I agree with the research that shows that it takes 21 days to break a habit - good or bad. So many of my unhealthy habits were just that... habits. Here are a few: overeating (just too big of portion sizes), eating what my kids didn't finish, wanting something sweet after eating, or a flavor to balance a remnant flavor in my mouth. You know that one - you've just eaten and you smack your lips together and think "hmm... I could use something sweet (salty, tangy, etc) right now."
I've replaced a few of these bad habits with other habits. Sometimes I think my new habits are good, sometimes they're not. First, I chew a lot of gum. Currently, my favorite is Stride Mint. I probably chew 4-5 pieces a day. When I'm done eating, instead of doing that smacking of my lips and analyzing the flavors in my mouth, I pop a piece of minty gum. Some people say to brush your teeth, but I don't find that as convenient. I also like Trident Layers and Ice Cubes.
A side benefit of my gum chewing is that at times I now look at a food item (usually a splurge item) and realize that I'm going to wash the flavor out of my mouth when I'm done and then I reevaluate if the food is even worth the short lived flavor. There are several fabulous foods that I don't wash out, it's usually the middle of the road stuff - like frozen yogurt. It also comes in handy when there are needless snacking items around (like at a party). Gum is pretty much my will-power police force.
Questionable good habit #2 is my increased coffee drinking. I don't drink soda (I gave that up about 2 years ago and I was a huuuge Diet Coke person). I have always loved coffee and since changing my eating habits, I've begun to drink a lot more coffee. It's my comfort food. Especially since if I put a tiny bit of sugar free vanilla coffemate creamer in it, it's only 15 calories total and can tide me over between meals. It also didn't help the habit to get a single cup Keurig machine a few months back. Man, I love that machine. I do try to drink tea too, but I just love coffee. I'm not sure that falls under the good or bad habit. But, since it replaces needless snacking and allows me to cut back something unhealthy, I'll call it a good habit.
Most afternoons, I heat up 1/2 cup of milk in the microwave and then brew coffee into that cup. It's my little homemade latte for $.50, I get the dietary benefits of the milk, and it's only 55 calories. It's either that or take a nap and there sure isn't time for a nap. I even went out and got one of those reusable mugs that looks like a Starbucks mug (with the sleeve thing), so I can feel like I went to Starbucks even though I didn't. It's a comfort thing. Not that I don't do my share of Starbucks runs.
More on drinks tomorrow.