21 Days

My friend Ben and I have started a 21 day thingy. This is based on the notion that it takes 21 days of doing something consistently to create a new habit. So we've been walking every night when I get home from work. We were walking before we started our 21 days but it was a bit more haphazardly, as in not every day. Last Thursday, when we went for our walk, I proposed the 21 day create a new habit idea to Ben and he agreed. Then we both promptly got sick and didn't walk on Friday, so we started the official 21 days on Saturday which makes today the 5th day. Ben has meetings this afternoon and I have a dentist appointment, but we agreed to meet after that. We will be walking a little later than normal and I will have a face full of Novocain, but still, we walk. We do at least 30 minutes, sometimes 45. Heck, we've been known to walk for an hour. And even though I am currently in a plateau as far as weight goes, I know that walking will help me lose. The week in Paris, I ate and drank my head off, but because we walked everywhere, I was 4 lbs lighter when I returned. Imagine, 4 lbs lighter after a week in Paris at Christmastime! Walking works. And as far as my plateau goes, I know I need to tweak my food a little more (the Cheezits, jay-zus!) and add a consistent exercise routine in addition to the walking and it will have 2 effects: 1) it will bust through the plateau and 2) my overall health will be better. Glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol will all be at healthy levels.

As for my other experiment, I am now on day 2 of not watching TV. I didn't turn it on at all yesterday, either at work or at home and today, I haven't flipped it on at work nor do I have any desire to do so. A few times last night, I found myself unconsciously heading for the remote but I stopped myself. I made and ate a leisurely dinner (lemon garlic chicken breast, brussel sprouts in butter and rice with a glass of Murphy-Goode merlot), I read, I emailed a friend. The most important thing was when I felt like going to bed, I went to bed without having to feel like I needed to stay up to finish the show I was watching and AND I was relaxed, both physically and mentally. The mental difference between last night (no TV) and the night before (blood n guts TV) was truly eye-opening. I'm enjoying this.