The Importance of Routine

The Importance of Routine

Often as I go about my days and my week I am reminded of the how routines play such an important role in my life.  My routines can be healthy or unhealthy, and either way they feel like a familiar friend, but the difference between the value that a healthy relationship adds to my life and an unhealthy relationship is as stark as night and day.

Unhealthy routines cause chaos.  It sounds ironic that a routine can cause chaos but unhealthy routines do cause a certain amount of chaos and drama in my life similar to that of a dysfunctional friend/relationship would.

They are familiar, yes, but always leave me feeling inadequate and hollow, with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.  They leave me feeling like I am somehow intrinsically flawed, intrinsically "not enough", and, well, slightly unlovable. 

Healthy routines, on the other hand, are life giving, nurturing, and result in a certain structure of order and peace that, when is absent from my day or my week, is quite noticeable.  Healthy routines allow me to REST in the habit of good decision making, because once a healthy routine is begun, the HABIT takes over and while the CHOICE still exists, it feel automatic to choose wisely.

Even though I have overcome much in my health journey, I still have freedom of choice to engage either in my Healthy Habits Routine or my Unhealthy Habits Routine.

What does each one look like?  I'll paint a picture for you:

My Healthy Habit Routine is very structured.  Once I flip the switch in the morning, it is almost automatic.  It includes 6 healthy fuelings per day for my food, 90 ounces of water for my water, and regular healthy motion.

My Unhealthy Habit Routine is very unstructured and chaotic.  If I don't make the conscious decision in the morning to flip the switch of my Healthy Habits Routine, my Unhealthy Habit Routine is poised to take over that day.  This involves anything from NOT getting my water in (and early) to making unhealthy eating decisions including food and drink that I would not engage in when on my Healthy Habit Routine.

Occasionally my Unhealthy Habit Routine will last for days.  Usually not, but if it does I ALWAYS pay the price with rapid weight gain.  And I'm not kidding around here.  It is a myth that obese people will some day be able to "eat normal" (what IS "eating normal" anyway LOL?).  And it isn't my weight LOSS that MADE me prone to quick and easy weight gain.  I am SIMPLY PRONE to quick and easy weight gain, which is WHY I ended up yo-yoing for years and years and years and being 272 pounds at my last (and final) high weight.

No.  I blame no one and no THING for my propensity to quickly and easily store excess calories (especially simple carbs including refined sugar, white flour, baked goods, etc) as fat.  It is simply the way my body handles that type of energy.  I am SO thankful that I KNOW THAT and as a result of Dr. A's Habits of Health and setting up HEALTHY routines for myself I can still live the life I WANT to live and not feel like a victim.

You see, I HAVE the proper tools to be healthy.  And I utilize them regularly.  When I don't engage in Habits of Health, I have a choice to make.  Gain weight or revert BACK to my Habits of Health immediately.

So that is the choice before me on days the unhealthy habits routine come in to play.  DECIDE, make the CHOICE, to adopt my healthy habit routine again.  Not next week, not next month, but RIGHT NOW.

Because I am SO worth the effort.  As are you.

Choose wisely.  Choose Habits of Health.