What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?
The daily habit that improves my quality of life is taking a nap. I’ve been sneaking naps for over a decade now, and though I sometimes feel lazy, I find I am much more productive if I don’t try to push myself past it. It’s a good reminder to slow down as well.
I do not like to exercise. I am not athletic. I do not like to sweat. I was the girl in gym class who tried her best to get out of participating, who would walk instead of run and hope to get “out” at dogeball so I wouldn’t have to try to get someone else out.
Then, in high school, I was required to take a PE class to graduate. Of all the options, weight lifting seemed the least difficult, so I chose that one. I was only one of a few girls in the class, and we still did have to run occasionally (apparently you still need cardio once in a while) but I loved it. I was probably the weakest in the class, but the only competition was with myself. Even though it was an individual sport, we had to help spot each other and encourage everyone to try a little more weight. It was actually kind of fun and didn’t feel like work!
I was dancing for theater, which is very aerobic. I’ve taken tap as an adult, and I still like to dance around my house. I tried long-distance running so I could run a half marathon. (The race was fun, the training not so much.) I used to roller skate as a kid, so a couple of years ago, I bought some skates and re-learned how to not fall down. Hiking in the mountains, riding my bike, kick scootering, yoga and pilates….there are so many fun ways to get exercise that don’t involve grueling workouts.
I am the queen of “eating for fun” otherwise known as eating when I’m not hungry. I can easily put away half a bag of Oreos while watching a movie, and not even notice. “Who ate all those cookies?” It’s so easy to do, especially when it’s become habitual: watching TV = snack time. Movie = Popcorn. Baseball Game = Hot dogs, nachos, etc.
As with all habits, the secret is to find a better substitute; something you can do instead that gives you the same satisfaction.
Here are the top five things I do to keep me from eating when I’m not hungry:
I used to be a member of a knitting group. One of the women pointed out to us that knitting was great for losing weight because “you can’t eat and knit at the same time.” If you’re like me, you tend to snack while watching TV or at a sports event or other “sit down and watch” activity. Knitting, crocheting, needlework, or other crafts are perfect substitutes for mindless eating.
Grab a book, magazine, e-reader, or just your phone (audiobooks don’t count) and read something. It will keep you mind, and your hands, busy.
This doesn’t have to be a full-on workout. I like to grab some weights while I watch TV or even roller skate in my living room for 10 minutes. Take a walk, do a few stretches…anything to get moving. You’d be surprised how a few minutes a day here and there will add up!
Ugh. I know what you’re saying, and I’m with you there, but hear me out. I do not enjoy cleaning at all! (My house reflects this.) When the dishes need doing or a bathroom needs a wipe down, I put on an audiobook, some music, or a podcast and get to work. You can’t eat while cleaning a toilet…at least I hope you’re not.
Yes, the stereotype of a gamer is someone with a bag of Doritos playing games all day and not exercising. However, I found it very hard to eat while playing anything. Gaming falls into the category for me of keeping my hands busy. I have a portable system so I don’t have to be sitting in front of the TV, a snacking trigger for me, and it keeps my mind busy.
Can you really be addicted to junk food? Michael Moss, author of the new book “Hooked” makes the argument that highly processed food can be as addictive, if not more than drugs and cigarettes. Here’s a recent article in the New York Times about the book:
www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/well/eat/hooked-junk-food.html
From the article:
In another cynical move, Mr. Moss writes, food companies beginning in the late 1970s started buying a slew of popular diet companies, allowing them to profit off our attempts to lose the weight we gained from eating their products. Heinz, the processed food giant, bought Weight Watchers in 1978 for $72 million. Unilever, which sells Klondike bars and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, paid $2.3 billion for SlimFast in 2000. Nestle, which makes chocolate bars and Hot Pockets, purchased Jenny Craig in 2006 for $600 million. And in 2010 the private equity firm that owns Cinnabon and Carvel ice cream purchased Atkins Nutritionals, the company that sells low-carb bars, shakes and snacks. Most of these diet brands were later sold to other parent companies.
Anahad O’Connor for the New York Times
I read the author’s previous book “Salt, Sugar, Fat” years ago, and I can highly recommend it. It deals with the ways these companies manipulate food to make it more addictive.
After being off most processed foods for about a month, I stopped craving sugary foods for the most part. I could see a bag peanut butter cups and not eat even one. Last week, however, I made the mistake of eating a couple of Peeps, thinking “I can handle it!” Turns out, I couldn’t. I was craving sugar for days! There wasn’t a safe donut or cookie within a five mile radius of my mouth.
I know not everyone is affected by junk food the way I am, but I also know I am not alone. Is there a highly-processed food or type of food that you have this issue with? Have you eliminated any problematic food in your house? Let me know in the comments!
So this happened:
Late last year, I was reading the New York Times, as I do every day, and I saw this call for short submissions about what you’re most looking forward to after the pandemic is over. I don’t know why I wrote in, but I did. Later, I got an email that my submission was to be published in the Sunday print edition, and here it is in all it’s glory. 800 people wrote in, and only a handful of us got selected, so I guess that’s something. I know it’s not the same as getting a piece published, but I take what I can get these days!
