My Quest to Be Better - Part 2

Thanks for reading Part 1 of "My Quest to Be Better" and for coming back for Part 2 of the story. Wait...if you haven't read Part 1 already, do that first. Here it is.

Continuing from Part 1, the first two daily habits that I identified for My Quest to Be Better were daily steps and daily water consumption. I realized when I idenified these two huge gaps in my daily habits that it made sense why I was so much lower in energy than I should be. Improving my habits in these areas would absolutely improve my quality of life and allow me to BE BETTER. My body wasn't getting the level of movement or hydration that it needed to thrive, or really even live at a baseline healthy level.

The third daily habit that I targeted to improve in My Quest to Be Better was sugar intake. I have self-identified as a sugar addict for most of my life but I am also painfully aware that my level of sugar intake is unhealthy. A high level of sugar intake leads to decreased levels of energy, an unhealthy increase in appetite, and potential for various related health issues down the road. It's a no brainer that if a person wants to live a long and energetic life that they should cut down on sugar. It's starting the practice of cutting sugar intake and making it a habit that's the hard part.

My plan to decrease my daily sugar intake included two components. The first was the elimination of soda from my daily routine. A 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola in the US, for example, contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar. Eliminating any amount of soda from one's routine will have a positive health impact. However, if someone (that someone being me) typically consumes 1-2 cans of soda per day, cutting sugary soda out will undoubtedly lead to better health. The second sugar component was to significantly decrease intake of types of foods that contain high amounts of sugar, such as candy, cookies, cereals, and other similar items.

The key was not to cut sugar out completely but instead to significantly decrease average daily sugar intake and to practice enjoying it in moderation. Since sugar is one of my big weaknesses, this was probably one of the biggest changes to make. The first component of decreasing sugar intake, focusing on cutting soda consumption out, was not as hard as the second. You don't realize how much you snack on sugary stuff until you do an inventory of your daily consumption to try to cut it out.

For the first couple of days, going without sugar didn't seem to be a problem. I significantly increased my water consumption to curb cravings. However, the cravings were still there. I started simply eating a Hershey Kiss here and there when I was having cravings, but trying to limit them to ten Kisses per day. There were a few days when I went overboard and consumed what would have previously been a normal amount of sugar. Part of creating this new habit was knowing that sugar consumption doesn't have to be zero every single day. Instead, it is about regulating and creating a new habit of much lower sugar consumption than before.

The combination of walking more steps each day, consuming significantly more water each day, and significantly decreasing daily sugar intake had an immediate positive effect on my energy and mental health, even on the days when I did not perform perfectly in any of these areas. The difference was clear for both me and my family, and I achieved this in a short time just by treating my body the way our unwritten maintenance manual says that we should. I felt happier on average, woke up easier, had more energy throughout the day, eliminated the afternoon slump, and slept better at night. As I write this, it seems crazy to me that 12,000 steps, 92 ounces of water, and zero to little sugar daily has not always been the common practice for myself or most people.

In the next installment of "My Quest to Be Better," I'll talk more about the other components of my Quest, as well as the challenges and benefits of maintaining these habits.