10 Bad Habits to Lose

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Don’t pick your nose (at least in front of other people), don’t bite your nails or chew your hair, and don’t fart in front of others. These are all bad habits that we know how to hide, but what about those bad habits you may not realize you do? Here are 10 bad habits that drain your energy and how to lose them.

1.      Spending too much

Bad habit:

-          We all love new gadgets, but wearing your paycheck like jewelry is asking for financial trouble. Going into debt can cause serious health concerns, such as depression, insomnia, headaches, ulcers, weight gain and loss, high blood pressure, stomach issues, ulcers, and excessive smoking and drinking, states a Rutgers University survey.

Lose it:

-          Manage your money. Calculate how much you earn to how much you spend. If you are spending more than you earn, cut back. Material items are nice, but they aren’t necessities. Think about what you really need and prioritize.

-          Manage your credit cards. Just because you have a credit card doesn’t mean you need to rack it up. Put your credit cards in a safe or a box somewhere inside your house and leave them alone. Pay off the bills and spend only what you make.

-          Create a budget, use coupons, and make your meals as opposed to buying them. Budgets keep you in check, grocery lists help you avoid buying unnecessary items, coupons help save money on items you are already buying, and making your meals saves you a ton.

-          Let’s say you spend $20 a day on fast food for lunch, that’s $100 a week, and $400 a month. Let’s say you spend about $300 a month at the grocery store for your breakfast, dinner and snacks. Therefore, you spend about $700 a month on food. However, by making your lunch at home, you use the food you bought at the grocery store for $300 a month. We will even add an additional $100 for bread, lunch meat, etc. $700, as opposed to $400, you choose which sounds better.

-          Remember: prioritize.

2.      Being a couch potato

Bad habit:

-          Lying on the couch and watching TV is a nice way to relax, but you shouldn’t do it all the time. Watching too much TV affects your energy levels by lowering your physical and social activity. When you relax too much, you lose interest in your hobbies, become easily tired, and can no longer accomplish tasks that were once easy. This also subjects you to eating due to boredom, which causes weight gain.

Lose it:

-          Only watch TV when you want to watch a specific show.

-          Limit your TV intake to two hours a day or less.

-          Exercise while you watch TV. Leg lifts, calf lifts, squats, crunches, pushups, planks, and yoga are easy exercises to do while watching TV.

-          Leave the home instead of watching TV.

-          Go for a walk, visit friends, clean your house, or read. Do something you enjoy.

-          Mind exercises, such as reading, help increase your memory, vocabulary and intelligence.

3.      Skipping your workout

Bad habit:

-          It’s easy to rest when you’re tired, but this actually makes your energy level lower. Regular exercise creates energy by boosting your strength, endurance, and improving the oxygen delivered to your organs. Next time you feel exhausted, get off the couch and take a walk, do a few sit-ups or pop in that exercise DVD lying on your shelf. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you will have more energy and feel better when you are done.

Lose it:

-          Understand that you may be tired, but you will feel better afterwards.

-          Make a playlist with fun and energizing songs to help motivate you to work out.

-          Find a workout that is short to help you begin an exercise schedule.

-          Join a gym that is close by with classes such as yoga, cycling, boot camp, etc.

-          Find a workout buddy to keep you motivated.

4.      Forgetting to drink water

Bad habit:

-          Pop, juice, coffee – they all taste better than water. However, water is exactly the healthy energy you need. Amy Goodson, RD, a dietitian states, “being even slightly dehydrated – as little as 2% of normal fluid loss takes a toll on energy levels”.

Lose it:

-          Follow my previous blog post, The Water Challenge, for a guide on how to drink the correct amount of water for your body weight.

-          Give yourself a goal, i.e. three bottles of water, then your indulgent drink.

-          Start drinking water as soon as you wake up.

-          Buy a reusable water bottle.

5.      Eating poorly

Bad habit:

-          You skipped breakfast, ate a Big Mac for lunch, picked up Little Caesar’s Pizza for dinner, and snacked on chips while watching Walking Dead before falling asleep. Not only are you skipping the most important meal and the easiest one to burn off, i.e. breakfast, but you are fueling your body with food high in fats that clog your arteries, raise your cholesterol and add numbers to your scale.

Lose it:

-          Eat breakfast! Your body needs breakfast to give you energy for the day. Cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit are quick and easy ways to start your morning.

-          Replace fast food with homemade food. Yes, it takes time, but it is cheaper and healthier.

-          Substitute potato chips with dried fruit chips.

-          Grill a few chicken breasts, bag them up individually and freeze them. Next time you need lunch or dinner you can heat the chicken up, add a salad and tada- you have a meal.

-          Remember portion control.

6.      Sweating the small stuff

Bad habit:

-          Didn’t your mom tell you to pick your battles? Worrying about tiny issues, like your client hasn’t called you back in an hour, your spouse is 10 minutes late, or your shoes don’t perfectly match your outfit, are not “worry worthy”. Your client is probably busy, your spouse hit traffic, and no one is looking at your shoes. Worrying about the little things causes anxiety, affects your sleep, and can leave you mentally exhausted.

Lose it:

-          Breathe. Just stop, breathe and let it go.

-          Make sure it is “worry worthy”. Think to yourself, if someone came to you with this worry, how would you respond?

-          There are two categories you need to remember, “get over it” and “that is a concern”.  In what category does your worry belong?

-          Do something relaxing like deep breathing, warm baths (maybe even bubbles), meditation, and yoga.

7.      Being negative

Bad habit:

-          Okay, so that flat tire is a serious bummer, but complaining about it won’t help. Make a plan and fix it. Bad things happen, but your perspective is what makes or breaks your day. Negativity affects your work ethic, people around you notice it (and don’t like it), plus, it leaves you stressed out and unhappy. You should be confident and optimistic. You will be amazed by how smooth your days run when you look at things through a positive light. Make your glass half-full.

Lose it:

-          Twist your negative thought into a positive one. How can this bad thing actually be a blessing? Maybe you learned how to replace a flat tire for the first time.

-          Eat healthy and exercise. You will be amazed by the positive energy you receive.

-          When something negative pops in your mind, shut it off and adjust your way of thinking.

-          List all the good things that happened to you during the day before you go to bed. You might be surprised by how good your day actually was. Read it in the morning to remind yourself, life is good, you are good, and your day is going to be good.

-          Don’t sweat the small stuff.

8.      Being too serious

Bad habit:

-          Sometimes you just have to laugh. Taking things too seriously stresses you out, ruins your happiness and turns you into a negative thinker. Laugh at yourself and the mistakes that happen throughout the day. It makes the mishaps easier to handle. It also makes you appear friendly, more approachable and genuine. In return, you will be a lot happier.

Lose it:

-          So, your client made a joke that your tie doesn’t match your shirt, oh well! Say you let your daughter dress you or laugh at yourself, it shows you are easy-going.

-          Instead of getting angry, think about easing the tension and laugh.

-          Remind yourself, how would you want others to act if they were in your shoes?

9.      Being a perfectionist

Bad habit:

-          You spend hours creating the perfect proposal, you reject help because they won’t do it as well as you, and now you are stressed out and tired. Irene S. Levine, PhD, explains that perfectionists set unrealistic goals and are often left with “no sense of self-satisfaction”. Don’t stress yourself out and worry about things that are fine just the way they are.

Lose it:

-          Accept help. You will learn new tricks, gain a friend, and show that you can work with others. Teamwork is a valuable skill that many companies look for.

-          Perfection is impossible, so set a time limit and stick with it. The extra time is not going to improve much.

-          Perfection is different to everyone, so understand that your version of perfection may not be your viewer’s perfection. Therefore, work hard, but don’t exhaust yourself.

-          Remember that people are impressed with you and your work ethic, not how fancy your PowerPoint is.

10.   Taking on too much

Bad habit:

-          Can you finish this project tonight? – Yes. Can you form a focus group by the morning? – Yes. Can the entire little league team come over for dinner? – Yes. Can you, can you, can you? – No, you can’t. Saying yes to everything adds unneeded stress and most likely work that is not up to your normal par. Don’t overwhelm yourself because you are afraid to say no. People rather you say no then say yes and not get it done or do the job poorly. Moreover, you deserve some relaxation at the end of the day.

Lose it:

-          Be honest with people. Say no. They may be disappointed at first, but they will understand.

-          If you really don’t want to say no, then explain you are busy and ask for a later due date.

-          Remember that you need time to relax and be with your family. Make that a priority and schedule it into your day. It will give you a reason to say no.

-          Remember, other people can help. Rely on your coworkers.

Sources:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-bad-habits-worth-losing.html

http://time.com/2828800/bad-habits-drain-energy/

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/10-bad-habits-and-the-best-ways-to-quit-them/

The Water Challenge

Water, water, water! All I hear lately is, “Don’t forget to drink your water!” Being a Diet Coke lover, water just tastes bland and if I drink too much water, my stomach feels like a pool – slushing and gushing inside me. So, when my health nut sister says drink your water, I just roll my eyes. However, she is actually right. Not only does water hydrate your body, drinking the accurate amount for your weight can actually help you lose weight, boost your metabolism, aid in filling your hunger, and give you energy. So, I decided to take the challenge, and it worked!

How much water do I really need?

Originally, I thought the rule was 8 by 8 – eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. However, that is not true for everyone. The amount of water you should drink is based off your weight. In order to decipher how much water you should drink, you need to multiply your weight by 67% (2/3). For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, multiply 150 by .67. The answer is 100.5, therefore, you should drink 100 ounces of water every day.

A quick list helper:      100 lbs – 67 ounces

                                     150 lbs – 100 ounces

                                     200 lbs – 134 ounces

                                     250 lbs – 168 ounces

As you can see, 8 x 8, 64 ounces a day isn’t enough water unless you weigh under 100 pounds.

*One thing to keep in mind, if you live in a hot or humid environment or you recently exercised, you need to drink extra water to counteract the water you lose through your sweat. If you are pregnant or nursing, an extra intake of water is needed as well.

How do I drink all this water?

This was the hardest part for me. I normally drink 24 ounces of water on a good day. How in the world am I going to triple that? Especially when I really don’t care for water. Well, I found some easy tips that work great!

Drink water before your meals:

Experts say that drinking 16 ounces of water before every meal allows you to consume less calories because the water begins to fill you up causing you to eat less. Water also helps boost your metabolism, which aids in breaking down the food you eat. In addition, by drinking 16 ounces of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner, you are consuming 48 ounces of water towards your daily intake.

Keep track of your drinking:

Buying a reusable water bottle with measurement labels allows you to track your water intake. I purchased a Contigo reusable water bottle at Target with the measurements 8 oz, 16 oz, and 24 oz on it. This allows me to track the ounces of water I have already drank versus what I need to continue to drink.

Here are two links to reusable water bottles that work well.

http://www.target.com/p/contigo-autoseal-grace-water-bottle-24-oz/-/A-14277038#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=contigo

http://www.amazon.com/Nalgene-Tritan-BPA-Free-Bottle-1-Quart/dp/B001NCDE8O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1411962765&sr=8-4&keywords=reusable+water+bottles

Add flavor and bubbles:

Infusing your water with fruits and herbs or buying sparkling water helps make drinking water not so bland. Lemons, limes, watermelons, cucumbers, raspberries, oranges, and mint leaves add a delectable flavor to water, along with aiding in removing toxins and improving your organs. Some of my favorite blends are lemon slices, orange slices and mint leaves; cucumber slices and mint leaves; and watermelon slices with or without mint leaves. You can also purchase flavored water, which gives you the same affect.

Giving yourself goals:

By now, you know I enjoy a can of Diet Coke. I really didn’t want to give this up, a bit pathetic, I know. I need to drink three bottles of 24 ounces of water a day. Therefore, I gave myself a goal that if I could drink two 24-ounce bottles of water, then I could have my Diet Coke. After that, I had to finish my last 24 ounces of water before bed. This helped me drink most of the water I needed for the day. Eventually, by the end of the week, I really didn’t want a Diet Coke and finished drinking my water instead! In doing so, I said goodbye to 40mg of Sodium that was cancelling out some of the water I had been drinking.

How do I remember and keep track of drinking my water?

Goals:

The first thing that helps is making goals, i.e. my Diet Coke after 48 ounces of water. If you give yourself something to look forward to after you complete your daily water intake, it gives you the motivation you need to drink all your water.

Apps:

There are many apps and calorie counters that track and motivate you to drink water, many of which go along with the fitness wrist bands, such as Fitbit and Jawbone Up. However, a free app that works along with those bands and on its own is http://www.myfitnesspal.com/, which helps you keep track of your water intake and if you want, your food consumption. If you are looking to lose weight, it will even tell you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level, weight, height, and goal weight.

Sticky notes:

I know, its old school, but old school works. Tact a few notes around your office or home that remind you to drink you water, when you see them, take a few quick sips and move on. You can also make a note to drink every time you look at your phone, computer, and/or iPad.

Start right away:

Drink water as soon as you wake up. Having a glass of water next to your bed makes it easy. Moreover, you are knocking out ounces of water before you have officially started your day.

Reusable water bottle:

I said this before, but using a water bottle with measurements makes a difference. It allows you to know how much water you have drank already and how much more you need to drink.

Tally system:

If you can’t remember how many water bottle refills you already drank or need to drink, try keeping a tally system or tracking it on one of the previously mentioned apps. If you want to keep a tally system, you can do a number of things. If you are contained to one area, you can keep track of how much water you have drank on a sticky note, a Word document on your computer, a text to yourself, rubber bands on your wrist – take one off each time you drink X ounces of water, or you can even give yourself stickers on a tracking sheet. Deep down, we are all kids at heart. Have fun with this and reward yourself.

How do I avoid using the restroom constantly?

I am not going to lie, you will be using the restroom about every 30 to 60 minutes at first. Especially if you aren’t used to drinking a lot of water. However, your body will get used to it. As for peeing in the middle of the night, that is more challenging. I drink throughout the night, so I am usually up one or two times. If you don’t want to wake up at night, try to finish your water intake around dinner time. Then limit the amount of water you drink before bed. If you drink the right amount of water for your weight throughout the day, you shouldn’t be very thirsty by the evening. Also, foods such as watermelon and celery contain large amounts of water. If you feel a bit thirsty, snack on food with high amounts of water. You will crave your thirst and still be adding to your water goal.

Drinking the correct amount of water for your weight will improve your organ function, hydrate your skin, give you energy, boost your metabolism and improve your overall health. All you need to do is find out how much water you need for your weight, make it fun, start early, and change it up. Adding flavors to your water gives your taste buds a little jump of excitement. You may also find after a few weeks, that you prefer water to drinks you use to love. *gasp*

Sources:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256?pg=2

http://www.slenderkitchen.com/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink-a-day/#
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