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Saturday, April 2, 2011

“B” Is for Breaking Bad Habits

Bad habits are what made me fat, aren’t they? I didn’t exercise enough, I ate the wrong foods. I ate too much of the right foods. I ate to comfort myself. I ate to celebrate. I ate when I was depressed. I avoided really looking in the mirror so I wouldn’t have to see the thing I was becoming. I avoided the scale because I didn’t want its confirmation that I was doing all the wrong things. Bad habits.
My baby steps involve breaking these bad habits. I try to focus on one at a time but then I find one of the others creeps up on me like a stalker in the night and I fall prey to it. Sometimes I am confronted by all of them in one day and the struggle seems insurmountable. Still, here I am, trying to break my bad habits.
Most recently I have been focusing on adding exercise to my daily life. Sometimes this takes the form of doing vigorous yard work. Sometimes it is mind-numbing time spent on the treadmill. Other times it is spent playing active games using the Wii game console. Once a week I attend a Zumba class where I am encouraged y others like me trying to change their lives.
During my pre-fat days, yard work was something I enjoyed immensely. In recent years, the attempt has become a sore reminder of how far I have fallen. In my effort to change this habit though, I remind myself of how I will be able to enjoy this again, if I just keep at it. Finding the games, classes and activities I enjoy has made all the difference.
And as the weeks of the new year have steadily drifted by, the weight slips off in tiny little increments. The best news about focusing on the lack-of-exercise bad habit is that I can feel my energy and stamina return. Everyday activities are not as taxing and actually doing the exercise is less exhausting and more rewarding. Breaking my bad habits looks like the way to go.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really like going to Zumba and Wii Fit. They have a Zumba game for the Wii too. Good luck!

Marie Anne said...

Habits I can break. Addictions are a whole 'nother story.

Tony Payne said...

Bad habits are easy to start but not so easy to break. Enjoyed the article.

Is the background on your blog Iguassu Falls on the border of Argentina & Brazil? It definitely looks like it. Amazing place to visit.

LA Nickers said...

Great reminder and appropriate B post!

Lisa Carey said...

what an honest look - course in my case bad habits and bad medicine. The habits are easier to work on than the medicine.

Brooke Lorren said...

Keep it up! My biggest habit was my addiction to soda.

Maple Seawright said...

My bad habit is the horrible procrastination! Gets me every time. I just have to stop avoiding activities that are out of my comfort zone.

Loki Morgan said...

The zumba wii game kicks my butt. :) I need to break my bad habits too. Great post!

Andi said...

Baby steps are the best way to break a bad habit!

I stopped by via the A to Z Blog Challenge. You can read my blogs at the following:

http://www.montessoriwriter.com/blog.html
http://montessoriwritersthoughts.blogspot.com
http://laughatalzheimers.blogspot.com
http://andisgardeningexperiments.blogspot.com
http://andiskidsbooks.blogspot.com
http://andiskidsbooks.blogspot.com

Tara Tyler said...

i liked your post. supposedly it takes 21 days to break bad habits or make good ones. the funny thing is, i think if you make it thru 10, you lose track and keep going anyway!
happy b day!

PK said...

You're kicking it at Zumba! Keep up the great work. :)

Joanne said...

Good for you! I am on the same road back to a healthy weight and this week I have slipped a bit...ok alot. I don't know why this happens...I'm going along great and wham..there I am eating icecream and not stopping there. very depressing, but I have to not give up. Thanks for the post...I needed this today! I am your newest follower! Blessings, Joanne

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