Originally Posted by
kjmillig
I'm addicted to carbonated drinks, especially colas.
I lack motivation to exercise.
I like to snack, usually on unhealthy foods.
I eat unhealthy meals.
I love bikes but don't ride mine often enough.
I hate the burning in my lungs when my heart rate rises.
I'm inflexible, so exercise hurts.
I look for, or invent, reasons why I can't ride today.
Some possibilities, based on what has helped me so much:
Can you set a goal that guarantees you time & days on the bike? For me, it was becoming a bicycle commuter. Making that commitment was the first domino that started the chain for me. Once I did it, and liked it, I committed, and I slowly got better at it, dropped weight, and learned many of the in's and out's of everyday commuting. We sold one of our cars on Oct 1, and my wife gets the remaining car, so I am in it for serious now. I spend the money I'm saving on gas, insurance, license plate stickers, etc., on bicycle clothing to get me thru the changes mother nature throws at me. I'm still learning, but making it. I'm thankful for living 6 miles from work on 30 mph city streets, and I know that not everybody is that lucky. If commuting is not your thing, perhaps it could be tracking miles in a log, or riding the same loop every day, or training for a special event ride like a cancer benefit or such. I have read a lot of C and A folks who find those motivations effective.
As far as eating, everybody is different, but what has really helped me is keeping healthier stuff prepared and/or on hand so the option is easy to reach for. I found a recipe for no-refined-sugar granola that is not necessarily low calorie, but it is satisfying and packed with almonds and oats that my doc recommended to fight cholesterol. I keep a big ziploc baggie of the stuff around every day and haul it in my panniers to work too. May not work for everybody, but it sure beats what I was eating before. I also get a big bag of Jazz apples every time at the grocery store. Great sweet, healthy snack.
Soda addiction I share with you. I switched to Diet Coke/Pepsi 25 years ago and don't miss the sugar at all (can't even drink a regular any more). If you can switch to diet, you can cut a lot of empty calories but still get the carbonation, etc. Not a perfect solution, and my #1 vice I still have, but at least not the empty sugar calories. This vice will be the hardest for me to kick.
Shake it up, make a couple of commitments for the new year. I hope you find something that works for you. Replace a couple of bad things with good things. I am down 55 pounds, avoided cholesterol meds my doc was going to put me on, and my BP is normal again. And I'm loving the cycling doing it. Even on the cold/rainy/nasty days.