Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD
Challenges are embraced, and once decided upon require the extra effort to ensure getting to the finish line. Does your resolve weaken before success? Do you risk stalling? Do you focus on outcome instead of process? Do you consider yourself an “all-or-nothing” individual? If you answer “yes” to either of these two questions, you may need to make more of your efforts habit-forming rather than forced. Athletes who are consistent with good habits are the most successful.
Athletes, or anyone for that matter, sustain momentum by embracing small, frequent victories. The all or nothing mentality tends to trigger disappointment time after time, because of interruptions and interferences beyond individual control (for example, you backed your healthy, pre-planned lunch that fits into your new eating goals but at lunch time, you find someone stole it out the office fridge).
Successful habits worth forming:
- Become a morning exerciser: after hours exercise more than often does not happen. Schedules change, family, social and work obligations shift constantly. Research has proven that people who make exercise first thing on the agenda get hooked on the feeling of accomplishment before the rest of the world wakes up. Furthermore, the morning workout results in a rush of endorphins.
- How to make this routine: Progress from just a couple of mornings a week. Knowing you can “sleep in” some days, makes getting up on the days you have committed to, much easier. Routine includes the night before: Get to be early enough the night before ; Lay out your gear (all of it, clothes, sweaters, fuel belts, water bottles, etc); set coffee machine on automatic (something to look forward to); put the alarm out of reach.
- Become buddy accountable: find a partner in crime. Nothing keeps you from pressing the snooze button knowing someone is relying on you. Furthermore, having social time with your besties, while working out together makes it fun.
- Be Patient: All new behaviors can be out of your normal depth at first. Habits require resetting the body clock and planning for the time before they stick.
- Eat more color: Nutrient packed fresh earthy food are not only low calories, but their high-quality carb sources power workouts and daily living. Their anti-oxidants and other micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) keep the metabolism working at its best. How to make this routine: Don’t choke down the so-called superfoods just because they are super, rather make sure they are your super. Pick up the produce that you actually like and want to eat, even if it’s more expensive or not as much of a superfood as the well-known ones (like Kale, acai, beets, etc). When you buy these foods, plan them into your meal plan, don’t just let them turn bad because you couldn’t find a recipe that calls for them. Smoothies are a great alternative.
- Snack Smart: Trade high calorie snacks, like chips and candy, for high nutrient snacks, like fruit, vegetables and healthy fats. Some great examples are carrots and hummus, apples and nut butter, tuna on cucumber slices, edamame and egg whites scrambled in a cup.
- Cook at home more often: research shows that two or more restaurant meals in a week can add up to an extra 5 pounds of body fat per year. Master some easy kitchen basics for starters, without needing to turn into a top chef. You will be amazed at how controlling your own food choices helps you feel in control of life stressors in general, including your budget (cooking at home is always cheaper!). Some easy ways to make this routine is to look for quick easy cooking videos online; gear up your kitchen with the basics (knifes, cutting boards, pots and pans, Tupperware, and common ingredients like herbs & spices, olive oil and salt & pepper).
- Take time to research motivating recipes: you can often find restaurant favorites in recipes online or at the very least, something similar. This way you will control the caloric and fat intake as you prepare your favorite dishes yourself. Plan time in your schedule to shop and go to the store with a list, stick to it.
- Get enough sleep: Sleep may be the one thing that has the most impact on making challenging actions routine. Everything seems unreachable on a sleep deprive mind. Sleep allows the recharging organs, repairing muscles and releasing hormones for rebuild, strength and nerve connections. Lack of sleep has been linked to every limitation you can think of (low energy, injury, moodiness, weight gain, dis-ease and disease, to name a few). Most adults require 7 – 8 hours every night. Easy ways to make this routine include declaring bed time sacred; unplug all electronics, prepare for “night time” ahead of time by dimming the lights, closing the curtains, put on PJs, stop eating, eliminate the caffeine
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- Eat breakfast everyday: glycogen, your first source of energy, gets used up during the night keeping your body functioning, so you are typically waking up on an empty tank. Breakfast is replenishment as well as setting the tone for a healthy day. Studies shows that breakfast eaters can accomplish optimal body composition easier than those that starve all morning. To make breakfast a habit, start off with something small, even if it’s just a piece of fruit and then begin to balance it out with some protein or good fat like a few almonds, nut butter, Greek yogurt. Think outside the box of traditional breakfast foods (anything is fair game, even leftover salmon and quinoa from last nights’ dinner).
- Pre Prep meal plans and meals: – spend a low activity day preparing a weeks’ worth of food (particularly breakfasts0, from overnight oats, or using a slow cooker to cook once, eat multiple times.
- Move More: Even athletes sit on their butts most of the day, especially those with day jobs. Making an effort to stand and walk during working hours reduces the risk of tight muscles, injuries, bad posture, weight gain, etc. Making moving around a habit by keeping track with an activity monitor (such as pedometer, apple watch, fit bit, etc). Use the tracker to look beyond daily goals of a set step count like never allow more than a two-hour period of sitting. Remind yourself by setting alarms on your phone or computer to stand and walk around the room at minimum. Some ideas are to stand and greet anyone that enters your office, pace while on the phone, hover in the back during a meeting (if appropriate of course).
- Treat yourself to a rest/break day. Have a day in the week that you can look forward to. If you have developed a great habit of a consistent work out and eat well routine, find the pleasure in something you love as a treat. It helps to not indulge everyday, as well as provides the energy for constant motivation. A rest in the workout routine enhances recovery and reduces injury. A break in eating perfectly allows keeps the habit of a healthy lifestyle to stick. A great definition of “D.I.E.T” is Don’t Indulge Every Time
In conclusion:
Habits are brain behavior hacks. Make them ingrained and they will turn to auto-pilot mode. Respect your “WHY.” Write it down and monitor and embrace the benefits. Schedule your “WHY.” Block time in your calendar for your new behavior. Blab about it by asking friends, family and supporters to hold you accountable and even go as far as join you in your quest for habits of success. And finally, make sure your surroundings support your efforts by removing triggers of your bad habits to make the new ones visible and possible.
