Hi Everyone,
I hope you each have had a fabulous weekend. Around the Jones household it has been a pretty relaxing and fun weekend. We attended a super fun surprise party for a good friend and it was a blast! I have now survived yet another weekend of my life change. Guess what, it's gotten so much easier! I even managed to exercise both Saturday and Sunday, and I didn't even whine as I did it . I looked forward to it. SCARY!!!!
Alright, so why is this getting easier? Is it because my habits are being formed because it has almost been 21 days and that's how long it takes to start a habit? Is it because this time I REALLY have decided to make the change? Is it because I started to do one thing to change my life and then added other healthy things into the mix? I don't know, but I think it has a lot to do with all of the above, and things way out of my control.
In my book this week it talked about how we all have trigger habits or Keystone Habits . Keystone habits according to Duhigg are singular habits but once we do them they transform other areas of our lives as well.
Examples of some KeyStone Habits :
1. Waking up at an earlier time
2. Making your bed
3. Flossing
4. Taking Vitamins
5. Going to Bed Early
So how do these Keystone habits work? Are you saying if I wake up earlier I am automatically going to eat right and exercise daily? If so ..let me go grab an alarm clock and let's get going!! I don't think it's that easy, but maybe! It all depends on what that Keystone habit is for you . This keystone habit would be one that enables you and encourages you to make better decisions in other areas of your life just by doing one thing.
For the person that starts a habit of waking up earlier they have time to eat a nutritious breakfast vs. grabbing a poptart, exercise, and get to work on time. So that one habit allowed them more time in the mornings which they now fill with things that normally took the back burner because they were rushed. So, since they have time for these things take a look at what the benefit is and how the chain reaction starts.
Start getting to work on time and their work starts improving. Work starts improving, promotions come!
Start eating right at breakfast they decide to make healthier decisions throughout the rest of the day. Health starts to improve, have Less sick days, better nutrition, better health, and longer life.
Start exercising in the morning and they feel more energized throughout the day, are in a better mood, and even sleep better at night.
and..maybe because they woke up early they also made their bed which made them keep their room cleaner, and had time to floss which gave them healthier and better teeth?? The list could just continue on how ONE singular habit could morph into so much more all because this person decided to start getting up earlier.
So, what are some of your keystone habits that you have in your life? Or what is that one change you could make that may just transform the rest of your life?
XOXO
Britt
Hiya Friends!
I can hardly believe that it has been two weeks since I started all this! Things have gone good so far this past week on the diet front, but my health this weekend/beginning of the week was c r a p p y! I ran a fever, was completely achy, and had a sore throat. I am feeling much better , but my husband and I have been passing this back and forth for a few weeks, so I hope it doesn't come back!! I think that Walmart needs to close the offices for one day and disinfect everything. :)
This week I am proud to announce I lost a little over 3lbs! So that makes for an 8lb loss in two weeks. I can't ask for anything better! I was a little disappointed it wasn't as big as last weeks lost. However, I didn't get to exercise as much as I planned because of being ill. Excuses and disappointed aside 3 lbs is awesome and I know as long as there is steady reductions each week I am doing great! As the cartoon above depicts it took a long time to put these pounds on and they are not going to come off overnight. I am an impatient individual so right now the road looks long , but I have a feeling the trip is going to be so worth it. I hope that each of you will continue to join me for the ride and keep cheering me on! I know a lot of you are working on "life changes" of your own so here is wishing each of you the best of luck!!
I also plan on doing another blog post this week/weekend that is a little more deep but I wanted to give you guys an update today at least!
Here is me with my 3 marbles removed from lbs to lose vase and being placed in my lbs lost!
XOXO
Brittany
Hi everyone!
I am proud to announce that I have completed the first week of my life change! It was a really wonderful week . I am so glad that it's over, because it had some tough challenges but I feel great and am even more excited about my journey ahead. I am also happy to announce that I lost 5lbs this week! I want to make consistent weight loss progress and I could not be any happier with this result.
Something I always struggle with is starting out on cloud 9 with a new initiative then slowly decreasing back to my old habits when the new wears off. I don't know if I have ever truly stayed true to a change 100% in the first week. But, I did it this week!! I used to start a routine and feel so good about it that I would place a meeting on my calendar a month later to remind myself of my feelings . This meeting would say " ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING THROUGH? YOU FELT SO GOOD!" REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT WHEN YOU WERE DOING _____?" I would then delete this and of course never tell anyone about. I would feel ashamed and for a minute or two I would say to myself...YEP I felt good, I am going to restart. But, then that took effort and I wouldn't follow through.
When I started this initiative a week ago I decided I wanted to read something that would relate to my journey and help. I didn't want it to be weight loss related but more about the overall change in behavior. The book I chose was "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. I thought that this book would help with weight, work, and personal growth. This book talks about the science of habits and successful ways to implement new habits or change old ones. I am encouraged by reading this book and I am only in chapter 3! I have learned so much and I am currently working on understanding the habit loop . The habit loop is CUE --The Routine--The Reward. So that has me thinking a lot of about what are my cue's, routine, and my rewards?
Here is what I have identified so far and ways I am adjusting :).
Cue: Wake Up
Routine: Make a coffee add cream and sugar
Reward: Sweet Caffeine Loaded Treat
Changing: one thing ! removing cream/sugar and drinking black. Cue/Routine/Reward stays the same
Cue: Finish Dinner
Routine: Think about dessert or immediately Grab Dessert Item normally cookie, brownie, ice cream, something full of empty calories
Reward: Sweet treat to relax and wind down
Changing: one thing! Removing empty calories and replacing with a healthy fruit option that I enjoy!
“It is facile to imply that smoking, alcoholism, overeating, or other ingrained patters can be upended without real effort. Genuine change requires work and self-understanding of the cravings driving behaviours.” - Charles Duhigg
So I encourage each of you to think about your many habit loops and what you would want to change if you could . I think you will find that you can identify something that you could make a change to and follow through with. This change will enable you to make a change that still provides satisfaction for your habit loop but that is healthier for your mind, body , or soul.
The picture below is me holding my 5 rocks that I got to take out of one vase of pounds to lose and put into my LB's Lost Vase! Hey Another Habit Loop!!
Thank you for reading and for all the wonderful kind words of encouragement!!! XOXO
Today is Day 3 of my new health focus and so far ...excellent! The main thing I have seen in 3 days is that I am making healthier choices and really proud of myself.
Food: I am following a particular program that allows for specific and measured items for two meals a day ( shakes, meal bars, snack bars) and one healthy rounded meal of my choice. I have been having dinner as my meal so I can enjoy cooking and spending time with my husband and not get out of our normal nighttime routine. I succeeded at two different things in the past couple of days that I was worried about. #1 Boredom at home by myself and #2 The Weekend! I mean what better time to grab something with no nutritional benefit than when you are bored..well when I got snacky this time I grabbed for healthy alternatives like steamed broccoli, hot tea, or fruit. I was also used to having McDonald's for breakfast every Saturday or Pancakes at home. I have also switched my coffee to black which is probably my guiltiest pleasure that I am missing the most..but I'm okay and I like black coffee so it's probably for the best , and I can look forward to special times when I will have a "foo foo coffee" :). I don't have a problem with drinking water and drink way more than half my body weight daily *pats myself on the back* :) . I kind of wish that I had a soda habit to kick so I could instantly lose 20 lbs..but I don't so I guess I'll just focus on what I can cut out/change for the better.
Exercise: My goal is to exercise no matter what at least 5 days a week. This workout is a be a very rounded "circuit" training with a little bit of cardio and weight training all combined. My personal trainer is my husband who has all the patience in the world for perfection. He has also been doing this circuit routine for over 2 months now with a lot of success. I do however believe that if Richard Simmons could come to my house everyday in his fancy outfits and crazy hair I would be more excited about exercise :). Plus, I would have Richard teaching me Gangnam style these days.
"Number one, like yourself. Number two, you have to eat healthy. And number three, you've got to squeeze your buns. That's my formula." -Richard Simmons
I don't have a butt so squeezing my buns isn't going to get me anywhere but you get the point..he was a funny, crazy , and nice motivator. I guess I will buy Nathan some fun outfits and a headband to meet in the middle.
Mind: One other piece of the health is my mind which is ever so crazy :). I am reading a book called "The Power of Habit" and am going to start over and finish my daily devotional titled " The Women's Devotional Guide". I hope that these things can start to help me understand how the human brain works and how to build lasting habits and then learn , reflect, and spend time daily with the Lord. Of course these are where I am starting, but I would love to partake in hot yoga at least once a week because it is something I absolutely enjoy.
I feel good so far and am looking forward to a renewed body and wind. I think the first 3 days should have been the hardest and considering one was a weekend day I am happy with what I have accomplished so far. 3 days may not seem like much but habits are formed in days and everyone has to start somewhere. Plus I have all of you reading this to hold me accountable so stay on me !!
"I'm losing it."
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.-Thomas Edison
Background of me:
Brittany Jones.26.Northwest Arkansas.Married.Sinner saved by the Grace of Jesus.Lover of People and Coexisting in this crazy world with all of you. Extroverted. Animal Obsessed.Big Hearted.Family and Friend Centered.Corporate Walmartian.
In order to follow what I plan to post about I think you should have a background of my health issues and what I am trying to overcome. I want to post blogs about dieting.My day to day life. Rants. Raves. and pretty much anything I want. But...first read the below if you want to understand all my health junk!
Background of Health issues that is spawing this blog and change of life:
I started to gain some weight in 2005 after graduating High School and while attending my first year at the U of A. I paid little to no attention to this weight gain and really shrugged it off due to the stress of work and school. In the year of 2006 and after I had gained over 50 lbs my family really started to question me and worry, which in turn caused a stir inside of me that said..maybe something more is wrong. I scheduled an appointment with a dr. to do some testing . Since that day I have been poked, prodded, biopsied, sent to Mayo Clinic, put on this diet, put on that diet, shot in the butt, tested for this and paid out more dr. bills than what should be allowed...and now here we are 2013 6 years later.
Here is a listing and description of everything that I have going on. ( conditions in bullets)
- Hashimotos Thyroiditis: A chronic thyroiditis is swelling (inflammation) of the thyroid gland that often results in reduced thyroid function or complete loss of thyroid function. ( hypothyroidism)
I like to explain the above experience and condition in morbid terms. Like: Hashimoto the monster that jumped in my body and attacked my thyroid that caused me to have bear claw scratch stretch marks on my stomach and since he jumped in my body that's why I gained all the weight...see seems more logical. Also since Hashimoto jumped in my body and attacked my thyroid they had to remove it in 2007. Yep, complete thyroidectomy which I have come to know is very rare. This surgery took a about 2 hours longer than what was expected because there was a significant goiter on my thyroid that was wrapping around my esophagus and they said "they had to chisel it out like concrete". I just love the sound of that.
- Sinus Tacchychardia that causes episodes of Supraventricul Tacchycardia
This is a heart condition that originates from faulty electrical connections in the heart . I come from a family with heart disease running on both sides so this was really no suprise that something heart related would show up in one of the grandkids. How lucky am I?! I take medications two times a day to keep my heart in rhythm. I have definitely had some super scary chest pains, heart palpitations, and episodes where my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. But, other than this issue I have a healthy heart muscle and my dr's have said it poses little to no risk for me. This does not mean that I am out of the dark or that my anxiety over a heart problem subsides. It is on my mind every minute of everyday and I know very quickly when something isn't right with my heart because I pay such close attention to it.
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ( PCOS ) mixed with something called Metabolic Syndrome
PCOS is a super scary and unfortunate hormonal disorder that is very common with a lot of women .
"PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common hormonal disorder in women that with interferes with the growth and release of eggs from the ovaries, or ovulation. It is the most common cause of infertility among women. PCOS occurs when a woman's body overproduces sex hormones, called androgens. The hormone imbalance prevents fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries from breaking open and releasing mature eggs. The fluid-filled sacs bunch together, causing many tiny cysts. Symptoms of PCOS include missed periods, abnormal facial and body hair growth, acne, and weight gain. PCOS may run in families. Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about PCOS, what the symptoms are, how to treat it, and much more." ( http://women.webmd.com/pcos-directory)
Yeah it sucks and I have not had a normal monthly cycle since 2005...so if you think trying to start a family or be healthy without this monthly friend. Think again. It is truly a blessing and a curse at the same time.
- Anxiety and Panic Disorder
I know that this may seem like a joke because my life is beautifully blessed and I should have nothing to be anxious over. However, I struggle almost daily with what feels like the weight of the world on my chest that makes me think something bad could/ might/ would happen at any moment in time. I live in a state of the strangest fears. I pray each day for courage and triumph over these issues and I take medications to help with daily symptoms and have meds to cope with panic attacks when they occur. I know my triggers and I try to navigate around them the best I can.
Of all the items I struggle with if I could remove one from my life right now this one would be it. I want anxiety, panic, and fear removed!!
- Stomach Issues ( GERD , Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroparesis)
I have had more colonoscopys than most elderly people and I can tell you every flavor of that nasty MoviPrep out there. If you love Gatorade and Salt this drink is for you. I also have had the pleasure of wearing those sexy paper shorts with the butt flap that opens up so many times that I often wish I owned the patent on it. Anywho, I take prilosec like it's candy because if it I don't my esophagus and chest will feel like someone is slowly pouring lava down it (GERD and Hiatal Hernia). I have a weird thing that is currently wrong with my stomach( Gastroparesis) and that is that anything with high naturally occuring fiber or is just extremely dense in form ( veggies, fruit, nuts) WILL make me throw up. Yep. You read that right. My stomach does not contract correctly so it will push those items right back up. Sometimes this all feels like a BAD PRACTICAL JOKE!!!
- Elevated Liver Enzymes and Hyperlipidemia
Because of the weight I have gained ( 90+lbs) I have elevated liver enzymes and high cholesterol and triglycerides. Due to these elevated liver enzymes I have had the absolute pleasure <--extreme sarcasm of having TWO liver biopsies where they literally penetrated into my liver with a long rod and took 2 bites of it to test it for random things. I wasn't out for this procedure, I was supposed to be comfortable..well there is no comfort being awake when something penetrates your skin-muscle-and stabs an organ and then bites it. sheesh, I can hardly sit here and think about it.
Whew, I am super tired of writing this and I am certain you can only imagine you are too. Now, I need your prayers and I need and want a change so much for my mind, body, and spirit.
Do you know what all the dr.'s say will change these issues ? WEIGHT LOSS. I am not going to go under the knife and get a procedure ( not to say I haven't thought of it) but I am going to make a dramatic lifestyle change and stick to it this time. This blog is going to walk you through that and I hope you will join in by encouraging me and being my friend and providing guidance. I will probably post some pictures that will be very humbling for me. But, I want to share my story and help others and succeed more than anything.
Thanks for reading my "health" story. I say it that way because I am not letting it define me and in no way shape or form am I not super blessed and happy to be me or alive and dealing with each and everything I have going on. This is not terminal and I am going to overcome!!
XOXO
Brittany
