One week from today I’ll be complete with this challenge.    I made it home today at 8:30pm.  I arrived after an incredibly long day of work, including driving our wonderful California freeways, work, meetings all day.  I teach the beginning Children’s karate class on Thursday nights and had a handful of new students, by the end of my hour, I was tired of hearing my own voice. Tonight would be my night to wind down with a glass of Jameson or wine..

Habits are hard to break.  I read an article about said topic and we’ve all heard that it takes 21 day to settle into new routines.  But my  habits are deep rooted, years in the making.  My habits will take much longer than 21 days. At the end of day 23, I’m still struggling with my old ways.  I drive down the street and see a Pho Restaurant, I want to stop, I see Chinese food, I think of rice and soy sauce, I have a tough day on the job, I want a relaxing drink to finish the day.  Tuesdays equal Taco Tuesday.  Friday’s mean eating out and celebrating the weekend to come.. Sundays are Brunch Eggs Benedict with endless champagne.

Here’s an exert on The Truth About Habits

  • The Big Man (Shaquille O’Neal ) once said, “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.” (Actually, he may have paraphrased Aristotle here, but the sentiment is the same.)
  • The actual definition of a habit is: a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance; an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.
  • Habits have three parts: the cue, the routine, and the reward.
  • About 40% of the actions that you take each day are not the result of conscious decisions, but of habits.
  • It takes, on average, 66 days to form a habit.
  • It can take up to 8 months for a complicated habit to take hold.
  • Most habits run through three checkpoints—30, 90, and 365 days—before they become truly automatic.
  • Missing a day or two here or there does not reduce the chance of forming a habit.
  • The first few days of your new habit are the most important to be diligent about

Source: http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/how-long-to-form-a-habit.php

So while I’m on the down stretch of this challenge I still struggle with my daily habits and according to the above, I will continue to do so, I’m ok with this, I’ll continue to challenge myself to rise above the old and stick with the new as it’s proving to be a better way of life.

 

Challenge: not adding a bit of gin to my Lime flavored seltzer water tonight

Triumph: I’m on at least a week or week and a half  of no Tylenol, Advil, or Exederin.  (I realized this today when I saw the bottle on my desk and wondered when the last time was that I opened it)

 

Meal 1: Apple sausage (Aidells) with sauteed spinach, coffee

Meal 2: marinated kale salad   – shredded kale, avocado, sea palm, nori, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, basil, green onions, , sesame-wasabi and garlic-tahini dressing – I double checked the ingredients.. 100% compliant, but I SERIOUSLY  felt like I was cheating. Cafe Gratitude in Venice Beach.  There was a lot on the menu that I couldn’t eat as it had Soy, but this salad was just amazing.  I’ll be thinking about that meal for some time to come. I am looking forward to introducing Soy back into my diet.

Meal 3: BBQ’s whole chicken, asparagus and salad.  (Best chicken I’ve ever had and my husband cooked it)

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Exercise:

Fullerton Structured Crossfit 6:30 am class

Karate private with Mr. Coursey 5:20-6:00

Teaching Karate 6:00-7:00