Meet a Member - Arianna P, Week 6

Turning Behavior Into Habit

The pros say it takes six weeks for a behavior/activity to become a habit, good or bad. As far as working out and journaling, it's norm for me now (I can't believe I'm saying that! Whodathunkit?) Six weeks ago, without the help of everyone at Square One - trainers, other members, accountability, and Train Your Brain classes - I wouldn't have made the strides to become a healthier me. Making the commitment to exercise had me down another 1.2 lbs this week. Six weeks ago, I would've wanted to stop after hearing that number. But Marty said something after TYB that helps put it all in perspective. He talked about going to the grocery store and picking up 1 or 2 lbs of the fattiest piece of meat in the store (since muscle weighs more than fat). He told us to imagine holding it for a minute and thinking about how every week, that 1 or 2 pounds is no longer on you. It's amazing. I've lost a bald eagle and a guinea pig. I hope that in another six weeks I'm down a total of a two-year old (25 pounds). One area that is still difficult for me is my eating habits. If I eat 1400-1600 calories, that's a star day. 1600-2600 is a smiley face day: not horrible, but is more in the maintaining than weight loss zone. Anything over 2600 is a sad face. It is very hard for me to stay under 1600 calories, mostly because I don't have the resources to grocery shop like I want to. I also am still working on "thinking skinny." It's not a natural impulse for people of size to stop when they're full. Food gives us comfort, support. It's that friend that we've turned to when it seems that no one else understands or listens. Whatever our go-to bad food is, it doesn't talk back or give us grief for feeling the way we do. I know it sounds ridiculous to personify food like that, but it's a problem I face. How can I use food for it's intended, healthy purpose (fuel for my body, not for my heart, mind, or soul)? This is more of a struggle than doing those squats, touch-n-go's, or planks. But I'm still here, still kicking, and keeping to the path, only occasionally running after a pretty butterfly.