Present and Mindful – September Recap

On By Suzanne@PictureRetirementIn month in review

Knitting daily life around goal setting and achievement created a beautiful patchwork of challenges and successes this month. Learning to ‘manage’ social outings and cravings was the hardest part of my weight loss plan. However, willpower remains in ample supply, and I have positive results to share. After twenty-eight days of a low-calorie, high-protein diet, I have lost 5 pounds, and I am on target for my goal of 10 pounds by early November.

Conquering Cravings and Maintaining Willpower

Setting short-term goals, establishing daily meal plans, adhering to a fitness schedule, recording progress, maintaining a food journal, and saying yes to social outings required constant attention. Doing those things with intention provided the focus I needed to stay on track.

Having a glass of wine, a piece of cake, or some other diet-restricted item is the fastest way to derail a plan, if you let it. I did that twice this month, and although there were consequences, I didn’t feel guilty or derailed. I decided beforehand that I would ‘cheat’ and immediately resume the plan. By giving myself permission to indulge, I took away the guilt, acknowledged the consequences, and accepted the outcome.

I know I won’t master willpower and cravings long-term by allowing myself little ‘cheats’, and I honestly don’t want to live that way. But I can make short-term sacrifices that produce results. Hopefully, those results will inspire me to restrict overindulgence in the future through mindful living. In the meantime, I am getting good at distracting myself with imaginary chores, trips to the market, computer cleanup, photo organizing, and reading.

Social September

September was more social than I anticipated. Dinner out, a birthday celebration, and hosting friends in our home required lots of mindful choices. Malcolm baked twice this month – once in celebration of Fall (Pumpkin Bread), and once to share with friends (Tres Leches Cake). I sampled one, but not the other. Guess which?

Below is my Mahjongg group celebrating a Birthday. Not that we need an occasion to open a bottle of Proscesso. In case you are wondering, nope, I did not indulge.

Smiles

My brother sent me the image on the left. He, I, and our Dad around 1956 or 1957. Not sure how old I was in the photo. The picture on the right is my daughter rowing on Lake Louise in Canada on a recent trip to that area. Photos of her travels always make me smile.

Things are looking good as we fade into October. The weather is beginning to change, Tennis season (league play) is just around the corner, and I have been invited to play on a new team (new friends to meet), old friends are returning from up North, the kids are visiting next weekend, and we have a Fall trip to Kentucky to look forward to. Life is good.

Are you facing a challenge? What devices do you use to stay on track, boost motivation, and monitor progress?

38 thoughts on “Present and Mindful – September Recap”

  1. Hi Suzanne – I think an occasional treat isn’t cheating, it’s just a little delight to help you stay on track for the majority of the time. It sounds like life is very pleasant and that there’s even more lovely stuff coming. We have our son, DIL, and grandgirls coming next week – family just makes my heart happy…. we’ll be enjoying our October family time on opposite sides of the world!

    Like

    Reply

  2. Sounds like you came up with a very workable plan for you, and that’s always a good thing. I do more individual projects and follow through until I’m done. I will readily admit some are more successful than others. 🙂 Happy October, and I raise my coffee cup to your success on the last 5 lbs and that you enjoy your upcoming visit, trip, and games.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Hi Judy, short-term projects are satisfying. That is also how I view the weight loss. Go at it hard for a while, then relax, but with a maintenance plan in place. Happy October to you! We are under tropical storm warnings today and tomorrow. High surf, wind, and rain, nothing too serious just yet.

      Like

      Reply

  3. I admire your willpower to resist more treats (such as that prosecco!) but I don’t think you should regard it as cheating to allow yourself the odd one along the way. Personally I find it easier to stick to a plan to lose some weight if I decide from the start that I won’t be too rigid. If I am, then any lapse feels like failure and I can be inclined to give up, whereas if these little treats are built into my plan they are less likely to derail it 🙂 I’m glad to hear you’re doing so well – your system obviously works for you!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Sarah, I regret the word ‘cheat’ and should have used ‘treat’ as you and others have suggested. It has a pleasant ring to it that is much more motivational. Low-calorie, high-protein works for me, but it does require patience, which is why I set a 10-pound goal with a timeframe. I find that short-term goals work best for me. I am less likely to go completely off the rails if I see progress.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. Your way of staying on track is working for you and I couldn’t be happier for you. You ask: What devices do you use to stay on track, boost motivation, and monitor progress? I’m not sure that I have any, but I also know I may not have a track to be on, so it makes sense.

    Like

    Reply
  5. My Retirement Reflections's avatar My Retirement Reflections

    What a great start to your journey, Suzanne! I am so happy for you! I looked back through my records, and my largest one month weight loss total was between 3-4 pounds, but I was very much a work in progress at that point, so my trajectory line was definitely not straight.

    I will say that after 8 months of working on my unhealthy attitudes toward food, I now have a completely different mindset than where I started. I now view food simply as fuel, and though I want my fuel to be tasty, there is a point at which it stops being fuel and becomes a drug. I’m pretty sure you get what I’m trying (badly) to illustrate, but that differential has made all the difference in my mindset. I seek out ‘fuel,’ but will continue to avoid the ‘drugs.’

    My rewards are so many at this point that the loss of food as a reward no longer even registers. Clothes shopping is a blast, for example, as is a single glass of wine enjoyed in good company. My life has changed 100% for the better by removing food as being any sort of reward.

    I’ll end with how I began – I am so happy at your wonderful first month!!!

    • Tamara R / My Retirement Project

    Like

    Reply

  6. Tamara, thank you for the pep talk. I am noticing some attitudes about food and alcohol that I will need to address going forward. I have mostly been a ‘food is fuel’ person for my adult life. Retirement, leisure time, travel, and more social activities have propelled me to the dark side, and I find myself making choices for the wrong reasons. I am getting into clothes that didn’t fit a month ago, and it feels good. That is motivation enough to carry on and figure it out for the long haul. Thanks for ‘weighing in’ – pun intended!

    Like

    Reply

  7. After 42 years of having someone monitor my progress, I gave that process a rest when I retired. I try to stay organized and on track, but I don’t care enough to get upset if I miss a goal.

    Great pictures, especially the rowing.

    Like

    Reply

  9. Fun post and the one of your daughter on the river was well done. The water path, her looking away with the curious ribbon – just a cool shot
    I love how you plan to cheat – (or do it with intention and then make good choices for the most part) and when we go this local restaurant called “Hoots” – we know we will always get dessert – and cheat a little – and a while back we chose somewhere else to eat JUST because we knew we could not resist their cakes.

    Like

    Reply

    1. You have the right idea regarding ‘cheats’. They must be carefully planned and completely worthwhile! I treated myself to a piece of my husband’s Tres Leches cake, and it was worth every calorie. My SIL took that photo on the lake with my daughter’s Sony camera. The colors are as they were, no processing. It will make me smile for a long while.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. Congratulations on your weight and fitness goals! The picture of your daughter in Canada is awesome!!! I have been working on organizing photos as well. It is a worthwhile pursuit as it brings so much joy recalling happy moments. 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    1. Hi Linda, organizing photos seems like a never-ending project with a phone, computer, and my Shutterfly files to look after. I still have much to do, but I’m making progress. Thankfully, the drift down memory lane makes it fun.

      The kids had three perfect days in Lake Louise, and all of their photos were as beautiful as this one. I can’t believe the colors were so vivid. Right out of the camera, no edits.

      Thanks for the encouragement regarding the weight loss. It helps a lot.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. That picture of your daughter is like a painting – very nice. Fortunately I’m never tempted by sweets – salty and crunchy are my undoing. Sounds like you have lots to look forward to – go girl!

    Like

    Reply

  12. Congrats on your weight loss results, Suzanne! Glad to see your daughter chose to visit Lake Louise. It’s one of the stunning lakes in the Canadian Rockies. I was at Lake Louise a few days ago. Have a wonderful week!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Natalie, my daughter, loved it there. They drove the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and did a bit of sightseeing in the area since they were only there for three days. Hopefully, we will get out there next summer. Can’t wait to see your photos from the lake. It seems each one of hers was meant to be a postcard. Such a perfect contrast of colors and layers.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I hope you go but maybe outside the peak season to avoid crowds and go for longer than three days. There are many, many postcard-perfect sights to see from Jasper to Banff. My new challenge is to sort my photos and select some to share 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Hi Suzanne,

    Congratulations being on track with the diet and the weight loss. You have self-control and determination!

    We have arrived at a German-ran campground in a German-founded town in Paraguay, which has an incredible German baker, whom we met and savored goodies from four months ago.

    So, we really looked forward to being back and immediately placed an order! Wow, whole wheat bread, sourdough baguette, chocolate chip cookies, coffee cake, everything bagels… Talk about a splurge and no self constraint. My diet will have to wait. 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  14. Congrats on your weight loss goals, Suzanne! WW taught us to build in a treat when needed. Right now I’m enjoying a low calorie pumpkin spiced flavor greek yogurt! Your upcoming tennis club sounds fun. Love the pic of your daughter kayaking! A lovely September ( we have a lot of sept birthdays in our family too)!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Terri, I am excited about the new tennis team. I only know two people: the player who invited me, and her friend, with whom I have played for several years. It should be fun. Just when I think I’m getting too old to compete!

      Morgan in the canoe was a hoot. My two sweet little nerds. They loved it so much that they actually went out twice.

      I am happy with the weight loss so far. The process hasn’t been awful.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. Congrats on your progress towards your goal. I agree that allowing yourself a few treats along the way won’t derail the whole effort. In fact, by indulging yourself here and there (in moderation), you won’t be tempted to indulge yourself in a big way once you’ve achieved your goal.

    Have fun with your new tennis team! I never got very good at it but I remember that the exercise was terrific.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Janis, I quit competitive tennis every other year, then get pulled back into it. Of course, at this stage, it’s all ‘old lady tennis’, but it’s still rewarding.

      The Bourbon Trail trip at the end of the month will be the first real test of controlling my indulgences. Five days in the land of Kentucky Fried Chicken can do a lot of damage. Wish me willpower!

      Like

      Reply

  16. Great news on the weight loss so far. My focus on the weight creep I’ve been experiencing is to do smaller portions. Of course, the weekend trip for a wedding and seeing old friends blew that focus to pieces. Ah well, back to the focus this week. (The treats over the weekend were worth it.)

    Like

    Reply

  18. Suzanne,

    Congratulations! You made a plan, stuck to it, and now see the results. I’m sure it’s gratifying. I’m on a plan myself, but I “cheated” by using GLP-1 injections. I have lost 26 pounds over 2 1/2 months, but reduced meal portions significantly. I will phase out over the next month and hope I can stick with the small portions. I like fitting into my clothes again. Best wishes for big fun with tennis and a lovely trip to Kentucky. If y’all make it through Knoxville, give me a heads up. Have a great day! Joe

    Like

    Reply

    1. Joe, even with assistance, it is a significant accomplishment, and you should be very proud. The thing I have realized about hunger is that when I lead with protein (in small portions) at every meal and snack on fruits or veggies (such as apples, oranges, carrots, and celery) in between meals, I don’t get hungry. I also allow myself a handful of mini-pretzels in the evening for a salty treat. My plan for transitioning off the ‘diet’ is to increase portion sizes and allow wine a couple of times per week, but maintain the formula overall. We will see. I am not there yet!

      P.S. We will be in Louisville, doing the Bourbon Trail again. This time with another couple of friends who liked the idea. I’ll write about it in November. Take care, and congratulations on the weight loss. It must feel wonderful.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.