Okay, so here's the idea

I figure, since I've been overweight (about 11 years now), I've just been cultivating bad habits for everything. It's not a matter of staying on a diet, it's more a mindset. I get in the habit of eating a candy bar almost every day at work, or drinking a coke to stay awake. Since I'm a bus driver, I've convinced myself that this is needed. When in fact, I should just be getting more sleep. However, breaking habits is not so easy to do. Especially with eating and exercise I think, because they become so ingrained in us, that we don't know they are habits that CAN and SHOULD be broken. The idea of this is not to ever eat another candy bar, or drink another soda, etc. It's just to get out of the habit of consuming them without thinking.

I've heard it takes 21 days to break a habit. But I'm not going to give it quite that long with each one, before moving to the next. So, here's what I propose. I'm going to break 1 habit, over a 1 week period. Then the next week, I'll move onto another one, while hopefully maintaining what I've accomplished the following week. I'll be doing one food related, and one exercise related habit every 2 weeks. Besides that, I won't be concentrating on any other type of food or exercise, because I want to give my full attention to those two. So what I'll be posting every day, internet willing (mines cranky when there's a lot of snow) is whether or not I've accomplished each goal, what I weigh, and how I feel.

I don't expect to lose a lot of weight right off the bat, but what I do hope for is to gradually lose it over the course of the year. I specifically don't want this to be a drastic diet so that I can stick to it with no problem.

The way I'll be weighing is AFTER breakfast, and with my gown ON. And I'll only be weighing ONCE. No more stepping back on it 5 times. Before, I always weighed with all my clothes off and first thing in the morning with an empty stomach. But, I think this just gives me false hopes. Then I keep stepping back on the scale over and over again. So, no more. I mean, let's be realistic.

So, without further ado. It's a yes, if I accomplished it for the day, and a No if I fell off the wagon. Here is the first habit I'm trying to break:

No caffeine, including any kind of soda, tea, and coffee. Excludes chocolate right now. That will be another habit on it's own. Symptoms I'm expecting are a really big caffeine headache. Ever get those? Usually only last a couple of days if I remember right.

No soda: Yes!!

Weight: 256 lbs.

How do I feel: Great! Overall not a bad day!

Good luck everybody, and I hope this helps.