Habit a Week Challenge: Week Three

This week, I've embarked on adopting a new habit: eating a REAL breakfast and eating it at home, not on the run. For years, I've never really been a breakfast eater. I value that extra 15 minutes of sleep far more than that bowl of cereal. Since embarking on my weight-loss journey in January, I'd always grab a Fiber One bar in the morning and eat it once I got to work. But while they are yummy, they don't really stick with you for long, and often I get to busy to remember to eat it.

Right now I'm eating a bran muffin and Greek yogurt for breakfast. I bake the bran muffins ahead of time, and so there still isn't much prep time in the morning. And while I could eat both of those items on the run, I'm forcing myself to sit down and eat it before I leave. If I can make this part of my morning routine, then I'll eat a real breakfast every day from now on. I even watched the news while eating my breakfast this morning....I felt like a full fledged adult, ha! It did make my morning feel a little less rushed and stressful, because I had a moment to sit and "wake-up" before running out of the door. Going to bed earlier each night makes it a little easier to get up a little earlier and set aside that time. So far I've been successful keeping all of the new habits I've started...although I've gained back about 4 pounds. I'm not going to worry about it though, because the way I lost those 4 pounds wasn't really a way that was beneficial to my body, and I'm sure they'll take care of themselves now that I'M taking care of myself.

I'm also embarking on something called the "Game On!" diet with my best friend. It's not really a diet, but rather a competition that focuses on the effort put forth behind eating balanced meals, snacking twice daily, drinking all of your water, exercising, developing a new habit each week (and kicking an old one) and getting a full night's sleep. You earn points for each of those items. You also lose points for not getting enough sleep, eating junky food, skipping your meals/snacks, weighing yourself too often, etc. At the end of the week, you total up your points, and if you meet your weight loss goal for the week (1 % of your starting weight--for me it's 1.5 pounds), then you get bonus points. Whoever has the most points after a month wins (it's up to you and your friend(s) what the prize is). I love this because the focus is on the effort, rather than weight loss...so many times we try to forget about the means and are just concerned about getting to the end. If I worry about the diligence that is required, the weight will take care of itself. If you want to read more on this subject go to http://www.thegameondiet.com/ So, Lauren, if you're reading this...it's ON!