I'm also working on perceiving my fitness as "exercise" instead of "training." When I "train," I often run through injury, rest too infrequently, and cut calories. "Training" also feels more finite, as in preparations for a race. "Exercise" feels more sustainable and more fluid - if my knee is sore today, I will swim instead of running speedwork.
Am I the only one that has to play little mind tricks to keep myself out of trouble? Even though I know the tricks are self-imposed, it's often enough to trigger my brain into making the right decision.
A couple of tricks that I play on myself:
- Burying ice cream in the freezer so I have to dig it out.
- Putting my phone inside my running shoes so I have to grab the shoe to turn off the alarm; good for those tough morning runs.
- Only keeping snacks in my office that require a little bit of prep, like oats. A Luna bar in my desk drawer will disappear immediately.
- Blogging. Even though there is no concrete accountability (no people will knock on my door if I skip a workout), I still feel like they will.
Do you have any tricks that help you stick to healthy habits?
Those are great tricks! I keep all of my vegetables cup up so that no matter what I don't have the "I have to wash and chop" excuse!
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That's a really great idea. I definitely use my veggies more when they're ready to go.
DeletePutting your phone in your shoes is an amazing idea, definitely makes it harder to ignore them! My trick is to talk about my workouts with anyone who is even the slightest bit interested (usually co-workers who also run - it's not quite as obnoxious as it sounds). Knowing that they'll ask me the next day, "oh, how was your run?" helps with the motivation.
ReplyDeleteYes - accountability! When I ran my first half-marathon, I collected donations for a humane society. No WAY could I back out of the race then.
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