Have you heard of the term habituation? It is the condition of creating a habit or becoming accustomed to something. It is an amazing natural skill, it helps us breathe, walk and talk. Though it is also can happen with eating out, watching TV, and skipping the gym. Creating these bad habits as the daily routine. We don’t realize this is a habit, it begins to feel natural. My last two years have become this, one bad habit to the next. Poor sleeping patterns, take-out food nonstop, and my physical activity at the lowest ever. Getting winded going up a flight of stairs is not something to brag about. Life felt stuck in this pattern.

I needed an over haul, and then one day in February I finally got the motivation that kicked me into gear. I became engaged and with that my wedding date was set for the fall of this year. It was finally the biggest reason for me to change my routine, especially if I really wanted to see a change in myself before my perfect day. I knew I needed to evaluate everything about my lifestyle if I was going to make the most of this change in life. I have participated in the challenge before but I found myself quitting half way through and using any break in my routine as a gateway back in to my old habits. My goal wasn’t my weight but to change my habits, to change my lifestyle and finally create a healthier lifestyle for my next big chapter. And I was going to go all in during the next 60 days with the goal to change me; mentally, physical but mostly habitually.

The first hurdle was my diet. I thought I had always eaten healthy as I enjoyed fruits, veggies, and finding myself avoiding candy and chips. What I didn’t realize is that I was eating it all wrong. I would eat out, eat large portions or find myself drenching my food in whatever condiments applied to the meal. I wanted to start clean, so I went through the GUT.FIX kit. My three biggest things I decided to give up though were alcohol, gluten and dairy. This may not be the best approach for everyone but it worked wonders for me. I found the plan that worked best for me and slowly reintroduced the foods that fit my new diet after the GUT.FIX.

I am an analytical person, so I needed to find a way to control what I was eating, to make sure I got into the habit of eating the right amount of the right things.  I whipped out my food scale and made it my new best friend, my second buddie became a food tracker app. It was a lot of work in the beginning to weigh, track and analyze what I was eating, but I found a routine. I shop on Saturday and meal prep my whole week on Sunday. I know what I am having for my entire day and it’s already cooked. After about 3 weeks this felt normal. I found myself busy one Sunday and was unable to prep but I took time Monday since it felt so strange waking up and not knowing what my food was for the day. If I am out to eat I am more aware of my portions and what I am choosing to eat.

The next part of my routine was keeping up with the gym and making sure workouts were just as much a part of my routine as my diet. One of the biggest differences in being able to maintain my routine going to the club was how I prepared for the club. I would make sure every night that I took the time to pack my gym bag. Whether it was early morning Boot Camp three mornings a week or it was packed to go after work it really kept me accountable to make sure I went. If I couldn’t make it I would do workouts at home, doing reps or push-ups during commercials. Making sure to get some activity every day. An integral part of the challenge that really helped my routine was the St Louis Park 60day Facebook page. The weekly challenges, meal prep ideas and inspirational quotes also kept me accountable and going on days that were tough.

Overall, the biggest challenge in meeting my goal was my will power. This 60day was just as much a mental challenge as it was a physical challenge. Every time I wanted to stay in bed and not get up early to head to the club, and every time I didn’t want to do one more rep was an internal struggle that I had to overcome. That internal struggle became easier and easier every time I fought through it. By overcoming the mental challenges, the physical challenges followed suit. I now feel off it I don’t go to the club or meal prep for the week. It feels like I skipped a normal routine like brushing my teeth.

Without the help and structure of the 60day and the community, I would not have been able to change my routine and develop the habits that have helped me alter my lifestyle in such a drastic way. With this new lifestyle I am well on my way to being in shape of my perfect day this fall and now I have a routine to keep me in the lifestyle for my life afterwards. Habituation is the condition of creating a habit or becoming accustomed to something. I now have the habit of a healthy lifestyle thanks to Lifetime, The 60day and the community at the club.