Habit Vs. Routine

How long does it take to create a routine?

I have been far more consistent the last few weeks with going to the gym. Last 3 weeks I haver gone at least twice a week.  I asked Facebook last night and my friend S said it becomes a habit when you no longer have to think about it. Another friend said 21 days and another said a month.  If you go by S's statement which I quite like,  my morning of getting up and being to work by 730 is just a routine. I don't think about it anymore. I just wake up and try to leave by 630 or earlier. Part of it is traffic. The earlier I leave the less I am in the car sitting in traffic. And since work currently has OT, we all win :) Or most importantly, my savings account wins. Which means by doing OT in the morning, I can leave work at a reasonable time and go to the gym. Which is what I have done the last few weeks.  I really want to be able to keep this up. It is very important to me.

Oh, I am trying something new when I go out to dinner. I try to leave something on the plate. Since the portions are so huge, there is more than enough for several meals. So I am trying very hard to not "clean my plate" Its harder than it sounds. I feel like since I was a kid that my parents always told me to finish  my food when we went out to dinner. So the impulse to always finish my food when I am already full is there. Which I feel, at least for me, makes me over eat and continue to eat when I am full. So far so good. Sometimes I save the leftovers and forget them in the fridge. But it feels so wastefull to not try and save the food. But on the other hand, it just takes up space in my fridge.

Ok, Back to your regular scheduled program!