I started a healthy eating habit about two months ago.

I decided I was going to try to follow Primal eating based on Mark Sisson’s books and blog. So basically, no wheat, no grains, lots of veggies, regular amounts of meat, and fat is ok. I chose this because several friends of mine who I trust researched it, did it, and recommended it.

Last year I attempted it and failed. But what stuck with me was that I felt noticeably better than I did previously when attempting to eat “clean” - when I went low fat. The afternoon slump in energy I had disappeared, I felt more satisfied with my meals. Pretty soon not eating grains was more to avoid that heavy feeling rather than for any health or weight loss gains.

Two months ago I decided to eat Primal, but decided not to worry about it. If I messed up, no biggie. And in general, I don’t care about eating out occasionally - getting pizza or sushi. I just don’t worry about it and just generally try to keep to it.

It has been phenomenally successful, both in terms of a habit and in terms of fat loss. I’ve lost 5-6 belt buckle loops, the bloat of my gut is gone and I feel great. But my main concern is with the habit.

I initially thought I’d have to start slow - make a habit of not drinking anything but water…then build up. But I’ve been rock solid, and I think there are several reasons why it could be this. 

1. I don’t care about it, but I feel better when I do it.

2. There is a carrot and stick element to this - It makes me feel better, but when I don’t do it I feel horrible. I think I’m sticking to it more because I don’t want to feel awful. 

3. The area I’m living makes it hard to get good carby food . It’s rural, there are only a few restaurants nearby, and I’m not next to, say, a Mexican restaurant (my Kryptonite) - it’s easier to eat like this in this location.

4. It’s only been 2 months - I estimate a habit to fully form in eating clean to take at least 250 days. It feels rock solid now, but is it really? I should take a SRHI and analyze it.

The reason why this is important is because it appears, points #3 and #4 notwithstanding, that I’ve created an incredibly difficult habit by just not caring about it, in an easy stress free manner. How can I analyze this and apply what I get to other habits? More on this later…