After over a year of writing and editing, my new book is finally in the bookstores. I co-authored The Habit Change Workbook with James Claiborn, Ph.D. In the process, I learned a great deal about changing habits from Dr. Claiborn and from our research. While writing it, I applied the principles to my own habits. I was unhappy with my weight and wanted to lose about 30 pounds.
As I read, wrote, edited, and learned, I began to realize my weight wasn't the problem. My health habits were the problems. I didn't exercise and I didn't eat healthy foods. I had lost weight before, but for the wrong reasons. I wanted to look a certain way; I was concerned about my appearance. The pounds always came back when I reached my goal because I fell back into old habits.
So my goals changed, and therefore my plans changed. Losing weight wasn't the goal. Healthy eating and weekly exercise became goals in themselves. I examined my diet for nutritional value. I recognized that I was neglecting fruits and vegetables and overdoing it on the sweets and deserts. I determined to eat five servings of vegetables and fruits each day, and limit sweets.
I had no exercise plan. Over the years, my husband and I had made efforts to walk several times a week, but it never lasted more than a month or so. I live in a desert, so it is often too hot to walk comfortably. In the wintertime, I'd decide it was too cold to walk. Colds, headaches, and vacations were also good excuses. Now, my husband and I both decided to work exercise into our daily lives. We joined a gym and committed to each other to work out 3-4 times a week. We became two of the few people who join a gym and actually continue to go. We've been exercising 3-4 times a week for the last year and a half. Vacations and illness have interrupted our routines, but we've picked up again after each interval. We feel healthier, stronger, and more energetic, and that keeps us devoted to our new exercise routines.
After about a year and a half of my new healthy habits, I feel better and I'm healthier. And as an added bonus, I've lost 22 pounds! And these are pounds that came off naturally as I changed my habits with the goal of healthy living, not weight loss.
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