It’s the simple little things that you do each and every day that can create an unhealthy dependence. You say to yourself, its only one, it wont hurt me. Next thing you know years down the road you look in the mirror and wondered what happened to that person you once knew?
You ask yourself how did i get this way, Why Me?
Those little indecision's have become habits and you didn't even realize it. The biggest ones that effect your health are smoking, drinking, sugar, fast food, and junk food. They can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even death.
The problem with these habits is they are addictive habits; the products are designed to make you crave them even more. If you try to stop consuming them your body goes into withdrawals.
When I first started smoking as a teenager it was at a party, it then became a weekend thing. Next thing I knew it was daily thing, then a pack a day thing. This is the evolution of an additive habit.
I never started out thinking I would be smoking a pack a day, it just happened!
What is A Habit:
A recurrent, often unconscious, pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.
Once learned, habits may occur without the intent of the person or may appear to be out of control and are difficult to change.
Breaking Habits:
You should not expect to break an addictive habit immediately. It usually takes two weeks to a couple months minimum to wean yourself off and help avoid withdrawal symptoms, this all depends on your habit and will power.
You need to be properly motivated, most people who try things without proper motivation usually quit quickly.
Reasons to quit a bad habit:
I want to look younger than my age, not older.
I want to set an example for my children so they can lead a healthy life.
I want to able to take care of myself, and not end up in a nursing home.
I want to live long enough to see my grandchildren grow up.
I want to save money and not be spending it all on health care.
I want to be healthy when i get to be older, and be able to do the things i do today.
You need to want something bad enough to make changes in your lifestyle.
What ever your motivations are write them down, stick it on your refrigerator so it’s in your face daily. Read it daily to keep it fresh in your mind.
An Action Plan:
Action plans are used when you want to make sure you accomplish your ultimate goal.
How many times have you said you were going to do something and it never got done?
Start by evaluating your daily routine for a week. Make yourself a daily diary on how this habit is involved in your everyday life.
Each day write in the diary when you do this habit. The reason I tell you to do this is because addictive habits are done unconsciously and you just don’t realize how many times a day your doing this unless you break it down in writing, to actually see it in writing drives the point home mentally also.
Now you have a clear written game plan to work towards. You need to start with small goals first, people always look at the big picture and say I can’t do that. Or try to quit cold turkey ending in disaster.
A small goal is something you would like to achieve in the next week or two, with a plan of action to obtain that goal. Your ultimate goal is to actually quit your bad habit.
Lets use smoking as an example. You consume 5 cigarettes a day for a week that’s 35 cigarettes a week. A small goal would be to consume 1 cigarette less a day for that week. The end result being 28 consumed that week. Not much to ask, easy to accomplish.
You have now reached your first goal and progress is being made. It feels good when you accomplish something; you get a sense of pride. Suddenly the end goal seems possible. It's all about baby steps.
The second, third, fourth week repeat the process, until you get down to that last one. Now you need to replace that habit with something to take up that void, and here is where people go in the wrong directing.
Most people start eating junk food to mimic that hand to mouth motion that they have become accustom to. What i did was use a pipe, this satisfied that need. Soon you become bored with it and its finished, goal accomplished.
If this was about eating just start replacing the bad foods with good healthy foods. Like lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, oatmeal. Soon you will wonder how you ever had eaten that junk.
There was a time i used to drink 1 bottle of soda a day, now i cant stand it. Once you cleanse you body of the all the toxic chemicals you will feel and look better.
Last you need to address your social situations, friends and family. If you put yourself around other people that are doing what you just quit and you lack willpower, you can easily be sucked right back in to your habit.
Try to limit your exposure to these people or ask them to be supportive until you have the will to just say no.
NO I WONT - THIS IS BAD FOR ME!
You just need some time to retrain your thought process, I did it. Other people have and so can you. Just start today and do it!
Want To Know More? See - Protein Carbohydrates And Good Fats
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