Wednesday Weekly: Set Up Your Path

This week's meeting topic focuses on reflection and planning your actions.

Every action creates a re-action. But you can manage these reactions if you have a plan.

The easiest thing to do is start with a healthy choice. When you make a healthy choice you feel good and your next action is likely to be healthy as well.

Take for example eating out. Think about eating out in terms of each healthy step and you'll reach your goal.

Step 1 - decide where you're eating
Step 2 - look at the menu in advance
Step 3 - decide what you're going to order
Step 4 - when you get to the restaurant order first before anyone else so you won't deviate from your plan.
Step 5 - enjoy a successful meal out without feeling guilty!

But think how any weak link can derail you from your goal. If, for example, you don't look at the menu before you go you might find yourself at the restaurant, hungry, and tempted by less than healthy options.

You can also reflect and work backwards here - think about a situation where you didn't follow through with a healthy goal. Look back at each step and try to think about what the weak link was. Where did it fall through and what can you do differently the next time in order to be successful?

Reflection can be an important part of this process. Look back over your day before you hit the pillows- how did you do? Did you track? Earn some FitPoints? Eat what you planned to eat? Or did you get derailed? If you did get derailed, use your reflection time to think about how it happened and what you can do differently tomorrow.

Or maybe you had a great day! Reflect on why it was so awesome and think about what you can do tomorrow to replicate those good feelings!

Either way, planning and reflecting can be important tools for getting to goal and staying there.

This morning, I was derailed. I knew there was going to be a breakfast provided. I didn't know what it would be so I ate breakfast at home. This way if there was nothing to eat (sometimes it's all eggs and with an extremely allergic child I avoid them myself as well) I wouldn't be hungry and if there were things to eat I wouldn't be tempted.

Well, I was tempted. I probably shouldn't have even walked into the room, but I wanted a chance to hang with my colleagues so I figured I'd just have my coffee. But after a few minutes I admit the smells got to me. And I had a small bagel, 2 Hershey's kisses, a chocolate chunk cookie, and a granola bar.

So where did I derail? I'm not sure. I think today it was just not feeling like being a weight watcher for a few minutes. I'm not certain why I went off my plan. At any rate - it's done, tracked, and I'll be moving on. No worries, no guilt. These things happen.

Part of my reflection over the years has allowed me to realize that, once in a while, eating poorly isn't going to make me gain back every pound I've lost, but allowing myself to beat myself up over it and head into a downward spiral over it can.

So think about your action plan each day, and reflect so you can do better tomorrow. Goal doesn't happen by accident. Maintaining doesn't happen by magic. You gotta set up a path for success and it all starts in your head.

See you Friday!