forming healthy habits

Crazy things are happening over here. We're switching up our eating and exercise habits a bit for the next 3 weeks in an effort to kickstart a healthier lifestyle. According to these health behavior researchers, the theory that habits are formed in 21 days originated with Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon who also had an interest in psychology.

He said, ‘It usually requires a minimum of about 21 days to effect any perceptible change in a mental image. Following plastic surgery it takes about 21 days for the average patient to get used to his new face. When an arm or leg is amputated the “phantom limb” persists for about 21 days. People must live in a new house for about three weeks before it begins to “seem like home”. These, and many other commonly observed phenomena tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell.’ (from Psycho-cybernetics by Maltz) 

The relevance of this figure in regards to building and breaking typical habits hasn't been proven, but we thought 21 days still seemed like a good length of time to implement some changes. Long enough to see results and short enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's way more realistic to say i'm going 3 weeks without candy than to say I'm never eating it again.  

We're not being ridiculously strict about things, but we are making a joint effort to eliminate cut down on processed foods, eat a more balanced diet, and exercise with a purpose. We're setting goals and documenting progress, trying to drink more water and get more sleep, and hoping to gain an even bigger appreciation for food and how it impacts the way that we feel. 

After I pitched this idea to Sal, she asked me if Sundrop was processed, so we'll see how this goes :) 

Happy Monday,