Healthy habits for 2018 - join me?

[lasttimeround]

I need to stop with diets. They don't work for me long term. I'm trying to build up healthy habits. I feel dieting is leading to compulsive overeating when diets end or binges when I fail. I want to get off this track this year. I'm committing to being healthy, or at least healthier, every month this year. I'm going to log a new practice each week or so and monitor if I'm managing to make them stick. Anyone going to join me?

[Scrufhead]

I will :) My goal this week is to drink 8 cups of water a day. In the past I have lived off Pepsi Max which just makes my sugar cravings worse!

[lasttimeround]

Super. Good luck with it. I'm drinking a green juice everyday.

[BifsWif]

Have you liked Rebelfit on Facebook OP? A lot of what you mention in your post about diets leading to binging is what he focuses on. It’s really interesting.

I’m going to start excercising, I’m booked to join a gym tomorrow.

[acornsandnuts]

Mine is 10,000 steps daily plus start Pilates again, I’m sick of a wobbly core.

Drinking more water sounds like s plan too.

[lasttimeround]

Thanks bif. I will have a look at that.
I hope the caffeine withdrawal isn't too awful comjng off Pepsi. I drink water only znd a fair amount but probably will make the full 8 glasses my next challenge. Might buy some funky ass bottle... and will then reduce cups of coffee a day. Ugh the trick for me is to try to do small steps I always want to do it all at once and then give up!

[Scrufhead]

Well ive drank 4ltrs today!!
10k steps done too :)

[LostSight]

I’d like to join in please! Going to start with cutting out crisps. New task next week.

[nonfatnofoamlatte]

Me too! Count me in - I would like to drink more water, get more sleep, move more and eat less. You'd think that'd be easy but...
So my new practice this week will be to drink water (I drink lots of coffee, I'm afraid, so water will be very different).
I usually give up after a while so will need a kick up the arse to keep going!

[lasttimeround]

Great more of us. Shall we have an official check in on Mondays where we list our new habit and whether we stuck to it in the week before?

[Scrufhead]

Good idea! Anyone want to do weight check ins too?

[BifsWif]

I’d like to check in, and for weight!

[lasttimeround]

OK check in on Mondays it is. We can do weight but I doubt we will lose all that much week to week (could be wrong though!). How about giving ourselves a mark out of 7 for the new habit - so a point for every day we successfully did the new behaviour. Half points for doing some but not all that day. Over time we'd have about 5 habits we are keeping score on - after five weeks we stop tracking a new habit on the assumption that after that time it's become normal (we can go back to it if we feel it's waning).
I am hoping to lose some weight, but, for me, that's getting in the way of being healthy really. I can get the number on the scale down by dieting but it won't stick so I yo-yo and over time I just keep getting heavier. I want to get out of that cycle. So I'm going to weigh and measure my waist just once a month. But I absolutely don't mind people reporting their weight weekly if they want to and I would really like support and company.

Also if people have ideas for other indicators of success we could use I'm really interested.

[Liz38]

I'm in! I have a shocking habit of cracking on these things. My new year's resolution was to make positive choices (or to frame it as choosing to do something rather than giving something up or saying no out of fear or apathy) and this suits beautifully with that. So my first one is to drink more water. Some water would be a good start.

[magpiemischief]

Mine is that I'm planning to keep my own and family meals within the NHS guidelines of 30g of free sugars a day. Doesn't sound difficult but on reading labels realised one of my DC's fruit yoghurts had 20g in! Then when you look at the content in apparently plain cereal(6g) and a few baked beans(10g per half tin) it can be easy to go over. Never mind the odd chocolate (5g), biscuit (10g) or mini mince pie(15g) So we've bought plain yoghurt to eat with fruit. Even with a teaspoon of syrup that is less sugar! Getting the cereal with the least sugar in and baked beans will just be small portions when eaten.

Regarding success I'm initially expecting my belt to get looser. Don't weigh myself often.

[lasttimeround]

The sugar content of cereal is insane. Particularly the kids ones. Good luck reducing that magpie.

Bif - I checked out rebelfit. Love it but a little confused as to whether I need to pay to sign up. And a bit worried as to whether it'll be too much. Wibbles...next challenge starts on Monday. Anyone going to try it? I might...

Welcome everyone btw!

[BifsWif]

I haven’t signed up I just follow the page, I just thought what you said about diets leading to overeating was in line with his thoughts on the slimming industry and you might be interested .

[lasttimeround]

I did find rebelfit interesting bif - it's making the same point. On Facebook it was unclear what happens when you sign up. Clearer on their website- you do need to pay to take part. Looks really positive but I think I want to let things go for a while. I cleaned out kitchen last night. Chucked out a lot of things. Some just past sell by date etc but others remnants of various weightloss efforts. Packets of substitute food from vlcds, supernoodles, left over oat bran. It's becoming clearer and clearer that this is a problem for me. Maybe I'm no different from the average woman who goes on 3-4 diets a year and basically just end up where she started (znd that's if she's lucky) but really all this effort and energy to stay put is that normal??!!

[FlightyMare]

I'm currently reading Health At Every Size and it very much agrees with your thoughts on dieting being a waste of time, and actually being harmful, as the dieter ultimately ends up worse off than they started but are perhaps making their health worse through the effects of yo-yo dieting. I'm about half way through and am finding it very interesting.

[lasttimeround]

I've been going great with my juice. Pondering what else to add in for next week. Been eating better too. Interested to see how you all are doing tomorrow

[Scrufhead]

I had a little wobble on Friday but made up for it on Saturday with some exercise!
I have had my water intake and done my 10k steps each day.
I think next week Im going to aim to do 2 days extra of exercise. I've found my diet easier to manage this week... I've not done my usual half week binge, I think because I've kept myself busy and kept full on water in between meals.
Weigh in tomorrow!

[Thatsanicething]

I’ll join! My January goal is to make sure I make my overnight oats everyday. I was getting lazy and not doing it before bed and having a roll and sausage in the morning.
I have stuck to it from the start of January which is good. I’ll weigh in Monday and start keeping track of any lbs lost.
The water thing will need to be next like a couple of you ladies. I don’t drink anywhere near enough!

[lasttimeround]

Right reporting back!!

Green juice 7/7 = full marks!!

This has been easy to do this week - but I have had time off.

For next week: add in physio exercises everyday and keep up with my running 3x a week. I'm now in 6th week of running !!!! But I feel the twinges starting and I must must must do physio exercises or it will all go wrong.

How have you all fared this week?

[Scrufhead]

Good going LastTime!

This week has been a 7/7 for getting all my water in.
-2lbs loss :)

This week I'm aiming for 3 lots of exercise and to keep on track with my healthy eating

[Liz38]

Well done everyone! I'm dragging things down a bit... I have drunk some water everyday but definitely need to do better. This week's challenge is massively reducing added sugar food. That's cake, biscuits, mince pies, chocolate and hit chocolate gone. So far so good (Monday lunchtime, and dinner is made for tonight).