Time: < 30 Minutes
STEP 1: Decide which days this week you will forego the coffee shop drive-thru and make your coffee at home or enjoy the coffee provided at work. You can always purchase a creamer or vanilla milk to go into your coffee to jazz it up a bit. If you normally stop at Starbucks for your morning coffee, consider purchasing their coffee beans to prepare at home—while they are slightly more expensive than other drip coffee options at the grocery store, you will save significantly more money by preparing your coffee at home.
STEP 2: In the 10 minutes you save on the days you have chosen not to go, make a healthy breakfast or do push-ups, sit ups, and jumping jacks to get your blood pumping for the day. However you choose to substitute those 10 minutes for your morning latte, make sure it is healthy but still provides you with the satisfaction you are looking for, so that you don’t revert back to your old habits.
STEP 3: If lunch is your downfall, determine where you will eat and order a healthy alternative or make something at home. If drive-through options are your usual, consider decreasing the amount of time you go each week by 50%. Make small changes each day and yield long-lasting results toward a lifestyle change. If you try to cut out your “vices” all at once, you risk giving up altogether—so be intentional and realistic while making incremental changes.
STEP 4: If you tend to eat with a certain group of people, let them know that you are making some changes to your schedule and eating habits to be healthier…many times they are happy to eat healthier meals with you. (Most of us just need a little nudge.)
STEP 5: Celebrate the steps you’ve taken towards becoming a better version of yourself. To intensify this concept, look up the calorie, carb, sugar and/or sodium information on your usual drive through menu items. It will be an eye-opening experience!
