Got Routine?

Use routine to create positive habits and reach short term goals

Do you wake up in the morning with no expectations for your day and the activities that you will be engaged in? Let’s say you have a short term goal to lose 8-10 pounds over the next month. By creating routine, you can set yourself up for success. Make the decision, determine the steps it will take and get stubborn about creating a daily routine that will accomplish your goal.

I was able to lose 60 pounds in about 10 months by creating routine in my food patterns. The biggest tool that helped me was a daily journal where I had checklists and I recorded my daily experiences and moods. I met regularly with a registered dietitian.

Here’s why:

Because… the more times you start over or take steps back, the longer it will take to get to where you want.

When you decide you are going to start this diet and then start that diet you are causing confusion not only for you, but also for your body. Your body fights losing anything because it is not sure what it will take in tomorrow.

It is better to think about your way of eating and doing that every day instead of doing this diet or that diet. Diets don’t last so it’s better to just set a routine way of eating (what you eat, how often you eat, what your habits are when you eat). The longer you go, the easier it gets.

Because… the more times you do something, the easier it gets and you can do it without thinking!

Nothing is easy the first time you do it. Practice makes perfect! The more times you eat certain foods, drink a certain amount of water, or get up and hit the treadmill, the easier it gets. In the beginning you will be saying to yourself “ugh I don’t want to,” but after a couple weeks you find yourself doing it without a second thought. You may even feel worse if you are not in your routine!

Because… it makes meeting goals easier and more attainable.

This process can be applied to all short term goals. By the end of a calendar year, 12 positive habits can be formed, and you will be closer to reach some of your long term goals. Long term goals are accomplished by succeeding in smaller steps each day/week.

What are your daily health and fitness routines? How do you track your goals? I use the “Trello” app on my phone to set my daily routines, and then just check activities off the list once complete.