Changing habits is a daily commitment

And our old habits will try very hard to remain relevant

Exploring walking trails around our new neighborhood.

Sunday Scales: -2.2 lbs | Total loss for 2023: 15.0 lbs

Whenever things go well my old habits tap me on the shoulder and give me cute looks, reminding me how much they’ve always been there for me and to please not forget them. Snacking in particular is trying to sneak back into my good books, “come on, Kerstin, this one time won’t hurt, things are going pretty well and you deserve a little treat.” Amazingly I’ve been saying No.

Or the habit of not trusting myself to do this, which then results in feeling surprised when the scales show a loss. What I am doing is clearly working but my anxious mind still has a bit of a hard time catching up with that.

Changing habits is a daily commitment.

I have always known this but this is probably the first time ever that I feel like I am finally ‘getting’ it.

Three meals a day is something I commit to every morning.

No snacking is something I commit to every day.

Abstaining from refined sugar is a daily re-commitment.

Returning to my new habits quickly when I decide to allow a bit of sugar (red cabbage at a German restaurant we went to, it was loaded with sugar and so good) is a consistent commitment.

Remembering to PAUSE and tap, or take a few deep breaths, or write in my journal when I want to comfort eat is a daily commitment, and probably the one that takes the most practice of all.

I am learning that my daily commitment to this journey is not about being perfect, it’s about being imperfectly consistent. It’s about practice, trust, and attention.

"It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
–E.L. Doctorow 

What committing to listening to my body looks like: stopping when I've had enough. And taken the leftovers home to eat for lunch later.

I am definitely committed to eating well!