Healthy Habits Journal

[thrifty++]

I am going to try a new experiment. I am going to gradually introduce one new healthy habit every day. And see how I am feeling. And see how it affects my health, happiness and overall state of existence, I will try to document it here to keep me motivated and maybe the impact and responses.

Tomorrow wil be day one. Im going to start with a 30 minute early morning walk each day. This is supposed to provide a variety of benefits, for the cardiovascular system, calorie burning and creating a positve mood for the day. I am actually quite looking forward to this one. For me, I think the main thing will be the meditative zen like nature of it. I want to walk aimlesslessly at my own place for the sake of it, when there are hardly any people around and look at nice things. I live near the water so that will be likely where I start, later on I might try some parks. It is not the easiest time of the year to start this since its mid winter where I am.

[Stahlmann]

fingers crossed

Are you somehow FIREd? (haven't checked your history)
Anyway, this https://www.nirandfar.com/creating-behavior-change/
(yea, my RAM memory can hold only few idead and then I spit it with vigor on this forum)

[catpepper]

You just reminded me that I have to kickstart my Ring Fit Adventure routine again.

[Arthur765]

After reading your post, I've committed myself to wake up early in the morning and start exercise to keep my body fit and healthy.

[ertyu]

the early morning walk thing is way easier for me if the walk terminates at starbucks

just give my lizard brain an incentive and it'll conquer the world

[Alphaville]

the early morning walk thing is way easier for me if the walk terminates at starbucks

just give my lizard brain an incentive and it'll conquer the world

that’s the way, archimedes!

especially if you drink your coffee black

(ok maybe that ruins the incentive lol)

(but the anhedonic treadmill* makes simpler things more interesting)

*this is when in opposition to the hedonic treadmill you accustom yourself to worse things, which now makes merely “ok” things feel absolutely fantastic!

[ertyu]

More and more, I've been leaning on the side of quitting coffee altogether even though black coffee has no calories. The effect on sleep and the potential effect on anxiety might be worth it. Have reduced to 2 cups of coffee and I cup of green tea but goal is to go to zero.

[Alphaville]

i know i know i know i’m a bad man, and argumentative to boot.

but...

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/to ... -of-coffee#

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/to ... -green-tea



i reduced a cup of coffee (from 3 to 2) in the morning, and added afternoon tea instead, which gives me a chance to a) be livelier in the evening without harming sleep (more reading!) and b) eat a diy shortbread cookie with said tea! (or “biscuit” the british call it).

also the morning green tea first thing allows me to fast a bit longer in the morning (intermittent fasting is good for me)

i’m a terrible man, but shortbreads are stupid easy and cheap to make, and the payoff is *significant* i mean just mix flour butter and powdered sugar and vanilla smash it a the bottom of a box and blam! no need for scottish imports (sorry scotland, i still love you).

i once watched a documentary about french pastry chefs and one of them said that the secret of french people was to eat extremely delicious things in *very small amounts* so that the brain is always happy.

i’ve been applying that system lately actually. a small piece of cambozola with an apple for dinner is a glorious thing. no need to eat a whole wedge of it, american style, and burn through money. *very small amounts* is a great tactic. i make sure to take it out of the refrigerator in advance, eat it with great ceremony, etc. mmmmmm...!

[ertyu]

Well, caffeine works well for you, so you should keep doing it. The system you've got set works and you're happy with it. The fact that I've decided that I'd rather not drink coffee doesn't mean you should mess with your system. I'm just making a statement about what I've decided about my situation and my life; it has absolutely 0 implications for what anyone else should or should not be doing. we can have different goals in this respect and they can both be legit. Enjoy coffee!

The problem with me and very small amounts is that after I've had a small amount I want to have a bigger amount. So regardless of whether I eat the thing or don't eat the thing, I have to tell myself no and white-knuckle it to cravings. I'd rather not start than have my appetite whet and then have to white-knuckle it and deny myself.

[Alphaville]

thanks! yeah, indeed, one person’s food is another one’s poison.

i was recently on a keto kick, which turned out

a) expensive, and
b) fruitless (no “spontaneous weight loss”: i was overdoing the calories i’m not supposed to count. the calorie density of fat is the problem here.) this is the first time i experience this result as opposed to past keto trials which worked well.

now trying the “small-but-delicious” approach. my working hypothesis is that “the dose is the poison.” time (and the bathroom scale) will tell if this is a good strategy.

i tend to get the winter blues and eat more carbs (and drink more alcohol) as a result. the gamble is that by embracing the cravings but keeping the dose in check i might a) survive the winter, b) save money because carbs are cheaper

it’s a bit of tightrope walk...

eta: speaking of tightropes, here is zarathustra on the subject:

No meals between meals, no coffee: coffee spreads darkness. Tea is wholesome only in the morning. A little, but strong: tea is very unwholesome and sicklies one o’er the whole day if it is too weak by a single degree. Everybody has his own measure, often between the narrowest and most delicate limits. In a climate that is very agaçant,13 tea is not advisable for a beginning: one should begin an hour earlier with a cup of thick, oil-less cocoa.

[ertyu]

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the small but delicious approach works for you. I will be trying the cold starch (legume, rice, potato) + intemittent fasting approach here. Let's see how the experiment turns out.

[Alphaville]

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the small but delicious approach works for you. I will be trying the cold starch (legume, rice, potato) + intemittent fasting approach here. Let's see how the experiment turns out.

cheers! with... rooibos? (i like rooibos. calming stuff.)

[ertyu]

yep. and some local herbal teas. we're big on chamomile, rose hip, and mint around here. Simple soups might also be nice for warmth during winter

[Alphaville]

chamomile is great! and antiinflammatory. makes a good eyewash too btw (once cooled obv.)

and the quote above is from nietzsche’s ecce homo (not zarathustra), i just called him that for lols.

(i bought the ebook so i can find quotes quickly hahahaha. works great for writers who favor aphorisms, which by nature are hard to place)

[Alphaville]

aaaand i just had a little cup of hot cocoa instead of tea (thanks, nietzsche, ha ha) and it was *very good* and loaded with polyphenols

i might adopt for breakfast & see...

[thrifty++]

Ok after a LOOONG hiatus I am going to restart this.

So, back to day 1. Yesterday. I again started with a morning walk. And again this morning today. Notice some effects already. Feeling happier from walking in the mornings. It’s the visual stimuli I enjoy while walking and without many people around either. The stillness and quietness. I also feel more awake afterward when I start the day. Sometimes I will mix it up with a run. But, it depends. And I feel like the walking is more enjoyable, as I get more visual stimuli. At the moment its spring here and really warm as well. So its pleasantly fragrant in the morning walking around the flowers and vegetation as well.

My day 2 health habit is to clean my phone at least once a day with rubbing alcohol. Apparently phones are the filthiest thing on the planet. This is an especially good one in the midst of a pandemic as well. Should already have been doing it really. An easy habit to cross off the list.

[thrifty++]

I have managed to carry on with this so far.

I added another habit of doing the 1m walk to hour during work days. So, every hour sitting, I get up and walk around for a minute. Sitting down all day is supposed to be horrendous for your body. Adding these micro breaks can be quite a difference apparently.

I have introduced a habit to go hiking once every two weeks. I love hiking but do not have time to do it a lot. I am intending to go on a hike this week.

Another habit is yoga once a week. I would like to do this more but my schedule does not permit. Usually my exercise is resistance training and/or running. This is on top. I have done my yoga session last night. It was actually really nice and relaxing. It felt good to stretch. I must have really needed it.

A big one is I decided to quit alcohol completely. For three months. I have done three days so far. I drank a lot the other night and had a hangover for the first time in about 10/11 months. That was enough incentive. I needed some impetus to do this as I have formed a habit of drinking almost every single night. Not a lot but 1 to 3 drinks. Its the calories and the money spending I am most concerned about. I was getting a craving to do it every single night. I think because I had not had a hangover for so long. That craving is mostly gone already.
.
I have decided to focus on being kind and generous to others. This one is very challenging I find but does pay off. It requires a conscious effort to focus on.

Another mind shift I have made a goal to focus on is being conscious to apply a growth mind set. I am using it for something at the moment. There is something at work I am shit at so I am focusing on finding out how to change that rather than feeling shit because I am currently shit at it.

Today's new habit will be an easy one, as I am starting to get overloaded with heavy duty habit change very quickly. Today's habit is to make my bed in a mindful way each morning. Apparently making your bed is a keystone habit. So its a good thing to focus on enjoying it and doing it well, rather than throwing it all together in a rush.

It will be interesting to see how far this goes. Doing one new habit a day. I havent picked an end point to this, yet. But forming new habits is good for now. The things I am enjoying the most so far is the early morning walks, zero alcohol and yoga.

[Scott 2]

Alcohol disrupts my sleep, even 1 drink. Because of that, I try to drink early and avoid consecutive days of consumption.

I wonder if you'll see sleep improvements while abstaining. From what I understand, that experience is very individual.

[thrifty++]

@ Scott 2 - the science says it does, sleep meant to be deeper without alcohol. But, from past experience it does not make any difference to me. Not 1 - 3 drinks anyways. Not that I can notice. More than that I notice a big negative impact on sleep. But, I havent done zero alcohol for some time. So I will see how it goes.