Be Prepared…

When my son joined Scouting, one of the first things he had to learn was the motto, “Be prepared”. Well, this is good advice for us all, and I have to say, I am pretty happy with the way things are going this week. So far every day since Monday I have rolled over four points or more. Having a big rollover balance gives me a sense of accomplishment. It’s just another signal that I’m back on track.

This last period of struggle is the longest one I’ve gone through since I got to goal. I feel like the comeback kid. like it’s all second acts, and underdogs over here. I mean it is a battle to keep it off. The other day a friend said, “Well you keep it off, but it consumes your life.” Ouch. Does this journey consume my life? It does take a lot of effort – but maybe this struggle is making a me a stronger person. One thing I do know for sure is that I feel a lot better, and I believe in me. I am hoping you are on the upside of the journey, but if you’re not keep at it, just don’t stop.

Beauty Benefits…

I came home to the most spectacular sky. The sky was lit orange and salmon, with vivid blues streaking across the horizon, it was an extraordinary expanse of color. It was so surprising, so unexpected. A far cry from the icy, yucky, wintry mix that greeted me on my ride home.

Breathtaking

How does beauty impact your weight loss journey? Appreciating beauty has some remarkable benefits that are easily overlooked. Today was hectic, and it would be easy to just dig into the “have to’s” that consume so much precious time. I have to get home. I have to get to the school to be on time to pick up my son. I have to cook dinner. I have to clean up. I have to work on that proposal. I have to wash my clothes for tomorrow. The list could keep going…

Waiting for my son this was my view out of my rear view window.

The thing is, all that stress makes it harder to stay on track with weight loss goals. That beautiful sky filled me up with a sense of wellbeing. I breathed deeply and marveled at it. I felt good. So, by the time I got home I was ready to do the “have to’s”. It also helped a lot that I planned ahead and had my lunch for tomorrow ready to go. There are choices that can be made that end up really making the difference.

No wonder it’s easy to get off plan and regain weight.

When we are stressed out it depletes our willpower. Willpower is nestled in the Prefrontal Cortex. My guess it’s in the sweet spot between emotion, attention, and judgment! Beauty is a way to offset the life’s stressors. Planning ahead when you’re feeling strong helps for the times when you’re feeling weak. It sounds cliche, but it is all about finding balance. I think my body is an extension of my state of mind.

“November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.”
― Clyde Watson