The Power and Impact of a Healthy Routine

This week on Talk-O Tuesday we shared exactly what we believe get’s in the way of setting and sticking to a healthy routine. 

Click here for the full episode on how to start a healthy and impactful routine. 

Brandon was on fire with information and relatable tips in this one, so you don’t want to miss out!

If you’d prefer to read the “spark notes,” I’m with ya! Check it out:

Our theme for the month in our C(LEAN) Club is Routines. That’s simply because setting Routines and Healthy Habits that are manageable and achievable are really the only way to achieve success. 

TALK-O 1: Eating Habits

A pretty common habit with this is Overeating and Emotional Eating. 

Emotional eating means that you eat for reasons other than hunger. You may eat because you're sad, depressed, stressed, or lonely. Or even just bored. If you are an emotional eater, you may not listen to your body's natural hunger and fullness signals and end up overeating or binging. 

Emotional eating can interfere with making healthy choices, when it comes to food as well as other life decisions. 

Food can be soothing, which is ok, but it can distract you from what's really bothering you. It is not a healthy way to cope. 

And, needless to say, it can keep you from getting to a healthy weight and staying there.

Maybe you’re a stress eater?! What about a bored eater? Do you eat when you feel lonely? This is the reality we all face, we’ve all been there so don’t beat yourself up. The key is to notice it when it’s happening and break the trigger. 

For example, you might do what I used to do and use food as a reward for like ultra simple things.. Like… simply walking in the door when coming home. 

That used to be a terrible habit of mine, and to be honest I still catch myself in it from time to time. 

The trigger for me was walking in the door (yes it can be that simple) and the habit was getting something out of the fridge, even if I wasn’t really all that hungry. 

Breaking the trigger would be to catch myself in the act, stop, and immediately do something else like go for a short walk, taking the trash out or doing the dishes. 

Common signs of emotional eating are: 

* Changing your eating habits when you have more stress in your life. 

* Eating when you are not hungry or when you are full. 

* Eating to avoid dealing with a stressful situation. 

* Eating to soothe your feelings. 

* Using food as a reward. (For example, "That was really a tough job/assignment/argument. I need some ice cream/candy/popcorn!") Or (I used the stairs instead of the elevator, I deserve a cheeseburger) 

What about treats?

This is how a lot of people get really screwed up. They get it in their mind that because they’ve had a stressful day or went for a walk, they deserve a nice glass of wine or piece of cheesecake and that it will balance out…

That is a dangerous game to play!! 

Treats are ok once in a while. But you need to keep them in check and don’t give them to yourself for every little task. 

Implementing the routine:

One way to figure out what triggers emotional eating and to combat that mindset of that “deserved” treat is to keep a FOOD JOURNAL. 

(If you haven't noticed, a lot of our people keep a food journal HERE in the DFNT or Clean Club - it’s not by chance that they happen to like sharing food - that group can become a working food and exercise log! Try it out!)

You can EASILY keep a photo food journal! Simply take pictures of EVERYTHING you ingest, including liquids, and take a look at the pictures at the end of the day. 

Were the portions ok?

Was there anything that maybe you’d prefer to hide? 

Are there any red flag foods that you know won’t be helping you achieve your goals? 

If you question anything, post it in the group!! Tag myself (Nick), Brandon, or Rebecca in the post and we’ll help you out! And you’ll likely get a lot of support, encouragement, and insight from the rest of the community as well :) 

TALK-O 2: Movement habits (or the lack of)

Our bodies need to move frequently!! Period. 

You sit at your desk at 8 or 9:00am and the next thing you know it’s time for your lunch break and you’ve been stationary for 3 to 4 hours and your body is looking for and craving those happy neurotransmitters…dopamine, serotonin, etc. The easiest thing to get those is by hitting the snack table! 

HOLD IT! Wait a sec!

Your body needs to move!!!

That’s why it’s important we have routines for movement and exercise.

We’re called human beings, sure we’ve all heard that argument, but our bodies were designed to move. It’s as simple as that. 

It’s about mindset here. It can be tough to commit to a 90 minute yoga class or an hour long workout session at the gym. 

So instead, use the 5 minute rule. Or make it simpler by making it a 2 minute rule!

Implement it two ways:

Option 1 - When you don’t feel like it, tell yourself, “I'm just going to commit to 5 minutes!” That’s it! Once you get moving, you’ll likely be in the swing of it and keep going. It almost never fails!

Option 2 - I also use this when I feel like doing something I know I should NOT do, like eating late at night or when I’m craving a not-so-good snack. I give myself five minutes. "Okay, if I still want to do that in 5 minutes, I'm going to do it." and the craving almost always passes. 

Or you can combine the two to break the triggers we mentioned earlier. For example, it’s about to be your lunch break. Before you sit down to eat your healthy lunch and finish it off with a bag of chips, follow the 5 minute rule to go for a quick walk first! It’ll help to get you the happy vibes that your body is craving, but your brain doesn’t quite understand. 

TALK-O 3: Laser targeting your goals

What is it that you really want your health to give you? What are your goals? 

Reframe what you're really doing here and why it’s important. You’re not just hell-bent over a number on a scale, there’s more to it than that. There’s more to YOU than just that number. 

Maybe you’re creating a life of everyday confidence, stability, and peace of mind.
Maybe you’re wanting to fit into your clothes better.
Or maybe you want to step into a room full of people and be noticed for your radiance, rather than your weight.

If you need a little help or guidance in setting up some healthy routines to hit your goals, or just to stay healthy and keep on track, reach out to us….come check out the Clean Club and let us help you find your way to success!

Hoping your March is off to a great start!