Mo Reilley

The 21 Day Theory

Like most of you, I am a creature of habit. Some good. Some bad. Then there are those not yet in existence… which is why I’m embarking on this journey. Whether you’re familiar or not with the “21 Day Theory” it goes a little something like this: There’s the rule that states, ‘repeat a behavior for 21 days and it will become so ingrained that it becomes habit’. This rule applies to making new habits as well as breaking old or bad ones.

I have plenty of areas in my life that need improving, but for this “experiment” let’s focus on exercise (and perhaps overall health). It’s all in the mind. I’ve started and stopped a “workout plan” twice already this Summer. The trick is to get your body to either match what you know you can do in your mind OR defeat what your mind is telling you you cannot do. I’m having to put aside all of my excuses and am REALLY putting the theory to the test with this! Here’s a glimpse into my journey…

In the Winter of 2008, I’d say I was in the best physical shape & appearance (in my opinion) of my adult life. I weighed around 168lbs, had a golden tan (prob NOT so smart but I looked good), was exercising occasionally, and was eating fairly healthy foods (when I found time for a meal). Anyway, I looked damn good… see:

Come Springtime of 2009, I was still looking and feeling good. I stopped going to the fake and bake. Was holding strong around 170lbs and still eating pretty good. That is if you excuse all of the late night trips to Chinese Buddha or Landmark Diner. Ha! This picture was taken in May of 2009.

Now we’re gettin somewhere. In June I got the awesome news that I was pregnant. In July, we find out it’s twins! Ready to fast forward 9 months? BAM!! One week before delivering my awesome little men, here I stand at 260lbs. Yep, I gained 90lbs during my pregnancy. Everything was great & we were all perfectly healthy. Then comes the part I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared to deal with.I lost 45lbs that first week after giving birth. What the?! It wasn’t the weight DURING the pregnancy that broke me down, it was the after effect. Lol! I was in this weird ‘reverse mommy body’ stage. Not pregnant anymore, but not quite fitting back into all of my old clothes. So what did that mean? Time to work out! Of course that was short lived (both times) because well, I was busy with work, and twins, and life, and excuses, and more excuses.
Three months later, I’d say I was looking pretty good. I’d have my “I look & feel great” moments but I have also been having way too many “Yuk foo” moments about my body image. So, it’s time…

Here we are 4 1/2 months later. Time to stop b.s.’ing and get things together. I’ve been cooking a lot more which is cheaper and healthier than going out (stay tuned for more “Domestication of Mo” posts). I’ve just gotta stick with that and stop being tempted by the drive thru & the weekend mailer coupons for restaurants! Lol! The goal is to test the “21 Day Theory” and create the habit of exercise. After the three weeks it SHOULD be habit and I SHOULD want to continue without giving it a second thought. Of course we’ve selected one of THEE most difficult workouts ever (P90X) to test the theory. Beyond the exercise, I’m really looking to make a lifestyle change (eating, sleeping, task managing, etc) and I think the discipline to workout everyday will help with everything else. Hopefully you guys will check in on me and hold me accountable; and maybe even get inspired. Please feel free to leave comments!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 at 9:07 pm. It is filed under Life and tagged with 21 Day Theory, exercise, fitness, habit, health, Mo Reilley, P90x, workout. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.