Breaking old habits

The scale has not moved but that's ok. I'm working on developing new habits, or rather breaking old ones. 

It's crazy how quickly we develop new habits. Back in the summer, even though I was pretty lax on what I ate, I did not snack. Ever. Or very very rarely. Lately, I have had what feels like scheduled snacks. I have a small snack at 2 in the afternoon and then usually again around 4 or 4:30 after I finish work. It's a small snack, but it's a snack and it has become the norm.  I need to get back into my proper eating window of 2 meals (no snacks). 

I'm desperately trying to break those little habits that have crept back into my life. Habits that I didn't even notice were happening because they had just become the norm. 

The goal this week is to break old habits and create new ones. I'm trying to break the habit of snacking in the afternoon. That means I have to eat enough at lunch to sustain my hunger pangs until dinner time. I'm pretty good about not eating anything after 7:30. 

I have managed to greatly reduce the number of carbs I have been eating and I've already noticed I'm sleeping much more soundly and my skin is improving! Yay... so good news on that front.  Eating less carbs should help with the "snacking" too.... 

Like a smack in the face!

 For the last year I have been satisfied with my weight. Although I would love to drop lower and finally get and STAY in the 160s, it hasn't been a priority and I've been more than satisfied living my life in the 170s. 

For over a year I have shuffled between 170 and 178 comfortably while still living a good life. I haven't been exercising, I've been able to socialize with family and friends and not worrying about what I eat, life has been good and I've been happily maintaining. 

Until this week. On January 30th when I stepped on the scale it read 181.3. It's only a couple lbs from where I was the week before, but there was something about that 8 that smacked me in the face. 

I was down all day. I ate chocolate and candy and just wallowed. A stupid number made me feel so bad. 

I always told myself that regardless what the scale said, I would base my "health" and wellbeing on how I was feeling. When I stopped to think about that, I had to admit to myself that I haven't been feeling great. I know my clothes are tighter than they have been, my skin is awful right now and I have woken up a few times lately and hubby has told me I am snoring again. All signs that the extra few lbs are hurting me. It's not just a number... it's reality. 

I think deep down I knew that I've been overplaying my hand with the drinks and the snacks and the sweets, but I kept saying to myself "As long as the scale keeps in the 170s, I'm doing alright!". Well, the scale shifted and therefore, I need to shift too. 

I'm not going to start any new diet or way of eating, I'm just going to seriously reel things in this time. I need to feel better.