at the beginning of the year and allow it to turn into a healthy habit.

I've already roped one of besties into doing this with me and would love to have some others join! We can help hold one another accountable. Drop a comment or send me an email through my contact page if you're interested!

Creating Habits for Mental Health

By creating healthy habits, I don't just want to focus on physical habits. Mental health is just as important, and busy moms are notorious for taking care of everyone but themselves.

Learning to say "no"

Over and over I preach for moms to learn to say no. We easily feel pressured to say yes to all the school activities, all the family requests, etc. Learning to say no when we are overwhelmed or just not up to it is important for our own sanity.

Even though learning to say no is something I preach, it doesn't mean I have perfected it. I still feel the pressure to say yes, and I still give in. However, acknowledging and understanding that saying no is totally acceptable is the first step to creating that healthy habit for yourself.

Eliminating the negativity

I don't know about you, but most days I'm busy and I'm tired. The last thing I want to do is spend time around someone who is consistently negative... this includes people who treat others, especially those who care about them, poorly.

And guess what? I don't have to.

Don't allow negativity to surround you. Distance yourself from the negative and surround yourself with positivity and those interested in personal growth.

The 10s were a crazy awesome decade for me. While it will always be my favorite decade, it doesn't mean that I don't want my next decade to freaking rock too! By creating healthy habits in 2020, I plan to jump start this decade the right way!

I'd really like to hear from you! Do you have any tips for creating healthy habits? Leave them in the comments below.

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