Some habits are "easier" -- for me (and I suspect many people) exercise is a very tough one. For lots of reasons. A few questions and issues to ponder if applicable:
--is exercise boring? what would make it less so? some people listen to music, watch exercise videos, listen to books on tape. Other people go to classes, have an exercise buddy, etc. (I *do* realize your options are limited.... )
--is exercise valued? do you do it in a nice location, with comfortable clothing, adequate equipment, etc? One friend of mine told me how she brings the timer from the kitchen when she uses her treadmill. I was agast! It's not just an issue of having to remember -- but this just doesn't reflect the important place that exercise holds. I suggested that an attitude change seemed in order: if you were decorating your exercise temple, what would be there?
-- what is the alternate plan? It's all well and fine to say I'll do xx minutes xx days a week -- but what about when I'm sick? what if you get home late? if the exercise is outdoors -- what about in winter or in a rainstorm?
--record and adjust. I think for me writing it down helped immensely. I could go back over the week, review whether I'd met my goal, and plan times for the following week. If problems came up, what were they? What kept you from doing it? Work on those bits as separate issues. I really did not have a huge sense of failure when I didn't meet the goal--- I was usually CLOSE, and I can celebrate CLOSE while working to improve.
--one week at a time. I guess I've always hoped that exercise could be a habit and not take effort. I've never found it to be so. Yes, I've had periods of time where I got used to the time it takes, and adjusted to it. But there was still a sense of using will and planning each week to get it to happen.
Regarding food: when I want to work on improving food, the main component is substitution, and it is quite challenging. It's actually quite a bit of work to keep myself adequately stocked with enjoyable and healthy food -- it takes a lot of food, it takes hauling it around. I'm not happy with a box of whatever in my deskdrawer-- So I often carry around lots of food (like, for just one day).
Big congratulations on the complete change from soft drinks -- thats a huge benefit. (I've never allowed myself to form a habit of drinking them.) I often wonder whether people who drink soda (and coffee) regularly see it as desructive....
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not all habits are alike
--is exercise boring? what would make it less so? some people listen to music, watch exercise videos, listen to books on tape. Other people go to classes, have an exercise buddy, etc. (I *do* realize your options are limited.... )
--is exercise valued? do you do it in a nice location, with comfortable clothing, adequate equipment, etc? One friend of mine told me how she brings the timer from the kitchen when she uses her treadmill. I was agast! It's not just an issue of having to remember -- but this just doesn't reflect the important place that exercise holds. I suggested that an attitude change seemed in order: if you were decorating your exercise temple, what would be there?
-- what is the alternate plan? It's all well and fine to say I'll do xx minutes xx days a week -- but what about when I'm sick? what if you get home late? if the exercise is outdoors -- what about in winter or in a rainstorm?
--record and adjust. I think for me writing it down helped immensely. I could go back over the week, review whether I'd met my goal, and plan times for the following week. If problems came up, what were they? What kept you from doing it? Work on those bits as separate issues. I really did not have a huge sense of failure when I didn't meet the goal--- I was usually CLOSE, and I can celebrate CLOSE while working to improve.
--one week at a time. I guess I've always hoped that exercise could be a habit and not take effort. I've never found it to be so. Yes, I've had periods of time where I got used to the time it takes, and adjusted to it. But there was still a sense of using will and planning each week to get it to happen.
Regarding food: when I want to work on improving food, the main component is substitution, and it is quite challenging. It's actually quite a bit of work to keep myself adequately stocked with enjoyable and healthy food -- it takes a lot of food, it takes hauling it around. I'm not happy with a box of whatever in my deskdrawer-- So I often carry around lots of food (like, for just one day).
Big congratulations on the complete change from soft drinks -- thats a huge benefit. (I've never allowed myself to form a habit of drinking them.) I often wonder whether people who drink soda (and coffee) regularly see it as desructive....
Moria