How to Make it A Habit

Favorably alter your environment
Out of site—out of mind.  This very much applies to developing habits.  If you want to stop eating junk food, don’t buy it.  If you want to start exercising, put your tennis shoes by the door or take them with you to work.  What you see—you think about.  What you think about—you do!

Monitor your behavior
Get a calendar devoted solely to your physical fitness and/or diet programs, similar to what we have provided you. Maintain it daily.  Remember, repetition over time will make the desired behavior become easier to fulfill.

Creative thinking
Get in the habit of imagining and mentally rehearsing what you want to do.  See yourself going for a walk after work.  See yourself choosing fruit over French fries.  This will help you make the right decision when you are actually in the moment.  But be careful not to think about it too much.  This may start to put pressure on you and make it harder to carry out. 

Set up an intermediate reward system
The main reward in a fitness or nutrition program takes some time in coming.  However, perhaps there are some things that you particularly enjoy that you can hold as rewards to yourself for following your program.  Perhaps two weeks with no lapses should be rewarded by spending a little more than you normally would to see a good play, or for shopping.  Try to reward yourself with something other than food.

Be realistic
You often hear about people setting very high goals and then driving themselves to fulfill them.  You don't often hear how this can promote discouragement and failure. If you want to lose 30 pounds, give yourself 15 to 30 weeks to do it in a steady progressive manner.  Give yourself time to develop the habits and enjoy yourself.  Once this occurs, the results will just happen!