Big Changes through Small Habits
Posted on August 11, 2008
Maybe it’s entropy or just getting set in your ways, but as one gets older it seems on the outside that it gets harder and harder to change. In reality our lives and our bodies are in a constant state of change. It’s just that as we move through life some of those changes are not always positive, healthy or improvements to our overall well being.
A year ago I decided that some things in my life needed to change and while in no way it’s been easy, I’ve made some real progress in the right direction:
- First change came on August 27th when I stopped drinking coffee and any caffeinated drink. Since then I still have tea but it has become so irregular that I am no longer tethered to caffeine to get me through my day.
- The drop in caffeine resulted in the reduction of sugar due to the fact that I no longer try to keep the peak going all day instituted by large quantities of caffeine in the morning.
- My overall weight has dropped a solid ten pounds from the peak of 202. I now bump along or just under the 190 mark. Partly a result of the decrease in sugar intake, small changes in diet and increased exercise.
- Started walking this summer with my sweet wife Sabrina and our dog Sheba around the neighborhood for half an hour each evening. To my wonderful surprise at the dentist last week my blood pressure dropped a full 20 points on the top and bottom numbers from six months ago. I was on the high end of normal previously. While weight loss had a part to play I believe the daily exercise had the biggest roll.
- Had braces put on a few weeks ago. It’s a strange feeling just prior to turning 40 years-old to be wearing a mouth appliance of teenager. All three of my girls and myself are in different stages of orthodontic care. Just image the ding that one is to the pocket book.
- Grew a gotee. No health implication here but with braces and a gotee, a slightly trimmer me, I both feel and look a bit different from a year ago.
There are other changes happening in my life that are subtle and still brewing. Change brings change and almost like waking from a stooper realized that I need to be more tenacious to drive change in the right direction as I move through life. I realize that life will constantly change and I need to be aggressive to keep moving against the flow if I’m going to enjoy the ride. Those small habits affecting how we spend our time, our money and all the resources we posses brings big effects either positive or negative in the long run.
Filed Under Health, Just for Fun |
Related Posts
- What I Learned from the 35-Day No Caffeine Experiment
- Cultivating Your Garden
- Here Was a Man (For Easter Sunday)
- The No Caffeine 35 Day Experiment
- Going Green is Fun
- Making the Most of a Small House
- Technology Tyranny or Submission
Comments
6 Responses to “Big Changes through Small Habits”
Leave a Reply
Serious Congrats are in order here! I’m impressed, and funny how there are so many similarities with my husband. He still drinks his beloved Coke, but only one a day and has enjoyed hot tea (no sugar) since our trip to the UK two years ago. He just shaved off the gotee he had for a year, and he’s back at the gym, walking and doing laps with me in the pool. Although weight creeping up stimulated that last change, stress reduction, and better sleep at night were bigger reasons. Congrats to you again, and keep up the great work. I think my 40’s were the very, very best in many ways, so you have amazing things ahead of you!
Consistency is always the key. The drop in blood pressure was a serious indicator of how effective exercise is, even simply walking a half hour a day. I’m sold on it. The nice thing about habits is that they do get easier the longer you stick to them. Congrats to your husband as well. I’m very much looking forward to my 40’s for sure. Hoping to stay healthy to match some youthful energy with hopefully a bit more wisdom.
Congratulations! I always feel that “baby steps” are best when trying to create real change in my life! Like kellypea’s my biggest weakness is coca cola, but switching all other beverages to tea has helped me immensely!
Thanks Brenda, I have come to believe not only are “baby steps” best in terms of attainable, but in many ways a more natural, gentle process for steady improvement. The amazing thing about them is how quickly the cumulative turns into major change in ones life in a relatively short time period.
Great work Phil!
Hey thanks Mike!