How to make a new habit and stick with it

Wednesday 10th August 2023

Hey chronic illness warriors,

Yesterday, I did something I was really proud of! I finally mustered up the courage, motivation and energy to sign up to my local gym and complete an hour workout.

As you know, I do powerlifting twice a week at my strength training gym, but my Friday session is not on during the summer holidays. I am finding that I need and want to do more exercise during the week. I am trying to lose my post baby weight with Gloji, at the moment, and want to get back into shape.

Gloji is a digital weight loss program that aims to help you make long term, sustainable change to your eating habits and lifestyle. It is not like other weight loss groups whereby you have to count calories or points or that certain things are banned. It provides you with a useful menu if you wish to use it and you try and make small, sustainable changes gradually.

The blog Looking for the light also has a useful post on ‘how to make some healthy changes and see a difference in your health’.

For 2 weeks, I had completely lost the motivation or desire to want to continue with the program. I didn’t have the time to sit and watch the videos and quite frankly, didn’t want to! I love food and I am unfortunately an emotional eater so my food choices aren’t always the best.

Yesterday, I knew I had a call scheduled with the health coach you get assigned when you start Gloji and I could have cancelled it. However, I went ahead and took the call. This leads me to my first tip on how to make a new habit and stick with it.

Accountability

As I mentioned above, I kept the scheduled call and was completely honest with the coach and explained that I hadn’t done any of the work since our last call, hadn’t watched any of the videos and had lost the motivation to make any changes. She was sympathetic and we talked through for around half an hour all the issues I am facing and how I could make small changes and mindset shifts to get back on track. I agreed with her that I would watch one Gloji video after our call and scheduled another call for the following week. This way, I am making myself accountable to her as next week she will ask me if I met my goal set.

Not only that, I also had a call with the exercise coach for Gloji yesterday and we talked through simple home workouts we could do and then I tentatively suggested I might sign up for a gym. He helped me make a plan and suddenly I was fired up and ready to go! He asked me to send him an email if I did go with what I had achieved in the session and this helped make myself accountable, too.

Furthermore, I am now openly telling you guys that I am going to try and make healthy lifestyle changes and hit the gym regularly so thank you to all of you for making me accountable! Here’s my promise to you guys:

I will try to make it to the gym or do some form of exercise 3 days a week

Lists and planning

I adore a good list and a plan!!! I love to be able to tick off items when I have done them and see the progress I have made. Just recently, most of my free time has been taken up by making this blog the best it can be for you guys and I have been neglecting other things I want and need to do. Therefore, yesterday afternoon I sat and made a list of all the things I wanted or needed to do and tried to strike a balance between them all. Exercise and watching the required videos were on this list and I am proud to say I ticked them off!

Find your cheerleaders

It was my husband that actually gave me the idea yesterday to try and get back to the gym. My boy’s nap routine has changed which means he is now sleeping solidly from 7:30p.m. to around 5:30 a.m. with no wake ups in between. When he used to fall asleep, I couldn’t leave the house because only I could get him to sleep with the magic breastmilk! Now though, my husband suggested that I can now use the time when my boy is asleep to get back to my exercise hobbies and interests. My husband was there before I went to the gym to tell me how great I looked and he was there when I got back to cheer me on and congratulate me on my success.

Not only that, Gloji has a Facebook members page so I decided to put social media to good use and shared how well I had done on there! I got so many likes and comments of support. We all need cheerleaders in our lives.

Take pictures to see the difference

I felt a little bit silly and self conscious but at the gym yesterday I took some pictures of me working out. I knew I wanted to do a blog post about my success yesterday so the pictures would help but also I thought it would spur me on to keep wanting to go if I saw how happy and healthy I looked. This can be applied to any new habit you want to make. See your progress in your pictures.

Mummy the Fibro Warrior top tip:

1. If you want to make a new habit, make one small step towards it today! Celebrate your progress, share your achievements but don’t be hard on yourself if that habit slips. We are human (and chronic illness warriors) after all! Just pick it back up when you feel the time is right.

If there is one takeaway I would like you all to remember today is that change starts with you. If there is a change you wish to make, baby steps is the right way forward. Plan, take your time and be proud of yourself. I need you to know you are doing the best you can, your child/children love you just as you are and you are Mummy the Fibro Warrior.

Until next time,

x

P.S What new habit do you want to start today? Please do let me know in the comments below! Also, I am starting to consider making my own chronic illness jewellery and keyrings. Would people be interested in purchasing these if I made them available on my website? I’d love to know your thoughts below!

Friendship and groups Guest blogs I have written hobbies and interests Interviews with chronic illness warriors Leva Pain Management Programme Movement Pacing and self care parenting Relationships Sleep The best roundups Uncategorised Uncategorized what is fibromyalgia? Who is the fibro warrior?