August Healthy Habit

I’ve done this for a few years now — starting a healthy habit in August. In the past, I’ve asked readers to join me in cutting down on sugar consumption or starting or maintaining their own healthy habit.

While being injured for the better part of two years, the decreased running combined with eating out of boredom has led to me gaining around ten pounds. In a future post I’ll be writing about what I’ve started to try and get the weight off, but that isn’t going to be my healthy habit. Instead, I’m planning on starting two. First, I’m going to have a mostly alcohol-free August. Instead of drinking at home on a semi- (OK, more than semi) regular basis, I’m going to save imbibing once-a-week or less. This will mean I’ll have to plan ahead to when I have occasions where I may want to drink, and abstaining at other occasions where drinking is occurring. At the end of the month, I want to say I’ve had four drinks or fewer.

My other healthy habit will be to limit sugar to less than 36 grams per day on average. On its face, this healthy habit looks easy — just don’t eat sweets. When I’ve done this in the past, however, there are lots of ways sugar can end up in my diet: cereal, yogurt, BBQ sauce. So, it’s not just avoiding sweets. It’s also being mindful of ingredients and portion sizes.

So there are my healthy habits. I’m committed to them for the month of August and am hoping to be feeling healthier coming into September when my marathon training will be at it’s most intense.

What about you? Any healthy habits you want to continue or start in August? I’d love to hear from you.