Changing Bad Habits

Recently I have been thinking a great deal along the lines of routine and habits. I guess this is a cyclical process that occurs about this time every year when the days get longer and training becomes much less sporadic and more targeting. One of the most frequently asked questions of me is 'How do you find the time to workout that much?" Simple...I establish a routine and then my routine becomes a habit.

I began to push myself a bit further on the idea of routine and habit when I had a conversation with my father about his attempt to stop smoking after nearly 40 years. Both my parents have unsuccessfully attempted this endeavor a number of times over the past few years. The thing about smoking, as with many vices, is that it becomes routine and habit forming in an addictive way. Hence, your brain is conditioned to think of a cigarette after lunch, in the car, etc. Overtime, the habit becomes a lifestyle. So in order to change the behavior, you have to re-wire your routine, habit and conditioned lifestyle.

We all have our vices...coffee in the morning (and afternoon), a glass of wine (or three) after dinner, being in denial about our actual diet versus our perceived diet, chocolate glazed donuts, the hidden stash of peanut m&ms, weekend shopping sprees, hitting snooze for 30 minutes, not working out. We all deal with some or all of these issues. It is, quite frankly, what makes us...well...us.

I began thinking about how I approach routines and habits in my life. The one I am currently struggling with is jump starting my mornings with a solid workout. This is one that I frequently struggle with. But I keep it very simple. For the week, I identify which morning will grant me the best opportunity to workout. So far, Tuesday mornings give me time to knock out a 30-40 minute run. I focus on my motivation...freeing up my evening. Then I work as hard as I can to accomplish that one smaller goal. Then I make adjustments as needed.

Over time, Tuesday morning runs become a habit. The key, in my opinion, is taking on the smaller tasks first. I don't expect to wake up next week and workout each morning. Instead, I take each step in stride. In order to help facilitate this change, I have began getting up earlier and earlier in the morning. I used to get up at 7:00. Then every two weeks, I would dial it back another 10 minutes. Again, focusing on the smaller, easier incremental change. Once the routine is formed, 6:15 is nothing.

One of the greatest areas of improvement in my life has been my diet. Being a creature of habit, I eat the same exact lunch EVERY single day. It doesn't bother me and makes things very easy when I go to the grocery store or make lunch in the morning. But over the years, this has changed significantly. I always wanted to change this area but I was so overwhelmed by the thought of overhauling it that I couldn't make it happen. So here is how my diet has changed over the years.

2001-2003	2003-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007	2008-Present
2 slices of white bread	2 slices of white bread	2 slices of honey wheat bread	2 slices of whole grain bread	2 slices of whole grain bread
2 pieces of American Cheese	1 piece of American Cheese	1 piece of American Cheese	1 piece of American cheese	1 piece of American cheese (or swiss)
2 pieces of bologna	3 slices of ham	3 slices of ham	3 slices of lean turkey	3 slices of lean turkey
Tablespoon of ranch dressing			tablespoon of spicy mustard	tablespoon of spicy mustard
Ranch/Cheese doritos until full	Plenty of doritos	Handful of pretzels	Handful of pretzels	Handful of carrots
Swiss cake rolls/nutty bars	Handful of cookies	4 cookies	Fat free yogurt	Fat free yogurt
Coke	Diet Coke	Water	Water	Water

(ETA: I HATE that blogger doesn't support tables...grrrr)

By far the biggest adjustment was going to potato chips to raw carrots. But as you can see, it took years. I have probably cut out 400 bad calories from my diet. The good thing is that I can't even remember the last time I bought doritos. But i don't view this transformation as complete. I still think there is room for improvement so I will continue to make small adjustments. This isn't to say that I don't ever have relapses. I had two bags of chips on Thursday with lunch. They sure were yummy. But Friday I brought my carrots again. I wouldn't allow myself to get out of my routine

I could generate a similar roadmap for my dinner options. Dinners at the local buffet or hot dogs and frozen pizza...processed food galore. I have focused a lot of energy on eating fresh food...stuff that doesn't come in a box. I am not quite there but I assure you that my freezer is full of fresh meats and fruit...nothing in a box. But again, it takes time.

Breaking bad habits (not working out) or initiating new ones is all about establishing a routine. Training is the same way. I can't wake up tomorrow and decide to race an Ironman. It takes hardwork, dedication and most importantly consistency. I have to run 1 mile before I can run 26. So no matter what your vice is, realize that with small incremental changes comes larger change. And larger change becomes habit. Maybe you try drinking tea in the afternoon instead of coffee, you take one less smoke break, you grab pretzels instead of doritos or set your alarm for 5 minutes early. The more consistent you become the more likely the routine will become habit.