She Says: A Different Kind Of Challenge
Morning! Because I enjoyed so many sweets yesterday I was really in need of some fruits today. I started with apples, bananas and plain Greek Yogurt. Perfecto.
It’s time for a new challenge. For these two weeks Mark and I are participating in Leng’s Salad Challenge, but I also want to do something else. After the Raw Challenge I explained that I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do food-wise. Sometimes after a challenge I need a break from scrutinizing my food intake. So, in the spirit of overall healthy living, I’ve decided it’s time to work on quitting a terrible habit I have: nail biting.
These are my gross nails as of this morning.
I think nail biting is unhealthy for several reasons:
- It’s gross to put my dirty fingers in my mouth.
- It’s a physical sign of stress and uneasiness.
- It’s unsightly.
- I am not a 10 year old boy.
I found this on WebMd this morning:
- About half of all children between the ages of 10 and 18 bite their nails at one time or another. Nail-biting occurs most often as teens are going through puberty changes.
- Some young adults, ages 18 to 22 years, bite their nails.
- Only a small number of other adults bite their nails. Most people stop biting their nails on their own by age 30.
- Boys bite their nails more often than girls after age 10.
I mean how embarrassing. It was really bad when I would be in a meeting with adult lawyers and have to point to things on a page.
I bite my nails out of stress. To combat this, I will simply stop. I think this will be pretty easy. The harder part will be nail biting out of habit or boredom. This will be harder because it’s not really a conscious thing. I’ve heard it takes 21 days to break a habit, so 30 days should be perfect.
Do you have a bad habit you would like to stop?
Feel free to join me on my 30 Day Break the Habit Challenge! Mark is going to try to think of habit to break, but we can’t think of anything for him yet.
Tags: apple, banana, Break the Habit Challenge, Greek Yogrt
April 13th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Good luck!!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I am very judgmental/critical and a whiner at times; two things I REALLY want to stop being! I am trying to literally PRESS my lips together and not say something at times!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Stopping biting my nails was one of the HARDEST things I’ve ever done! The only thing that REALLY stopped me was when I got fake nails put on for a wedding, and I just kept getting them filled until my real nails grew out. That, and scraping my nails on a bar of soap.
Bad habit I need to break? Eating when I’m not hungry.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:10 am
I don’t bite my nails, but my stress habit is picking at my cuticles!!! My thumbs are so bad that the nails grow with ridges in them! It is a stress habit and then it becomes one of boredom and habit so I totally understand where you are coming from! I will go along with you on this one…my husband will be happy!~
April 13th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Oh wow, I don’t bite my nails, but good luck with this challenge!!!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Nice challenge!
I don’t bite my nails, but I pick at them – like hold them right up close to my face (trust me – it looks WAY FRICKIN’ goofier and obsessive than nail biting)
April 13th, 2009 at 10:17 am
that’s a hard challenge, to break an habit that you had all your life will be hard. I can tell u that I had this habit until last year, so 27 years!!! I stopped biting them once I began to go to a manicure regularly!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Good luck with the challenge! I am not a nail biter but know a few people who are, it can be a tough habit to break. I agree with the above commenter, a manicure may help you.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:23 am
You sound like you’re ready for change! For me, I have the horrible tendency to bite at the skin around my nails. It looks awful and I agree that it’s horrible to have my fingers in my mouth when they’re dirty. I’ll try my best to follow your challenge, but this is going to be rough! I’m not sure how effective just going cold turkey is going to be for me.
I’ll give it a shot for sure though.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:25 am
That just looks painful! I used to bite my nails when I was younger, but now I don’t ever have the urge.
I have several bad habits, including just “taking a bite” here and there between meals (and photographs). It’s really bad during meal prep…like I just can’t wait 5 minutes to freakin’ eat! I’m really going to try to cut that out.
I think Mark could try to post more than once a month…;)
April 13th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I bite my nails too! Maybe I’ll try to stop it too!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I dont bite my nails, I am going to have to think about a habbit I can quit!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I really need to break the habit of stress eating. i’m trying to be very positive about all my nutrition goals though, so I need to figure out how to phrase it. Maybe something more like when stressed I will call or email a friend. that might be good.
I was dying for some fruits and veggies today after this weekend!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Good luck!! I break bad habits the same way you do – just stop!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I have the same bad habit! I tried to break it last summer by putting on clear nail polish. That worked, until I got too lazy to paint my nails!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Good luck with the challenge! I have heard painting your nails can help as well.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:59 am
great challenge! i used to bite my nails all the time, too. I still catch myself doing it every now and then if I’m really stressed out or anxious about something. painting my nails (even when super short) definitely helps because then I don’t want to “mess them up”.
I’m up for a challenge! I have a few habits I want to break, so I’ll think of one.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Great challenge! Good luck with the nail biting. I definitely pick at my nails all the time. They’re really weak for some reason and always peel (grosss). I think you’ll be able to nip this one in the bud pretty easily. I hope
April 13th, 2009 at 11:00 am
do you have a replacement behavior? i think that would be helpful anytime you have the urge to nail bite. it’s gonna be hard cuz you are always WITH your nails
i’m thinking about this from a behaviorist’s point of view, hehe. if you can think of an “alternate” behavior that is similar with similar “rewards” it would be perfect!!! (ideas: finger pressure points, self finger massage, putting on chapstick/lip gloss, filing your nails…)
April 13th, 2009 at 11:11 am
im joinging on the nail biting challenge. I began biting as a VERY young age bc my dad does it. Him and my brother’s nails are really just cuticles because they are so short! I have tried in the past to break the habit —(I even put vinegar, nail polish remover, or anything else that is gross tasting on my nails just so I not bite them) So I really want to succeed in this LOL. 30 days to gorgeous nails!
April 13th, 2009 at 11:19 am
that potato pancake from a few posts back looks delicious. and good luck on the nail biting challenge!
April 13th, 2009 at 11:28 am
I am trying to break the habit of eating as if it my last meal and someone is also about to take the food away at any second. I want to practice slowing down. I never did bite my nails but a similar habit is that I pick my lips. Ew.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Good luck! I have the nastiest habit of picking at my face. I don’t even notice half of the time when I’m doing it until my face is read. So gross! I’ve been better about it the last few weeks but this morning for some reason I started it again. Gotta stop!
April 13th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
My kids tend to be nail biters so when I catch them at it I have them sit on their hands! Sometimes it distracts them enough to stop while other times they’re back at it 5 minutes later!!!
April 13th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I bite my nails too! I’m going to try and keep up with your challenge and stop as well.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
PS My dad once told me he’d give me 300 dollars if I would quit biting my nails – and I still couldn’t do it!
April 13th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I bite my nails too! I know its gross… but I don’t even know I’m doing it half the time
I am going to try your challenge and see if I can do it.. I really want to stop since my wedding is in 7 months and don’t want to have to get fake nails because I can’t stop biting mine.. Good Luck!!
April 13th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Great challenge! I never had the “bite my nails habit” for whatever reason, but my bro was a HUGE nail biter – it got really bad to the point where it looked like his nails were going to come off. Then (and I apologize if this is TMI) one day he got a wart on his finger and bit his nails…and he got warts on his lip! My cutey little brother looked like a witch/warlock
He quit cold turkey then and now is wart-free and much happier! How’s that for motivation? LOL – I don’t know if that’s what you wanted to hear or not. But the point is, I totally think you can do it and I wish you the best of luck!
I am going to try to think of a habit I have and see if I can join you. What comes to mind right now is the fact that I always say I’m going to organize but never do. I really need to get my stuff together before I move into a new apartment at the end of June, so maybe this month will motivate me to do so!
Last but not least…I am SO PUMPED for those cookies
April 13th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I love a good challenge, especially when it’s productive. I’m going to try giving up eating out of boredom. It’ll be hard, but hopefully I’ll cultivate some new interests!
April 13th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
wow Mark, so hard to think of a bad habit lol! Good luck Heather. If you can do it, I will pass your strategies onto my roommate trev, terrible nail bitter!
April 13th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I’m with you! I’ve bitten my nails for forever (ad I pick at my cuticules sometimes). I was actually just thinking of making a concious effort to stop a couple of weeks ago. This is motivation for me to really do it! I think I’ll paint my nails tonight… maybe that will help because I won’t want to mess up the polish!
April 13th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
nice job on the run from your previous post! Hope you had a great easter! Thank you for the congrats! congrats to you for fessing up to nail biting. good habit to break! wwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
April 13th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
ohhh…i’ll have to think of a habit to quit….hope the nails one works out for you!
April 13th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
good luck with the challenge! that’s some interesting info from webmd. i’m trying to “help” my bf stop biting his nails…and by help, i mean glare at him whenever i catch him doing it. i have so many nervous habits…i’ll have to choose a good one to break!
April 13th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I am a crazy nail biter, too! Always have been and fear that I always will be. It is soooo embarasing to have messed up nail beds and peeley nails. I’ll throw my hat in the ring for the challenge!
April 13th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Good luck! If you can grow them out a bit, get a manicure – that helps me to not pick at them. I don’t bite, but I do pick sometimes (when I’m stressed). Okay, I’m joining you in a no bingeing/snacking after dinner challenge. Gah, I try this all the dang time and it never works. Maybe this time though! Starting NOW!
April 13th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Good luck stopping the nail biting. It could be worse – my college roommate used to bite her cuticles until they bled – a painful habit. I have many bad habits, but unfortunately I don’t have the motivation to stop any of them right now.
I admire your fortitude.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
thanks for the non-food challenge. I am a nail-biter too =( gluck!
April 13th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Ughhh I definitely would like to stop biting my nails as well… good luck!
April 13th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
I bite my nails!!! I hate it. And it’s totally stress induced. If you find it too hard to do cold turkey, I know that there are these clear nail polishes that are sold that taste GROSS. So when you put your nails to your mouth, it’s gross and you don’t want to do it…Sound cruel but I hear it works!
I stop periodically but around final times, good bye nails…I hope I’m just in that young adults group and then I’m out! hahah
April 14th, 2009 at 8:19 am
I’m on board for a 30 day challenge. I’m awful about biting my nails and cuticles. It’s something I’ve done my entire life and my nails look awful because of it.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Good luck with this! My David bites his nails to and it drives me crazy!
April 14th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
ah im soooo bad at biting my nails too! theyre so ugly! i will be taking part in this challenge! ahh cant wait to have pretty hands
April 14th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
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October 8th, 2009 at 12:43 am
I bite my nails just as badd as you do…ive tried everything. ive had fake nails on for up to four months, and couldnt kick the habit. its horrible. i hope it worked for you thouhg