How long until new habits are established?

[Gabie]

I have changed my eating and exercising habits in the last 2 weeks. It has been going well and am satisfied with my results. However, I want to emphasize with myself that these are new lifestyle habits and not things that I can let go of once I reached my goal - or once the most negative effects of my previous unhealthy lifestyle are lessened.

So the question I have to you is: How long until the new healthier habits you started really kicked in and you felt that they could be do-able for the long haul?

I have done other health kicks that lasted even several months but in the past I always went back to my old ways (usually worse than I was before). I really want this to be different but am scared that as soon as I stop focussing so much attention on my diet and exercise I will relapse.

[Lightsinger]

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@Gabie wrote:

I have changed my eating and exercising habits in the last 2 weeks. It has been going well and am satisfied with my results. However, I want to emphasize with myself that these are new lifestyle habits and not things that I can let go of once I reached my goal - or once the most negative effects of my previous unhealthy lifestyle are lessened.

So the question I have to you is: How long until the new healthier habits you started really kicked in and you felt that they could be do-able for the long haul?

I have done other health kicks that lasted even several months but in the past I always went back to my old ways (usually worse than I was before). I really want this to be different but am scared that as soon as I stop focussing so much attention on my diet and exercise I will relapse.

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For me, it wasn't until I had been doing it for at least a year.  I have tried many times in the past to change my lifestyle, and I had sometimes gone for months at a time with the new regimen, but then slowly dropped off.  It's easy to do.  Now, it's been about 2 1/2 years, and I am more accountable to myself, and I'm eating and living a lot healthier.  Now, after all this time, I actually crave activity.  I still love to eat, but by continuing to log every day -- first thing in the morning, usually -- I keep track and I know when I've stepped off even a little.  The good news is I enjoy life, feel great and I'm at a weight I haven't been since the 80s.

[awood08]

I started in June with 60 pounds to lose. I'm down 49 pounds just 5 months later. After I dropped the first 20 and dropped 2 pant sizes, that was all I needed. Everyone is going to be different, you will have that moment when it just clicks. Even though i've had great success so far, I still have days where I'm scared to let go of my Fitbit & My Fitness Pal to keep me accountable. My diet is no longer a problem with keeping up with, I automatically choose healthier options and keep my portions under control. Excercise though is harder because I don't ever think to myself "Hey, I could really go for a run right now" lol that takes some inner persuasion!

[WendyB]

Yep I agree every one is different. So there really isnt an answer.

Exercise I have no problem with as I love to move.

[momoffourboys]

I agree that it is different for everyone.  I'm 4 months in and it's finally settling into my brain. I'm losing about 1 pound per week but I went into this more to keep moving as I age and go into really old age stronger and fitter more than I cared about pounds. Pounds are good, don't get me wrong, but I really don't think it's really going to solidify into a 'lifestyle' including the necessary gym-time for one year...The eating more protein is I think now a lifestyle, but the gym  still "feels" temporary to me even though it is now a habit.  Habits can be broken - so I'm giving it a year!

[Lightsinger]

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@WendyB wrote:

Yep I agree every one is different. So there really isnt an answer.

Exercise I have no problem with as I love to move.

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Sure, there is an answer!  I may not be able to tell you what your answer will be, but I can share my own experience, and others can share theirs, and it just may be that a lot of us will share a similar experience, which can be helpful. 

I know only this: for me, when I dieted -- and all diets work for as long as you're on them strictly -- nothing became a  permanent part of my lifestyle.  That's because diets encourage a kind of short term thinking, in my opinion.  You "go on a diet" and you "come off a diet" when you reach your "goal".   Problem there is, then I reverted back into old behaviors which just lead me back to the same place I started from.  Changing to a regimen, or a lifestyle change, whatever you want to call it, is different.  There's no start/stop thinking.  I began this regimen thinking "This is what I will do from now on."   These changes had the opportunity to then become a permanent part of my life, and maybe for someone else it happens over a month's time or a year's time, but you go into it knowing that this is something you won't stop doing.  There's no end game, there's no goal other than living a better, healthier life.  And that game isn't over until you are. 

[Tom_Murphy]

I have come to the conclusion that I will need to keep a food log and a weekly weigh in for as long as I want to maintain a healthy weight, i.e forever.

[Trooper]

I have been dieting for a year  and with the fibit for about 11 months. I once weighed 271 pounds. I am down to 175 as of today. It is true what everyone is saying about dieting, excercise, the fitbit tracking calories. It is going too be different for everyone. Even though I gave up junk food and sodas a long time ago, I still find myself craving cheetos,donuts,diet dr. peppers, you name it. My adult kids like to bring just about every kind of fast food imaginable into our house. Fried Chicken, Pizza, Brownies, you name it, and you can find it at my house. But I made a choice to stay away from them. My diet is a combination of foods that you normally find at home, and a combination of Lean Cuisines, and Smart One's, or Healthy Choice. I just count the calories in everything that I eat or drink. Even now I still take my little scale to restaurants because I need to know how many calories in that Fuddruckers Chicken Breast  (Over 600). How you decide to start your journey is a personal decision. For me certain foods set off triggers that cause me to powerful cravings. Like popcorn, and carbonated waters Those are the one's that you are going to have to avoid because we are all different. There was an article yesterday in the Huffington Post about how people

s bodies respond to certain foods One person's insulin levels increased with tomatoes. You should read it.