“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~John Wooden

It’s Monday and it’s time to have a plan in place for the week. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate plan, it just needs to be one that you can use as a guideline to keep focused on what’s most important to you. We are all busy and our schedules tend to become even busier as the week goes on, so don’t expend any un-neccessary energy worrying about what you can’t do or don’t have time to do….simply highlight what you CAN do and go from there. Choose 2 or 3 things that are most important to you and your weight loss success and put them at the top of your priority list. I mean WAY at the top…like just under feeding your children and brushing your teeth! Our health is IMPORTANT and it deserves top billing on our list of “to-do’s”!!!!

For me, no matter how busy my family or work schedule is, exercise and meal planning are a must. Without those two things in place I find my weeks turn chaotic very, very quickly and chaos often is a trigger for mindless eating. I need to have an appointment with myself to run or workout each day and that appointment is as important as any appointment I make with anyone else. No matter how early I have get up in the morning to keep that committment, that’s what I try to do because it’s a priority. Not only do I need that exercise to maintain my weight, I need it for my health AND my sanity!!!! I NEVER “feel like” getting out of bed when it’s still dark outside but I also NEVER regret it when I am finished either! It helps my life to work for me!

As for meal planning….I enjoy thinking about food, what can I say?????? I find that when I have exciting and tasty meals to look forward to and ready to prepare easily (my microwave and my crockpot are two of my BEST friends in the kitchen!!) I don’t spend time thinking of unhealthy choices nearly as often. It takes some time to keep the meal ideas at my house fresh and fun but it’s SO WORTH the effort! No one, whether they are on WW or not, likes to eat the same boring foods, so meal planning for new ideas is something that makes life more fun for everyone. I don’t love to grocery shop, but it’s a means to an end and again, the week just works better when the house is stocked with healthy options.

So today, if you haven’t already, “Plans Your Work and Work Your Plan” and see how much more enjoyable and relaxing your week will be AND how it positively it affects your weight loss!