Break the Chain

So much of creating a healthy lifestyle is breaking old habits & creating new ones.  

It's not an easy thing to do especially if those unhealthy habits were taught to you at a young age. 

 Example A: reaching for the chips and soda after school.  

B: making excuses for yourself when it's time to get up and exercise.  

Common, we all have been there...

 Solution: Break the Chain! 

Break the old, familiar habits that have been in place for years and replace them with new, healthy habits.  I have some great suggestions on how to change those common, unhealthy habits.  Take a look at just a few..

 Stop the Carbonation Fixation

* Replace the sugary soda with sparkling water.  Truly, it curbs the craving completely!  I just bought some today after craving a good ol' fashion root beer (I had one this past weekend).  This definitely did the trick.  Plus, the bottles are so chic ;)

Reaching for the Chips and Ice Cream

*Out of sight, out of mind!  Put fruits and veggies, washed and cut, right in front of the fridge/in a fruit bowl where it catches your eye.  Make your fridge look like this...

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*Replace chips and ice cream with baked sweet potato chips, kale chips, pistachios, yonanas, frozen yogurt, cool whip with fruit...I mean, my list goes on & on.

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*Indulge - do not deprive!  Just have a handful of chips, or a scoop of ice cream, then put it away.  A scoop of vanilla never made someone fat...

Real-Life Side Note:  I used to get so excited for road trips strictly for all the junk food/fast food I was going to indulge in.  It was all I looked forward to!  Then, I started replacing that junky food with apples, carrots and more.  Peter and I went on a road trip to Indy and I suddenly realized I wasn't excited for that part of the trip anymore.  I had packed apples and a few pretzels and I was totally fine! Life went on and I actually was craving healthy food instead of junk food.  I even made Peter stop to get more apples!  I realized I Broke the Chain - Nothing more freeing than that feeling...

Excuses, Excuses...

*STOP.  Just stop when you hear yourself listing reasons why you CAN'T. This is the hardest habit to break by far!  I've been there.  Set goals, keep motivated and respect yourself.  That's the honest truth and the best way to stop making excuses.

 Just remember

Meggie